Cloudy Overcast Portraits

Portrait Photoshoot | University at Albany | Albany, NY

Sometimes letting go of perfectionism and trying something new is the best reset for your creativity!

So I wanted to try something a little different for this portrait photoshoot. It can be a bit of a lull period in spring before the greenery truly has a chance to come back and the cold from winter doesn’t quite want to leave. My friend Nemo and I always try to experiment when it comes to portrait photoshoots. Sometimes it’s nice to create random concepts when you aren’t under the pressure of delivering to a client or needing a specific image for a portfolio.

I recently was listening to one of my favorite albums, Fallen by Evanescence. “My Immortal” came on, and the music video was playing in the background. It had been a long time since I had watched the video, and I forgot how beautiful the cinematography and overall concept were.

The theme of the video centers around a man constantly being reminded of someone he lost, while the spirit remains bound to the world as an eternal reminder of that grief. The spirit, played by Amy Lee, wears a ripped dress with torn pieces of fabric wrapped around her body. We took inspiration from this concept for the photoshoot. Nemo designed the outfit, along with many of the other looks we’ve created together in the past.

Nemo and I were deciding between a few locations. Initially, we thought that Washington Park in downtown Albany might be a good choice, but the theme of this shoot really involved the subject never setting foot on the ground, representing an immortal being, and I was worried about not having enough options in terms of ledges or structures for him to sit or stand on.

I started browsing through some of my older photos to think of other locations. Again, we were limited aesthetically because none of the greenery had returned yet. I came across photos I had taken during the pandemic at University at Albany, and we ended up deciding to go with that location.

It’s a unique choice, since the location is rather modern, but the way the courtyard is set up, with a central area featuring a massive fountain and various stone benches to interact with, really made me lean toward it.

The environment also reminded me a bit of a classic anime high school setting, where the campus is outdoors with ethereal lighting. It gave kind of Angel Beats! vibes, and I figured that with the combination of the white clothing and backlit sun, it could create a really beautiful effect.

Unfortunately, the sun had other plans for our photoshoot. It was probably one of the darkest overcast days in recent memory. Normally, clouds dissipate or at least give way a bit when shooting close to sunset, but today was one of those 100% cloud coverage days.

Thankfully, my 85mm 1.2 (the old one from the 80s) was mostly able to create the same soft effects I had in mind, even without the sun being present. With the help of shooting through the water and using some overhanging trees to create foreground blur, the results came out great.

Props to Nemo for enduring the cool weather. Although it was 51 degrees, it was one of those days where the wind made it feel more like the 40s, especially since this location had a strong wind tunnel effect because of the layout.

He was completely barefoot during the whole shoot and even got himself a bit wet so that the fabric of the shirt hung more naturally.

By the way, my apologies to the photographer doing graduation photos in this same location. I hope we didn’t get in too many shots. Not exactly the ideal backdrop to have a demon-looking figure walking through your shot haha.

Although the lighting conditions for this photoshoot were not ideal, and neither was the cold weather, Nemo and I were still able to create great results that I think complement the source material well. Above all, it was a great reset creativity wise going into the summer and wedding photography season.

I’m dedicated to making your wedding or portrait session in Albany, Upstate NY, & Hudson Valley a smooth, personalized, and memorable experience. Ready to begin? Explore my wedding or portrait photography services, view the heirloom album experience, or get in touch here!

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Thank you for reading!

-Raf