Best portraits of 2020 from High Orbit Media.
Although 2020 will be remembered as the year of the face mask, I had the fortune of capturing the beauty of many people without masks. I was also able to explore many new locations from Half Moon Bay on the peninsula, to Pacific Grove on the south end of Monterey Bay. That’s a pretty amazing stretch of coastline.
In this week’s blog I will recap my 4 favorite portrait shots of the year and tell you why I think they deserve top billing. Let’s dive in.
Hailee
Monterey, CA
Hailee in Monterey. Nikon D5500, Nikkor 18-55mm, f/8, 1/250, ISO 200.
Hailee had a common problem during Covid times: new clothes and no place to go. So she contacted me and we set up a multiple outfit/location shoot in Monterey. We are able to take advantage of a beautiful public garden on a very nice September day.
We slowly walked around the circumference of this garden, posing on the trail, against walls, and on benches. Then I noticed this big tree with large, green leaves and branches that came almost down to ground level. There was a gap between a couple of branches that was just big enough to have her stand in. As soon as she found her mark I saw the shot. These leaves framed her perfectly and her expression really matched her surroundings. She’s not posing with a big smile but rather a suggestive smirk and a raised eyebrow. It’s seductive.
I didn’t want to push in too tightly because I wanted the frame to be these large leaves that give a really natural feel to the image. Hailee was a natural and really fun to shoot.
Courtney
Half Moon Bay, CA
Courtney in Half Moon Bay. Nikon D5500, Sigma 18-300mm, f/7.1, 1/200, ISO 400.
Speaking of naturals, Courtney was no stranger to the camera. She had a good eye for beautiful scenery and actually recommended this spot to shoot. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, just north of Half Moon Bay, California, is where we captured this image. The park has a picturesque trail that runs along the bluff tops and through a dense forest of cypress trees providing many opportunities for natural backdrops.
It was here that I had Courtney stand against this tree and suddenly everything came together. The soft, natural light wasn’t too harsh coming off the ocean. The trees seem almost placed with purpose as they fall away into the background while the orange moss above her appears to have been lit on fire from her flame red hair. Her expression makes you stop and wonder what she’s feeling. It’s not evident and quick to dismiss. Lastly, as this was early September, 2020, the California wildfires were still raging leaving us one day with good air quality in which to shoot.
Overall, I am very proud of the composition of this image and the way the light plays off both the subject and the background.
Tara and Delilah
Half Moon Bay, CA
Delilah and Tara in Half Moon Bay. Sony A7III, Sony E 50mm, f/4, 1/160, ISO 100.
A few months after Courtney’s session I had the privilege of photographing her sister Tara and her daughter Delilah. Delilah seemed to have learned a thing or two from Courtney because she was hogging the camera! Once she saw herself in my LCD screen she would run back to her spot and strike another pose as if she does this stuff all week.
Just before this we were at a Christmas tree farm off Highway 92 for a short session, then we came out to the bluff tops for sunset shoot. I am truly fond of this image because it really brings out Delilah’s true character as her mom is caught in the middle of a very genuine laugh. Delilah had just finished a little spin and she nailed her smirk. The soft light of the setting sun behind them is really nice and did not hide their faces in shadow. Also, I nailed the focus on Delilah’s eye. It’s very important to get sharp focus on the eyes of your subject because that’s where we are naturally drawn to look.
This was such a beautiful moment to capture between mother and daughter.
Brendan
Pacific Grove, CA
Brendan in Pacific Grove. Sony A7III, Sony E 16-50mm, f/4.5, 1/640, ISO 100.
Although it looks different this was the same day I shot Hailee’s photo from above. Brendan is her boyfriend and we did a mashup session where I shot them both alone and together. After shooting in downtown Monterey we migrated out to the coast in Pacific Grove.
This was my first shoot with my newly acquired Sony A7III. I was switching on and off with my Nikon throughout the day and elected to use my wider lens on the Sony for some close ups. I didn’t tell Brendan to look like that, he just gave me this cold smirk. Maybe it was the wind, maybe it was the mist coming off the ocean, but that look really makes me feel the environment. You feel cold looking at it. If was just smiling like for a yearbook photo that would have been lost. We would have been faking the moment. But he looks like he’s in a cologne ad or a deodorant commercial. It’s instinctive to try and keep your hair together for a shot like this but he let his fly and it looks great. Let nature shape your shots.
Also, I realize the horizon is not straight but that’s by design. I think that little bit of a skew adds to the effect of the image. It was really windy and I needed the viewer to feel that. Brendan nailed this shot and several others right after. It was a great shoot day.
Thank you for letting me talk through my favorite portraits of the year. I’m sure the 2021 list will be much more difficult to decide on! If you like these photos and want to see more of my work click here.
