Portraits

One of my favorite parts of my current job is taking photographs, and at the brewery there are no shortage of subjects. For every new beer that comes to market, we take context photos (aka 'beer on bar') and studio photos for our website and advertising needs. If you've come to a Harpoon festival (Harpoon Fest is right around the corner), there's a good chance I've asked to take your photo. We organize photo shoots for promotional campaigns, create content to support programming like Harpoon Helps, and, sometimes, are asked to take headshots for events and/or news articles.

Photographing people can be a challenge, but it's also hugely rewarding. A well-done headshot of a colleague helps show them—and the company—in the best light possible.

I like to position people very close to a large window so they are lit by natural light and the background can more or less fade away. At the brewery, a pint and the taps imply the company connection. Keeping the subject physically lower than the camera (I do this by standing on a chair) practically guarantees a flattering angle and some version of a 'you-look-so-goofy-right-now' smile.

Al Marzi / Image Property of Harpoon Brewery

Smiles can be tough. Lots of folks get stiff and look forced when asked to, 'smile!' I work around this by asking a friend or two to come to the shoot and keep the subject talking while I snap plenty of photos. Taking a lot of shots has two benefits: it makes it more likely that you'll take a keeper and it makes it much easier to see the difference between a genuine smile and a forced one.

Carolyn Orth

By and large, I am not a very tech-focused photog. A dear friend once taught me that it doesn't matter what you shoot with as long as you're shooting the same things. But, just in case you're curious, we use a Canon Rebel T4i frequently paired with a Sigma 30mm 1.4 lens. 

More after the jump >

Charles Storey / Image Property of Harpoon Brewery

Tom Brayer / Image Property of Harpoon Brewery