#TheseSoliloquies – Act I, Scene V: Wolfin’ Around Oakland // Cast: Roman Willets
Act I, Scene V: Wolfin’ Around Oakland
Cast: Roman Willets
Prelude:
You can’t force something that’s not there.
Ah, yes, that famous saying that we all know too well. Maybe better known and used with the conflicts that come with relationships, but nonetheless, a very true statement in life. A fact, one might say.
We all know, that I know, that you know, where I’m going to take this tidbit. As it’s come fairly obvious, I’ve been using each one of these photo shoots as opportunities to address different topics we face as photographers, creatives, and quite possibly, simply as human beings.
Sidebar: And it may be needless to say, but I am victim of living in the past. (Ha, victim. I definitely do it to myself.) And as I naturally fall into time of reflection after each shoot, I find myself face-to-face with Bex from back in the day. That silly little girl who just wanted to always win and make things perfect, but couldn’t seem to get it right most of the time. And what I hope for, if anything, is that if you read these stories of mine–you get inspired, walk away with some little learnings from my mistakes, and somehow (through the powers of internet connection), you and I grow closer. Because as I know you know, I write from the heart. So if you’re reading these, here’s a little bit of Bex for you.
Now, to cut back into: setting the scene and the topic of 'you can’t force something that’s not there.’
The thing about that saying is that you can’t really know if something’s not there until you try it first, right? And then when it doesn’t work, you’re like, “Well, I’m not forcing it. I’m just trying again.” And then, once the truth actually kicks in (probably after countless attempts), that’s when you realize how it’s just not meant to be.
Oh, how true this is in portraiture. Most of the time, it’s instantly known if something isn’t working. Body language of your subject. You see it in their eyes. They feel it with your tone. You both feel it in direction. (Okay fine, there are professional models and actors out there that can make things work, but we’re not talking about that right now, so put that aside in your brain). You just know, deep down, when it just ain’t there. That’s when you have to call it, my friends. Because you might go mad, waste too much time, and possibly derail the whole photo shoot if you keep on tweaking. I know that may sound like you’re just giving up. And your inner voice is all like, “You got this man, just power through, it’ll all work out.” But sometimes you have to accept that your vision needs to change. And that’s okay. It really is. Change can good. Just because it’s not the original plan, doesn’t mean it’ll be bad. It’ll just be different. Different’s good too. And sometimes it’s better.
All right, all right, here’s a quick (additional) sidebar to introduce our leading man for Act I, Scene V: Wolfin’ Around Oakland, Roman Willets. When I met Roman back in the day….whenever that was…at some point when I moved back to California, yes…maybe some overlap with swimming things? Most likely. The actual first meeting story seems to be lost on me. But yeah, we met, we got along, sure. But I think the true-real-this-is-a-winning-human kind of friendship blossomed on a late evening over at Bar De Bex, when we got caught up in intense conversations over Lord of the Rings and all things superheroes. And I’m telling ya, once you have geek-out sessions like that releases into the universe, everything else flows naturally. Adventures increased. The crew expanded. Karaoke came to be. Fish were a fascination. Punny jokes won over hearts. Late night boozy dinning filled us up. And everyday was a happy birthday. Roman is one of the kindest and most spirited souls I know. He has such a great way making everyone feel welcomed, and gives you such heartfelt encouragement to keep going for your dreams.
What added to the adventure of this shoot great, was the great props that Roman brought with him. The night before, while we were out grabbing drinks and also had a “business meeting.” Which really, was just tossing back Penicillins and him asking, “So what should I wear tomorrow?” So, in these shoots, I haven’t really directed anyone to wear or bring anything specific. I’ve started these scenes in Act I to be more about character than attire, I guess. Or maybe I’m just being lazy. Not quite sure yet. But anyway, somehow we came to an idea of bringing random things that he enjoyed in a backpack and seeing where that took us. The next morning he arrived with a wolf mask. So, clearly, we were about to have an epic shoot. I know I’m in the beginning stages of this portrait project, but I can’t express enough how fulfilling it’s been to photograph some dear friends of mine that I’ve never had stepped in front of my camera. It’s been enlightening, and well, hell of a good time.
Start Scene:
Communication. I’ve said this before. I mean, everyone has said this, there’s no trademark on communication. But you have to talk to your subjects. In this shoot with Roman, my original plan shifted instantly–but all for the best. We were walking around uptown Oakland (Yes, yet another area I’ve never done a shoot) and stopped by the construction in front of the Paramount Theater. We were doing some posing by some lights and dramatic walking down the street. It was…okay. Nope, something felt off. At first I thought, it’s all good, we’re just a little stiff and we need to loosen up a bit. But then as time went on, we were still not quite there. I asked him what he where his mind was at, and we chatted about the posing, and then he said, “I like movement.” And a switch went off in my brain. That’s it. “Awesome, let’s play with that,” I said. And then adventure time began. Before we knew it, everything involved action. Running, jumping, dancing, kicking, scooting–we incorporated motion in pretty much all we could. It was for sure a theatrical shoot, and boy, did that wolf mask crack me up every time it came out to play. Like I said, epic.
It didn’t matter that I had created mood boards beforehand or had this path I wanted to go down. Who really cares? Well, I probably did at first–but in the end, you’re going to have a way better shoot when your subject is having a good time. Which naturally makes you have a good time. Which leads to real smiles and honest movement. When they feel comfortable, welcomed, and excited to be there–creative shots you might have not thought of, enter the stage. Because in general, when people feel involved with what you’re doing, they’re more inclined to suggest ideas. This led to a lot of, “What if we jump through that? Off of that? Run through that? Scoot along that…” And that’s where it really gets fun. Yes, you can always point and click a button on a camera. That’s easy to do. Anyone can do that. But resist just taking a picture and moving on with no reaction. Share what you’re thinking after a shot, let your subject know how they’re doing, and ask how they’re doing. It won’t always be easy or monumental. But communication and accepting that change may need to happen will always help you in some way. Not just as a photographer, just in life, man.
Anywayyyyy, take a gander at our movin’ and groovin’ shoot through the streets of Oakland. Thanks, Roman for making this shoot so fun and running with all the random ideas (sorry if I tired you out).
