It all begins with an idea.
My name is Brad Abrams, and I'm a photographer in Columbia, South Carolina. It's probably strange for a photographer to not be all that interested in capturing reality exactly as it appears, but I'm afraid that's the case with yours truly. I tend to see photography as more of a collaboration between photographer and subject with the goal of creating something special. I find myself far more interested in catching a glimpse of that special person beneath the surface, whether it's by trying to put my subject at ease with humor, by using various lighting techniques, or through use of creative editing than I would be at just saying “smile!” and snapping a moment in time. I actually came to photography through a love of editing, and worked with photo editing software as a fun hobby for almost a decade before I ever touched a “real camera”. That being the case, I typically approach all of my projects with more of a reality warping artistic view in mind than just snapping away. For instance, the photo to the right was my final project when I graduated from the New York Institute of Photography in 2020. It’s a photographic recreation of the famous “Girl With A Pearl Earring” by the Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer with my wife as the subject. My special interest lies within the world of portraiture specifically, and I'm hoping to increase my rather meager portfolio with interesting people, and honing my skills along the way.
So, what does that mean for you? Well, basically, it means I'm open to more editing than typical photographers are. Most seem to be only interested in “getting it right” in camera, and doing as little editing work as they can get away with, but in my view that's short changing the subject. I'd rather get it right in camera, then work to create something unique. Perhaps there are aspects about yourself that you want edited and feel reluctant to bring them up to a photographer. Maybe there's a cosplay situation where certain amounts of editing will help add to the overall effect? Working to recreate your favorite painting as a photograph? Inserting yourself into a photo you already have? Maybe you simply wish to appear a little slimmer in a series of photos? I'm sure I can't think of all the various situations where a little more care with editing and openness to those changes could help, so I'll leave that up to you. The possibilities are endless.