Reblog: In the studio with Michael Powell

June 22, 2021 by Mike Powell

If you read the title of this posting before you saw the photo, you might have assumed that I was the one behind the camera in the studio. In this case, however, I was the one in front of the camera.

Cindy and I share a studio space with a video production company. When we moved to a new and much larger space last year, one of our goals was to expand her portrait shooting business. The pandemic restrictions, though, have severely limited the number of opportunities for her to shoot portraits.

Cindy is a really talented photographer and over the past year we have talked about doing a colorful photoshoot to help me celebrate Pride month. This past Sunday we finally did that shoot and Cindy also took advantage of the opportunity to do some more formal shots of me, like this one, and even some crazy action shots. (Stay tuned—you might see some of them in the future.)

I do not consider myself to be particularly photogenic and am not really comfortable in front of the camera. Cindy gently guided me through a series of poses that occasionally felt awkward, but ended up looking really good.

I love the way that this shot turned out. As I commented in Facebook when Cindy posted a similar shot, I definitely need to write a book now, because I already have a photo for the book jacket.

Thanks, Cindy. Be sure to check out Cindy’s blog and her portfolio to see some amazing images.

Cindy Dyer's Blog

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Posted in Photography, Portraits | Tagged Cindy Dyer, Cindy Dyer portraits | 24 Comments

24 Responses

on June 22, 2021 at 12:11 pm | Reply Laura (PA Pict)

You hush now. You are plenty photogenic. I think that is a lovely portrait of you. You look warm and approachable.
- on June 22, 2021 at 2:28 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Laura. I think that she did a great job in capturing the “real” me. All too often portraits can look stiff and artificial. She really likes the color of my eyes and she made them really sparkle with the lighting set-up.
on June 22, 2021 at 12:27 pm | Reply babsje

Mike and Cindy – that is an excellent portrait, great to see the face behind the camera and insects and egrets and. . But wait, I’m confused Mike. You have a studio? I thought your local nature preserve is your “studio.” However do you get all those dragonflies and damselflies in an actual studio for their portraits?! (Sorry couldn’t resist the humor.) Best, Babsje
- on June 22, 2021 at 2:35 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. I must confess that I send very little time in the studio which sort of serves as an office away from home for me. I have computers in both locations, so I can edit my photos at home or in the studio. I am used to shooting in the wild, where I have little control over the light, the wind, and the other elements. Cindy loves to do botanical shots and she is the one who got be hooked on macro shots, but she also has a lot of experience with portraits and I am learning a lot about lighting from her.
on June 22, 2021 at 1:25 pm | Reply Ellen Jennings

An excellent portrait, Mike! Cindy did an excellent job coaxing that smile. I agree, you can check off book jacket photo as done!

And I’m sure we’d all like to see those crazy action shots, too.
- on June 22, 2021 at 2:39 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Ellen. I have watched Cindy “coach” her portrait subjects into various poses and bring out the best in them, but this is the first time that I was on the receiving end of those instructions. It seems like one of her major goals is to have the subject feel relaxed and comfortable, so that the smiles appeared natural and not forced.
  - on June 22, 2021 at 6:32 pm Ellen Jennings
    
    You’ll look at the process in a whole new light now, Mike!
  - on June 22, 2021 at 9:16 pm Mike Powell
    
    It takes a lot of experience and practice, I think, to know which poses look good, particularly because there are some that tend to be gender-specific. When I am helping her in portrait sessions by holding reflectors, moving lights, and changing backgrounds, one of my tasks is usually to talk with the subjects to keep them relaxed and loose.
on June 22, 2021 at 2:03 pm | Reply Benjamin

I told Miss Cindy this morning that this an awesome photo of you. Now it is on your blog too. Gem didn’t think the photo could be made larger cause you didn’t take it yourself. Guess what? I tried and it got supersized and that is so cool! I can see that your eyes are the same color as mine. Thank you, Mr. Mike!
- on June 22, 2021 at 2:08 pm | Reply Ellen
  
  A marvelous portrait of a handsome gentleman! Benjamin and I are hoping to see more of Miss Cindy’s photographs of Mr. Mike…please and thank-you!
  - on June 22, 2021 at 2:41 pm Mike Powell
    
    Thanks, Ellen. Cindy shared me your wonderful comments when she initially posted the shot of me on her blog. I’ll see what I can do to get her to post some more photos.
- on June 22, 2021 at 9:07 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks so much, Benjamin, for your wonderful comments. I smiled when I read that you had super-sized me in the same ways that you have examined my shots of dragonflies, birds, and other creatures. It is amazing (and really cool) that we have the same color eyes. On official documents I say that I have brown eyes, but I prefer to tell people that I have golden eyes or tiger eyes. Is your school year over now? Which grade will you be starting in the fall? July is World Watercolor Month and I think that I will try to do some painting, though I do not think I will do it every single day in July like I did last year. Take care, Benjamin.
on June 22, 2021 at 3:49 pm | Reply Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography

Very nice portrait shot 😃. Now let’s see the action ones ! 😂😂
on June 22, 2021 at 4:16 pm | Reply Dan Antion

It’s a great portrait, Mike. Getting you into the position and expression that will look good (despite how it feels) is an art form. Cindy did a wonderful job.
- on June 22, 2021 at 9:13 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  It really is an art form, Dan. I think that most people think that all you have to do is to sit someone down and say “Smile,” but it is a whole lot more complicated than that. During part of the shoot, for example, Cindy was Googling some poses when we were trying to figure out interesting ways for me to place my hands.
  - on June 23, 2021 at 2:08 pm Dan Antion
    
    My daughter was a photography major in art school. She took my business “head shot” and it took forever. I got lots of compliments on it, but you’re right, it’s not an easy process. And having a pro do it makes a difference.
  - on June 23, 2021 at 4:16 pm Mike Powell
    
    A lot of folks don’t appreciate the difficulty of getting a good portrait. There is the technical aspect of it with lighting and camera angles and such, but the real challenge is to get something that looks natural–the alternative is something that looks like a mug shot or a driver’s license photo. 🙂
on June 22, 2021 at 5:36 pm | Reply sv-anui.com

Handsome you, Mike! What a great portray. Congrats to Cindy too.
on June 22, 2021 at 7:09 pm | Reply Eliza Waters

She did a great job, Mike, looks wonderful. Maybe you could publish a photo guide to dragonflies? 🙂
on June 23, 2021 at 7:34 am | Reply Laura Denise

Yay!! Love it, Mike! Proud of you! 🤗
- on June 23, 2021 at 9:41 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Laura. 🙂
on June 23, 2021 at 10:15 am | Reply nliakos

Great portrait, congrats to Cindy and thanks Mike for sharing it here.
- on June 23, 2021 at 4:19 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Nina. I don’t tend to take selfies like some of the younger folks, so I am not used to posting photos of myself. In this case , though, Cindy did such an amazing job that I felt almost compelled to share her work. 🙂
on June 25, 2021 at 4:06 am | Reply Peter Hillman

Super portrait, Mike!