During a sunny Wednesday on November 2016, I spent a photography afternoon with Michael, a smart young man from Florence, who set himself in front of my lens, to create his new actor portfolio.
Ever since he was a child, Michael got only one passion: acting, cinema and theater.
And with passion and determination, he first attended the Florence Movie Academy, chasing the dream of continuing his studies in the United States.
And in order to continue his studies as an actor in the States, Michael needed a portfolio of images to submit with his application.
SenzaPosa way to actor portfolio
Making an actor porfolio is something out of the ordinary, for my way of conceiving photography. We are on the opposite side of an unposed photo reportage: the subject is aware of my presence and of what we are doing, it’s fully posed photo shoot.
In spite of everything, it is a challenge that intrigues me, trying to bring in my pictures, a touch of spontaneity and complicity with the subject, avoiding clichés and artifacts. To get this result, I need to create at least a basic relationship with my subject, so I always try to get on the set in advance, spending no less than 30 minutes in a relaxed conversation, better behind a coffee.
In this way, the subject and the photographer are no longer strangers: having been able to exchange a few words with Michael before starting to shoot, allowed me to get photographs that probably best represent him, images that speak of Michael as a person, even before of Michael as an actor.
The pictures were made in the park of the new opera theater of Florence, enjoying the spectacularity of the front garden and the amazing architectural lines of the building.
To further detach from our usual wedding photography assignments, I edited the photos in a complete different way, avoiding saturated colors and trying to simulate a Kodak Portra 400 analog film, giving the photo shoot a vintage feel , with those soft and mutetd colors that have made great pictures of so many famous street photographers.
We are all super heroes
I could not resist making a few shots from the bottom, to give Michael a “super hero” look, with the wish he could be the star of a new blockbuster movie tomorrow!
Maurizio Mannini
