When Chicago photographer Thomas Chadwick shoots a casting, he keeps his eyes open for interesting subject matter for his book. His latest casting shoot focused on actors, so Thomas took advantage of his time with these fresh faces to get a few interesting portraits.
Thomas’s assignment was to take headshots for a casting. He was pleased that this particular casting was for actors rather than models, as he finds them to have a wider range of expressions than models usually have. Thomas prelit the set with the lighting that he would want to use for his portfolio. The talent came in one by one, and with just 30-45 seconds to shoot each person, he had to work quickly.
The casting was for full body length, but when I came across a person that caught my attention, I got up in their grill, invading their personal space, and the result is an interesting reaction between me and them, for just a few lucky seconds.
A challenge Thomas faced during the shoot was keeping the lighting consistent and even during the day, since the concept was a daylight setting. As the natural light from the windows shifted, he made adjustments to keep his lighting consistent. He needed to make these adjustments quickly so he could keep the casting moving smoothly and not keep anyone waiting.
Though it was a challenge, Thomas’s favorite part of the casting was the fast-paced nature. Castings usually move quickly from one person to another, and it’s always exciting for him to see a variety of subjects in a short amount of time. Once again it kept things moving and fun and more importantly, produced some great portraiture.
Thomas’s daylight images have been met with popularity amongst his clients. He won a large campaign where he was asked to duplicate the style, and although he has no future plans for this particular project, he always takes what he learns from one shoot to influence the next.
For more photography from Thomas Chadwick visit, a-photographer-called-thomas.com.