Brian Carlson for Magnolia Journal

Prior to this year, Altamonte Springs, Florida-based portrait photographer Brian Carlson had never worked for Magnolia Journal. But, when the publication needed a solid portrait photographer in the Orlando area for its Spring 2023 issue, Brian’s website stood out. The journal needed visual assets for a profile on Duke and Fay Waldrop, a long-married couple, whose commitment to classic cars is rivaled only by their commitment to each other. Brian’s personable approach to working with subjects, coupled with the demonstrated strength of his portfolio, helped win him this project.

I hope they picked me because they liked my images, haha! I think I’m fairly good at making everyday people comfortable in front of the camera and for making the best of situations that aren’t ideal, whether that be through using props, direction, or injecting some humor/oddness into the photos. 

Magnolia Journal is a Waco, Texas-based quarterly lifestyle publication, founded in 2016 by Chip and Joanna Gaines, as part of their sweeping Magnolia brand.

The preplanning for the project was handled remotely via email.

They sent me some inspiration images, both from the web and from my own website. Becca Beckman, the associate producer there, did a great job of giving me a vision for what they were looking for. It was a story about love, so they wanted something warm, inviting, and intimate. Magnolia Journal’s vibe is very earthy and rustic, so I took that into account when shooting and retouching. 

To choose a location, Brian utilized Google Maps to scout the Orlando area for a local picturesque lakeside park. But on the day of the photoshoot, there were some unforeseen considerations.

In all honesty, it wasn’t the greatest spot. The trees obscured the lake, and the trees that were there weren’t at the height I was hoping for. 

But Brian knew just what to do to keep the shoot in gear.

I got creative and had them drive their vintage Chevelle off the road to a more grassy area of a park. Thankfully, no one narced on us. We probably stayed in that area for about an hour, then moved to another area of the park. From there, we went back to their garage to get some more pictures of them together without the car.

For Brian, working with the subjects for this feature was a pleasure.

The Waldrops are really cute. You can tell they’ve got a love that goes back decades. They made my assistant and me feel right at home (in a “let’s go visit the grandparents” sort of way), showing us all their vehicles, making sure we were hydrated, and answering my million questions about every topic known to man. 

Successful portraits tend to say something about the character of the subject. In terms of connecting with his subjects as a portrait photographer, Brian had this to say,

I just try to ask meaningful questions and be empathetic as well as a good listener — something I’m always working on. I think those two qualities go a long way. I read a Jay Maisel quote (via Dan Winters) that says, “If you want to make more interesting pictures, become a more interesting person.” I think reading is a great way to do that and it helps you in relating to all sorts of people. All that to say, I read a lot and I think that helps.

The biggest challenge on set came at the intersection of light and heat.

That damn sun! I’m watching The Terror, a fictionalized telling of the British’s exploration of a northern passage through the Arctic. I forgot that in the Arctic, the sun is pretty low in the sky for large parts of the year. Sometimes I wish for that, though not the cold. Unfortunately, the interior of the car was a dark burgundy, so it was more or less a black hole. Couple that with the fact that the sun wasn’t in the right position to go through the front windshield, and said windshield was very small. So we had to pump in some light via strobe, which I think turned out nice and looks fairly natural. 

Life and photoshoots are full of surprises, both small and great.

I learned they have Texas branded water!  

And I’m a big VW Beetle & Van fan. So when he brought out his beautifully restored Beetle, I was ecstatic!

See more of Brian’s work on his website.

Credits
Magnolia Journal Associate Producer: Rebecca Beckman

Further Reading
Read about more portraiture shoots on our blog.

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