Last Word – John Harrington: Speed and Confidence

When John Harrington received the magazine assignment to photograph ABC News Correspondent Sam Donaldson on set, he knew his time would be limited. He went in expecting to move fast, and only get one or two shots in the time allotted, so he came prepared.

Even though he would be shooting on a television set with a lot of lighting equipment, he knew he wouldn’t be able to use any of it. So he packed everything he could imagine he might need. When he arrived, a quick assessment of the set gave him an instant idea.

“I wanted to create a portrait that made Donaldson seem stoic in the eyes of change, and confident about his future,” John explains. “I chose his position, lighting and the camera angle with that in mind.”

John decided to use the existing backlit monitors with the ABC logo to visually frame Donaldson at his news desk. John kept the lighting simple, with just a single oval softbox illuminating the correspondent from a high right angle.

He checked the exposure for the backlit screens, and determined that a setting of ¼ at f/8 with ISO 100 would yield good color and contrast. John then selected a flash output that would yield f/8 with his Hensel Tria 1500 W/s flash unit. He coached Donaldson to look up toward the light, then selected a low camera angle, which added authority to the pose.
The image was shot on film using a Hasselblad 500 C/M and Kodak EPP film. John asked Donaldson to stay still during the long exposure, thereby avoiding any flash-ghosting of his arms against the backlit screens during the long exposure.

To see more of John’s work, visit his website at www.johnharrington.com. His book, Best Business Practices for Pho­tographers, is in its fourth printing. The book explains how photographers can meet important business objectives, and covers the focal points of best practices—best practices in interacting with clients, best practices in negotiating
contracts and licenses, and best practices in business operations. Visit www.best-business-practices.com for more information.

Jenni Bidner has over 17 years experience in the photo industry as an editor, author, Internet content manager, public relations professional and photographer. She is the author of seven books on conventional and digital photography, including the top-selling Lighting Cookbook.