Gesture in portraiture is something I love to work with. Many times it isa subtle bit of motion, or composition that creates a dynamic feeling... agesture so to speak. And other times I like the gesture to be grand, big andboisterous. These portraits show some grand gestures in the use of light, dynamiccomposition and simple whimsy.

Gesture can mean the usual arms, limbs, and expression of the human body,but it can also be defined as:
"Something that takes the place of wordsin communicating a thought or feeling: expression, indication, sign, token. See show/hide."This is the definition I think about when shooting. It is a big part of my work...whether people or the environment.

I have a little project I do every year. An inner-city choir project thatgives me the opportunity to do portraits in any way I want. No layouts, nopre-conceived setups. And that is a lot of fun. We also only have four hoursto run through about 20 individual portraits and 5 large groups. In addition,there are usually about 8-10 seniors who get something special. The choir directorwanted the images to have a lot of flair to them, and include the areas thatthe students work in... no 'backgrounds' per se, but the natural environmentof the theater and choir room.

With the parameters of time, and a location that is restricted to the concerthall and the nearby outer area, it becomes a real challenge.

Please Log In or Sign Up for a FREE Silver Account to access the rest of this article or others on ProPhotoResource.com