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Environmental Potraiture - Do You Like Doing It?


DonSmith

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Nashville-based photographer Ron Modra and I teach a workshop in Monument Valley in December where the native local Navajos go into full Navajo traditional wear and pose in front of the amazing Mittens and Buttes. We also get invited into a traditional Hogan at the base of the Monument. Here is an example where I tried to make the image look old-fashioned:

560i8DE5CCDC15F5A2EC.thumb.jpg.41eaf8812c274d95df47d8809b6c91e8.jpg

Do you like this type of photography? I find it invigorating combining the two mediums!

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Fantastic portrait, Don! I absolutely LOVE environmental portraits! I'm always trying to think of how everyone else would shoot it, and then come up with something different.  You definitely did that here!

This was part of a workshop Ron Modra and I run each December in Monument Valley Monica. These were locals and not professional models...

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I love the mood and feel of this, Don! I like environmental portraiture when I like the environment, haha! I get lost in cityscapes, I love rural settings. 

Thanks Caroline. I am way out of my lane when it comes to portraits but even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then 🙂

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Honestly, I’m pretty surprised you found Navajo Nation members willing to do such “portraits”! Straight  out of Edward Curtis. 
I live in AZ, and the native people I know would not do such a cheap act. 
for more information: https://wellcomecollection.org/articles/WrUTGh8AACAA1FH8

It was a part of a workshop we do... They were paid for posing... they made the offer to us and everything was cleared by the Park and we had paid for a permit. So not something sinister DrJoycie - I don't operate my business that way (pardon the pun) 🙂 We will be doing two workshops with them this upcoming December if you'd like to join us - we have one spot remaining!

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Honestly, I’m pretty surprised you found Navajo Nation members willing to do such “portraits”! Straight  out of Edward Curtis. 
I live in AZ, and the native people I know would not do such a cheap act. 
for more information: https://wellcomecollection.org/articles/WrUTGh8AACAA1FH8

This is part of a workshop we do each December out at MV. Many of these people have become our friends and they are paid - we do not expect this for free - all legal and permitted by Monument Valley.

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Fantastic portrait, Don! I absolutely LOVE environmental portraits! I'm always trying to think of how everyone else would shoot it, and then come up with something different.  You definitely did that here!

Thanks Monica - I am currently working my way home from teaching a Patagonia workshop with my partner Ron Modra - waiting at DFW for my final leg. We will be out in Monument Valley in less than two weeks as we will host two back-to-back workshops featuring the fabulous landscape and these environmental portraits - we have a blast with this workshop and still a few spots open if you are interested. Ron is well-versed in teaching this part of the workshop as he was a 26 year staff photographer with Sports Illustrated with nearly 80 covers!

 

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