When, if not now?

The celebration of the moment, or the story of a business portrait photoshoot postponed for two years

So here we are. I arrived for the business photoshoot, sleep-deprived, with unkempt hair and two years late (exactly that long ago Adri invited me for the portrait shoot). I always found some excuse for why I was NOT going: when I lose a few pounds (until then I won't buy the chosen blazer), when I get a bit of color in the summer, when I finally get to the hairdresser. And as the years went by, the planned business photoshoot excited me less and less (just like the chosen blazer faded into the past in that impossible size).

I simply couldn't wrap my head around what a business photo is like? A magazine cover I saw many years ago came to mind, featuring company owners in expensive suits with gray temples resting their hands on a globe. Or the businesswomen dressed according to a strict dress code, always smiling, living in stock photo databases. So where is the skyscraper in front of which I can confidently pose with my hands on my hips? Or will I lean on a desk piled with fountain pens, hands under my chin, flashing a pricey watch? And if so, do I really long for such photos?

I started rummaging through my profile pictures available on social media (the most recent one was taken a year ago), and I wondered if these photos truly represent me? In the photo uploaded to LinkedIn, I am smiling stiffly and awkwardly in a poorly lit, dreary office (taken by my best friend with a mobile phone). The selfie on my blog was taken on a vacation: squinting against the glaring sun, I am staring at the sparkling screen of my phone. Yes, that is me in these photos. In a moment that doesn't really differ much from the next one. Neither carries an unrepeatable moment, there is no play of light and shadow, no depth, no soul in them – in fact, I am barely present myself. I like these pictures because they carry memories, but there’s no denying they are not professional photos. And that’s exactly why I wanted to find out what it’s like when a photographer draws around me with light in a studio. What am I like through the artist's eyes, in the essence of the moment, unrepeatably.

Compared to the past two years, everything is just a flash: we are waiting on the 4th floor of a building on Dohány Street. Adri, the photographer, arrives right on time, while we are excitedly and earlier than the agreed time. The studio apartment greets us with beautiful chaos: antique furniture, books, props everywhere. The studio is spacious, friendly, and very bright. My eyes catch on a beautiful Art Nouveau shelf: our host has a good eye for hunting down every object and accessory she can use for her work.

I tell her that I went to bed late because of sorting out my clothes, not hiding the pile of shirts and pants thrown on the bed, the chaos of ties, and the nerve-wracking moments of trying on outfits. She nods understandingly, she has surely heard this story countless times before. While she prepares for the photoshoot, I struggle with my tie, and my colleague is somewhere in the apartment doing her makeup.

In the next few moments, I am already sitting on an overturned bar stool, leaning against the backrest, with my collar unbuttoned (?Csabi, did you forget the tie?) Adri is telling stories, adjusting, smiling, easing the initial tension. I catch myself striking poses, basking in the moment, and enjoying the minutes that are solely about me. A total of 4-5 different setups, location and background changes, continuous encouragement („This is really good! You look great!”) - my sense of time practically disappears. In another moment, a new series is being shot of my colleague, Andi, („You look wonderful! Smile more!”) I sit impatiently like a child, waiting to see the final result.

We review all the images on the monitor, selecting the best ones for post-production. Adri has a good eye for selection, helping to decide which is the most successful image. And I look long at the many similar yet different photographs – I celebrate the moment in which I am present, I am part of it. The confident, open-eyed guy seen in the portrait photos no longer understands why he waited two years for this.

 

Would you like to try business portrait photography too? Visit Köő Adrien's website!