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02. Share remarkable portraits03. InspirationSHow much time do you spend with your subject? Is it afleeting moment kind of thing, or do you stick with theshoot for some time?CSometime it’s a matter of minutes, other times it’s years.For example, ‘Prom Boy’ was made in about five minutes.A group of high school students came to my universitylibrary to take their pre-prom photos. My friend told methat it was happening and I just had this visceral sensethat I shouldn’t miss it—I practically parked the car onthe college lawn. I saw this young man who struck me asso proud and wounded at the same time. I approachedhim, asked him what happened, and if I could make aphotograph of him. He was quiet but there was a candorand an intimacy that happened quite quickly. In othercases, the photographs and the interactions leading up tothem are much longer. I’ve been photographing my wife,the video artist Andrea Orejarena, since we first met atVassar in 2014. And for our ongoing collaboration ‘LongTime No See’, I’ve been photographing the same groupof teenagers for almost two years.Prom Boy, Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY, 2016 Caleb SteinInterview with Caleb Stein - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2020P1501. Make remarkable portraits

02. Share remarkable portraits03. InspirationSWhat are you looking for when you look at your contactsheets later?CIt’s difficult to say until I see it. I’m interested ingracefulness and vulnerability, in intimacy and mystery.I’m interested in photographs that have a strangerelationship to memory—because they seem like theycould’ve been made 100 years ago or tomorrow. I’m notinterested in something that’s too on-the-nose. Thereshould be space for people to make up their own stories,but hopefully people also see the love that was put intothe work, because it all comes from, has to come from,a place of love.SYou were working with Magnum photographer Bruce Gildenat the time you were taking these photographs. Was thereanything in particular you learned from him that guided youthrough the project?CHalfway through college I started interning for BruceGilden, eventually becoming his studio assistant. Hebecame my mentor. He always said to me: “There are nogeniuses in photography, there are only some people whowork hard who have heart.” Bruce also helped me realizethat things take time and that the best photographs comefrom the heart, not from any sort of intellectual or formalpolemics.Interview with Caleb Stein - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2020P1601. Make remarkable portraits

01. Make remarkable portraits02. Share remarkable portraits03. InspirationDid anything else influence you while you were makingthis work, photographic or non-photographic?CI draw inspiration from a lot of different places. There’sa strand of non-fiction writing that really interests me—Janet Malcolm, John Berger, Joan Didion, Amitava Kumar(who kindly wrote a text for this project), Teju Cole, BenLerner, Jonathan Franzen—that type of thing. I liketheir perspective and the way they volley back and forthbetween documenting and reflecting. It’s the type of writingthat makes me see. Besides photobooks, I try to look at asmuch art as I can. This may seem a little crazy, but I justfinished looking through all the thousands of items in TateModern’s online collection. It was inspiring to see all that artin one continuous flow. I started to see connections I don’tthink I could’ve made otherwise.P17—Excerpt from an interview with Sophie WrightInterview with Caleb Stein - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2020Jack and Oden Mathew, The Watering Hole, Poughkeepsie, NY, 2018 Caleb SteinS

01. Make remarkable portraits02. Share remarkable portraits03. InspirationP18INTERVIEW WITH PORTRAITPHOTOGRAPHER, RICHARD RENALDILensCulture Portrait Guide 2020There’sNo MagicFormula

01. Make remarkable portraits02. Share remarkable portraits03. InspirationQuestions by Cat LachowskyjAnswers by Richard RenaldiP19Cover image on the left: Portland, ME, 2018. From the series Hotel Room Portraits Richard RenaldiCover image on the right: Jared and Seth; New York, NY, 2013. From the series Touching Strangers Richard RenaldiI want to speak a bit about how you started workingwith portrait photography. I think there are a lot ofmisconceptions surrounding the genre—people write itoff as an easier method to tackle. Because portraiture isso historical and all around us, dabbling in and focusingon that genre actually takes a lot of guts. What first drewyou to portraiture?RIt’s interesting you say that, because I hear it a lot.And, as you said, it is quite the contrary. When I teachphotography, people have a lot of anxiety aboutphotographing strangers and approaching portraiture.I think portraiture is a lot more complicated than we giveit credit for—especially street portraiture. I’ve alwaysbeen attracted to the genre because I like people—I liketo look at them, observe them—and the camera is anextension of the eye that legitimizes that stare.I worked as a photo researcher at Magnum in the 90s,so I saw a lot of photos in a reportage style, and I thinkthat inherently gave me the desire to slow things downand engage with my subjects. When I started using an8x10 view camera, that really allowed me to reinvent myprocess and start from scratch. I could really dig into whatit meant to make a portrait of a stranger on the street.Interview with Richard Renaldi - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2020In this interview, RichardRenaldi speaks aboutdiscovering large formatphotography, what inspireshis numerous portrait series,and why portraiture remainssuch a pervasive force in ourphotographic world.C

02. Share remarkable portraits03. InspirationCWhy is the relationship between photographer andsubject in portrait photography so important? How doyou personally approach that dynamic?RIt depends on what I’m looking for in each project.When I was casting for Touching Strangers, I was thinkingabout cataloguing different types of Americans. But whenI was shooting Manhattan Sunday, I was thinking aboutapproaching people who were putting on that drag ofglamor, so to speak. They were presenting this sort ofideal self to the world for night life, so I was looking forpeople who were self-possessed.Aaron and Ava; Cincinatti, OH, 2014. From the series Touching Strangers Richard RenaldiCHow did the idea for Touching Strangers come about? Wasit an experiment you were thinking about for some time?RDefinitely. I wanted to engage with ideas about groupson the street, and touch on that unseen adhesive tissuelinking us all together. I wanted to physically merge peopleinto one frame. When I was thinking about how to do it, Iwas shooting people on communal benches at Greyhoundbus stations for the project See America by Bus. I startedencountering that same scenario, where I wanted tophotograph two or more people—strangers—in the sameframe. The extra challenge of coordinating this interactionreally appealed to me.Interview with Richard Renaldi - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2020P2001. Make remarkable portraits

02. Share remarkable portraits03. InspirationCYou mentioned discovering a view camera, and how thatchanged the way you approached the medium. How so?RI love working with a view camera because it slows thingsdown. It’s cumbersome, and becomes a conversationpiece in and of itself. People are a little mystified by it,and their curiosity in it becomes an icebreaker. It’s aformal portrait experience, but the whole process of it isa little more casual. People can just relax because of thetime involved, and they have some time to shake out theirgiggles and be more present.CAs a teacher of photography, are there certain things youfind yourself telling people over and over again when itcomes to approaching the medium? What’s a lesson youfind yourself returning to with each student?RA lot of people think that there’s some sort of magicformula, but no such formula exists. People just wantyou to tell them what to do, but you’ve got to go outthere and do it yourself. The only way you’re going toget comfortable is if you do it on your own. People wantto know how to approach strangers. They want to knowwhat to say, how to do it, and what you need to do tomake them relax. For a lot of young photographers, it’sreally anxiety-inducing to approach somebody. Try not tobe thwarted by that experience. It only gets easier withpractice, and thinking about what you can do to relaxyourself first. That’s a big one.Left: 08:23. From the series Manhattan Sunday Richard RenaldiRight: 06:41. From the series Manhattan Sunday Richard RenaldiInterview with Richard Renaldi - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2020P2101. Make remarkable portraits

01. Make remarkable portraitsP22R03. InspirationYou’ve got a substantial Instagram following, which allowsyou to share your dynamic work with a wide audience.How do you see Instagram playing a role in the careerof photographers today. Is it necessary?I’d like us all to move away from it, to be honest. I don’tthink it’s necessary. Social media is a double-edged sword.I’ve definitely gained things from it, but screen time ischanging us, and its effects are profound. I don’t eventhink we’re fully aware of what’s going on. I have a growingconcern about it. I think it’s changed the industry and madephotography too accessible, so that it’s harder to make acareer out of it. But I also think it’s made great photographythat much more obvious. It’s brought more people intothe medium, so that’s amazing. But based on what we’velearned in the last couple of years, especially regardingthe nefarious uses of the Facebook corporation, I thinkthere are legitimate concerns. Instagram fame, as theysay, is not terribly deep.Left: Dawn, Grand Rapids, MI, 2006. From the series See America by Bus Richard Renaldi.Right: Kerry and Jason, Evansville, IN, 2007. From the series See America by Bus Richard RenaldiCAnd what do you want people to take away from your work,no matter what platform they encounter it on, whetherInstagram or an exhibition, or in one of your books?RI want to leave that up to the audience. I just hopeI somehow move them to feel something. Art is veryinterpretive, and it should remain that way. Of course if youcreate something with a certain intent, and people comeaway with something completely different, you might haveto rethink what you’re doing. But Touching Strangers wasso broadly interpreted, and people projected their ownideas onto the pictures—their ideals and fantasies aboutwhat was happening in that work. I’m not overly conceptual.I like to work on themes and projects where I think thereare stories I’m telling and feelings I’m exploring, and I liketo leave those interpretations more open.Interview with Richard Renaldi - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2020C02. Share remarkable portraits

01. Make remarkable portraits02. Share remarkable portraits03. InspirationI think it’s also important to ask why you think portraiturecontinues to be such a pervasive genre in photography. It’sbeen there since the very beginning—it’s one of the firstthings we did with the medium, and it’s probably one of thelast things we will do with it.RExactly. It’s because of humanity and our interest inourselves—our interest in the human figure. We’reinterested in what we do, where we are, how we feel, howwe dress. We’re interested in the surface of ourselves, andwe’re also interested in the interior life of ourselves. There’sinterest in human psychology. All of these things are withinthe human shell, and our shell is very dominant when we’realive, sitting in front of a camera.Ekeabon and Andrew; Venice, CA, 2013. From the series Touching Strangers Richard RenaldiP23—Excerpt from interview with Cat LachowskyjInterview with Richard Renaldi - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2020C

01. Make remarkable portraits02. Share remarkable portraits03. Inspirationabout photo portraiture that defies easyexplanation. I often wonder whose identityis revealed to me in a portrait that speaks tome. Is it really the sitter, or is it somethinginternal to me, that maps onto my memory ina powerful way? Maybe a fragment—a mereNakisha. Image by Tamara Dean - from the Taylor Wessing Photographic Prize 2016.Tamara Dean is represented by Martin Browne Contemporarymoment in time— is, after all, the best wayto find connection with another person.”P24PHILLIP PRODGERHead of Photographs, National Portrait GalleryLensCulture Portrait Guide 2020“ There is something undeniably magnetic

01. Make remarkable portraits02. Share remarkable portraits03. InspirationP25Charge The AirLensCulture Portrait Guide 2020TODD HIDO’S ADVICE FORPORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS

01. Make remarkable portraits02. Share remarkable portraits03. InspirationP26Questions by Jim CasperAnswers by Todd HidoIn your opinion, what are some of the qualities that makesome photographic portraits stand out and apart fromordinary photos of people? Can you offer some examplesof great photo portraits that hold power for you?TRichard Avedon’s portrait of Marilyn Monroe. For me, it’sthe epitome of an unguarded portrait. It was apparentlytaken at a moment when she didn’t realize she wassupposed to be “on,” and it shows what I gather is theexact opposite of what it was she was trying to portray,most likely your typical flirty persona. But what it actuallyshows is a person who seems to be lost within herselfand looking very much inward.Now, of course nobody knows what Marilyn was feelingat that moment, and we all know that photography isthe best truth-teller and the best liar all at the sametime. And things magically appear different when they’rephotographed, as Mr. Gary Winogrand used to say. Sothat leaves us with what I believe is the most importantpart of photography: that we, the viewers, fill thephotograph with meaning and bring our own issuesand concerns with us.Cover Image top: From “Intimate Distance: Twenty-Five Years of Photographs, A Chronological Album” Todd HidoCover image right: Selections from a Survey: Khrystyna’s World, 2015. Courtesy of Alex Daniëls Reflex Amsterdamand Todd Hido Todd Hido. Cover bottom image: Selections from a Survey: Khrystyna’s World, 2015. Courtesy of AlexDaniëls Reflex Amsterdam and Todd Hido Todd Hido. Image this page: Todd Hido.Interview with Todd Hido - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2020Renowned Americanphotographer Todd Hido hasmade a career out of creatingimagery that sticks with you.In this generous interview,he offers valuable insightsfor photographers wishing tomake compelling portraits.J

01. Make remarkable portraits02. Share remarkable portraits03. InspirationAs a teacher, what advice do you give your students whenit comes to preparing for, and making, successful portraits?TTo be kind is most important. After that, be prepared witha plan for how you’re going to make the picture. An examplein my case would be, every time I photograph somebody,I always scout out the spot I’m going to photograph themin and try to anticipate what the light is going to be likeand modify it if needed.Interview with Todd Hido - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2020JSometimes there is value in communicating well with theperson you are working with. I have also found, however,that not giving specific direction yields something thatseems to be very believable and less scripted, whichultimately makes for a better photograph. I always avoidthings that couldn’t have possibly happened, becauseI want a sense of reality to permeate my work, whetherI have completely constructed the image or not.P27 Todd Hido

01. Make remarkable portraits02. Share remarkable portraits03. InspirationP28One other thing that is very important is what the personwill wear in the photograph. Wardrobe is obviously a veryimportant component in photographs. You could go withwhatever it is they’re wearing if you’re bound to reality,but if you’re not, it’s very good to have the person bringseveral different things to wear, because having the rightclothing makes a tremendous difference. I usually optfor dark solids because it highlights their face in theresulting portrait.JWhen you are working with models for your ownphotography work, do you consider those imagesto be portraits, or self-portraits, or some other kindof art altogether?TI would consider the work I do with models to be apartial hybrid between who they actually are and whatpersona myself and the subject jointly decide we want tocreate. Very often, the kind of work I do lends itself theopportunity to explore memories of people we used toknow or projections of people we might want to be.Interview with Todd Hido - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2020 Todd HidoT

01. Make remarkable portraits02. Share remarkable portraits03. InspirationMuch of your artwork seems infused with psychologicalpower and mysterious implications. The exterior of a homeat night could in some ways be considered to be a portraitof those people who inhabit it. Can you talk about how aphotographer can infuse his or her images with emotionsand a heightened sense of being in a charged moment?TThat is a complicated question to answer because forevery person it would be different. As an artist, I havealways felt that my task is not to create meaning, but tocharge the air so that meaning can occur. In all my picturesof people or places, I see something of myself. It is nomystery that we can only effectively photograph what weare truly interested in or—maybe more importantly—whatwe are grappling with, often unconsciously. Otherwise, thephotographs are merely about an idea or concept, and thatstuff eventually falls flat for me. There must be somethingmore—some emotional hook for it to really work.P29—Excerpt from a conversation with LensCulture’s editor-in-chief, Jim CasperInterview with Todd Hido - LensCulture Portrait Guide 2020JSelections from a Survey: Khrystyna’s World, 2015. Courtesy of Alex Daniëls ReflexAmsterdam and Todd Hido Todd Hido

01. Make remarkable portraits02. Share remarkable portraits03. Inspiration“ I like people of flesh and blood. And I look forthe moment that it appears that someone ispresent with their appearance and absent inpeople as they are: without a fuss and with alltheir struggles. I think that a good portraithas the personality of the maker in it.”Koos BreukelPortrait PhotographerP30Taryn Simon, Amsterdam 2008 Koos BreukelLensCulture Portrait Guide 2020their mind. It fits my personality that I like

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quality of light, or mood. If a portrait has a narrative, I’m usually drawn to it. I don’t necessarily mind if something is staged, but when things start to feel too artificial, I think it’s a crutch.” RICHARD RENALDI Portrait Photographer LensCulture Portrait Awards 2019 Juror “Just