I recently did a headshot job for an NGO that wanted photographs of their CEO for the annual report, as well as their staff for their website. Working with their Senior Communications Director, we decided that a location shoot would best capture the personality of the organization, which focuses on raising public awareness and promoting an end to the violence in Darfur, Sudan.
So I spent two half-days photographing 25 different people, using a combination of flash, light modifiers, and window light where there were windows. Much of the office was bathed in a green fluorescent light, which I needed to keep on, as otherwise, much of the office was too dark. So I had to make sure that my flashes adequately overpowered the fluorescent. (I did try gels, but there was just a little too much daylight mixed in for it to work well.) So in most cases (if there wasn’t a window), I used a combination of one off-camera flash (a Canon Speedlight 430EX) bounced into a silver umbrella and one on-camera flash (Canon Speedlight 580EX II), with the 580EX II controlling the 430EX. I also had a Stofen Omni-Bounce diffuser on my 580EX II. For the most part, there wasn’t a lot of empty space in the office, so I was limited to a simple light setup, but it worked out just fine. Also, I used a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro for all of the shots below except for the last two, where I used the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4.
I lived in South Sudan for two years (though it was like a different country from Darfur) and have lived and worked in Africa since 1995, so I loved the posters and large mounted prints that they had around the office of people in Darfur. Ending violence against civilians and facilitating humanitarian aid and sustainable development are what this organization lives and breathes, so I thought it fitting to include some of their advocacy materials in the backgrounds of some of the shots. So I was mostly shooting wide open to get the blurry backgrounds, but I did close up a notch for the few where I needed a bit more depth of field for their advocacy materials. Here are a few of my favorites (not necessarily the ones they picked, but the ones I like best). (Click “View with PicLens” for slideshow mode.)
Guys, it was great to meet and work with all of you – I look forward to working with you again! Great job – be proud of what you do! You’re making a difference!
p.s. Speaking of Sudan, I’ve added in a few shots of my own from my South Sudan days, when I worked for the NGO, Population Services International-Sudan, and lived in a tent in Rumbek! If you’re interested in Africa, international development, humanitarian assistance, or travel photography, you might want to check out my travel-lifestyle-documentary photography website too.
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