Renowned photography blog A Photo A Day interviewed Ryan Pfluger about his image-making process.
1. What do you do before and during the shoot to cultivate the kind of intimacy your shoots clearly enjoy? Even in the celebrity portraits, it looks like your subjects are inviting you in for a closer, more revealing look.
I try and approach both my personal work and editorial work in the same exact way. At times it can be difficult when shooting celebrities or personalities due to the short time frames and often excessive amount of people on location. Shooting one-on-one is always ideal. While I do make very formal portraits, my photographic process is always about letting things flow naturally. I often refer to my camera as a therapist, making my sessions a meditative process. Often my subjects will tell me stories, and I’ll just listen. I rarely make photographs during this time. It brings about a sense of ease and I always want my subjects to know I am sincerely interested in them as individuals, not just bodies to make interesting images. Even with celebrities, while often brief, I hope to make it an intimate moment they can remember. While I don’t think it’s talked about enough, a photographer’s outward personality plays an integral role to the work they create. For me, I’m pretty introverted and often enjoy existing in silence with my subjects.
Read the rest of the intimate interview over on their blog.
Photographer: Ryan Pfluger
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Charles Ludeke
Associate Photo Rep, Glasshouse Assignment
212-462-4538 charles@glasshouseassignment.com
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