I was asked to create headshots and environmental portraits for Knaresborough based folk musician Paul Mirfin. His manager was looking for strong imagery for promotional use on posters, & social media. The brief was 'dark & gritty'...which was right up my street. We started with a studio session late December which went really well; Paul was easy going, open to direction and comfortable in front of the camera.
We planned the environmental shoot at Knaresborough Station; Paul works on the railways so it ties in perfectly with his style of music and the theme of a 'journey'. The drizzly January weather didn't spoil the day one bit, the station was full of character; think 'Thomas the Tank Engine' or 'Ivor the Engine' - small but perfectly formed, a tunnel at one end, signal box, painted wooden benches & bunting. Perfect.
There were some lovely moments during the shoot as Paul stoically enjoyed a bit of gentle ribbing from colleagues as trains, drivers & conductors passed through the station.
Our final stop was a nearby boxing club in Starbeck to try a different mood for portraits. Again, lots of character and interesting backdrops for a few different set ups. Here are a couple of my favourites -
