Changing the lights on a cross in Mandalay, Burma.
I took this picture while leading a tour years ago in Burma. When I look at this image, I wonder what conversations brought them to do this risky job.
What would lead these 2 to risk their lives to change the lights on a cross high above the ground, on an old structure, without safety gear, in bare feet?
Was it the priest that asked them to do it? Was it a belief that they might be protected by God, or that they might curry favour with God by changing the light, and ultimately be saved?
Or was it more mundane? Just a job that needed to be done and these were the available guys? In countries, where they have poor safety standards, dangerous jobs are undertaken regularly. When someone dies doing a job like this in a poor country, they rarely make the news.
We stayed for a while, but it was kind of unbearable to watch them moving around up there. We couldn’t watch any longer so we left. I hope they made it down.
Portrait Genres
Portraiture has been one of my principal genres at my home base on Vancouver Island. It’s also one of my principal genres abroad. Portraiture is a dynamic interplay between the photographer and the subject. I love it because I get to meet and get to know so many amazing people. I feel blessed with all who have entrusted with me this deeply personal task.
What kind of portraits do I shoot?
My portraits fit into the categories of traditional/formal, environmental, lifestyle, glamour, conceptual and corporate headshots.
Traditional
A style with an emphasis on the face, expression and mood.
Environmental
An environmental portrait is about the context of the person in an important or relevant place for them such as their work, their studio or some sort of activity such as their sport of hobby.
Lifestyle
This style capture people in a space and activity that they identify with their lifestyle.
Glamour
A glamour portrait is all about the glam: clothing, hair and makeup.
Conceptual
A genre that resonates with an idea. It is about conveying a message through portrait imagery.
Corporate / Commercial
The corporate headshot is about the upper body and face and is usually shot against a monochrome background with even lighting across the face.
How the Process Works
First we set a time and a place for the shoot. This could be in the studio or it could be on location in nature or at another location of your choosing. Then, the images from our shoot are put into a private gallery for your review. From there, I edit the images of you select and I deliver the photos to you as prints, as electronic files, or both.
A wildlife gallery of images from around the world
I have taken photographs since I was a boy and I have explored a number of photographic subjects along the way. Wildlife photography is a genre that stayed with me and matured with me as I grew older. To see a wild creature fully inhabit its wild space with its raw natural energy is powerful and captivating. To capture it photographically is my icing on the cake.
From Antarctica to the Serengeti, our planet has an amazing variety of landscapes and climates. It can be a challenge to work in such extreme environments but there is always a way if there is the will. I am creating a number of downloadable cheatsheets for anyone keen to learn more about how to work in extreme environments. I’ve figured a few things out along the way.
Wildlife photography excites me due to its dynamic nature. There is also the added excitement of travelling to and through wild spaces. That alone is reason enough to be out there. Indeed, oftentimes the animals don’t show up anyway. Landscape photography anyone?
This wildlife gallery is first and foremost a celebration of the wild things that we share the planet with. Some of these images are for sale as prints as well.
World Portrait Photography
A portrait should convey some important aspect(s) about a person that leaves you with the feeling that you know something about the individual beyond the image. I’ve had the great fortune to travel widely and photograph thousands of people. It’s so fulfilling to quickly engage someone, get them to relax, to connect with them and then to capture that moment.
One of my recipes for a successful portrait is to make eye contact with my subjects right at the beginning. I want them to know I’m serious about my work and that this is not going to be just a snapshot. I want them to feel that I’m genuinely interested in them. We’re all mirrors to each other. I think everyone wants to be acknowledged and witnessed as if to say, I, too, have a story.
People are one of my principal inspirations in photography. I’m fascinated by how we change from moment to moment and I love to capture those ephemeral expressions. The creative possibilities are endless with portraiture.
Burning Man 2011
It was my first Burn and as such, I was affectionately known as a Virgin Burner.
I had heard about this festival for years and was always curious. Simply put, it transcended everything that I had imagined it would be. This festival is the poster-child of the Counter Culture Revolution. On the Black Rock Desert, commonly referred to as The Playa, the world’s largest participatory festival unfolds with a density of over 50,000 Burners.
It is intense. It is beautiful. The people are amazing. There are no advertisements and cash is useless during the event — you get to trade your cool stuff. And you get to dress up or down depending on our preference.
I came away from this event dusty and parched, but I was left with the indelible feeling that anything is possible if you put enough creatives in one place for an extended period of time. The minds that gather for Burning Man are simply brilliant. The art will leave you breathless.
I attended for five days, slept about six hours a night, rode my bike all over and still only managed to catch about five per cent of what went down. It’s phenomenally large. You can check out the official Burning Man website here
As a professional photographer, I was obliged to register with the folks at Burning Man’s Media Mecca. All images have been screened by Burning Man for Editorial Release on my website. I hope you enjoy them.
Some of the images have captions.
Gordon Ross
