It's hard to describe the deep respect I have for Danny Molina, right, and Juan Rojas. These two young men graduated from high school together just a few weeks ago, and plan to train as Marines. I was assigned by the newspaper to take some photos of them at a celebratory picnic, the day before they headed for training camp.
A former drill instructor attended as well, and he filled me in on the type of rigorous training these men will endure. It was awe-inspiring.
I took quite a few candid shots, and then decided to do a portrait.
In the first frame I made, Danny and Juan each wore a serious expression. But I wanted to show the warmth of these men. These two have been friends for a long time, and had spent the afternoon playing pick-up games of basketball and football with their buddies. After a few moments, they relaxed and gifted me, and the paper's readers, with their smiles.
Sure it was a simple portrait that took less than a minute start to finish. Yet it entailed lots of small decisions. Where do they stand? Not in direct sunlight, that's for sure. What's behind them? Nothing too distracting. What f-stop? Wide enough to blur out the details of the leaves, so the reader's eye is drawn to the faces. How are they positioned? In a way to highlight both their strength and their friendship. What's the camera position? Slightly lower than the men's eye level, to add to the feeling of strength (that one was easy, given that I'm so short).
For the portrait to work, these decisions need to be made quickly and transparently. Otherwise, that glazed look can set in, ruining the spontaneous emotions I like to see in a frame.
Every assignment is the most important assignment. That's what I think. Given the rigors these men would endure in service for the country, this one was even more so.
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