Are You Prepared To Make It Count?
60 Seconds with NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown
Last week, I was invited to document all the behind-the-scenes action for KidSuper’s New York Fashion Week show, Funny Business. This was an iconic event in Paris last year and this production was shaping up to be another memorable event. Colm, the founder and designer behind KidSuper, has curated an experience that blends stand-up comedy and fashion. The result is something that feels audacious, subversive, and just… fun!
Now here’s the thing, I’ll be sharing the deep-dive around documenting this show next week for the subscribers of Church & Street. This week, I wanna share one, tangential experience I had. And it happened to involved the 2023-24 NBA Champion and Finals MVP, Jaylen Brown.
The Details
This portrait was captured on the Leica SL3 and new Sigma 28-105 F2.8 lens. For this shot, I had an aperture of F7.1, shutter speed of 1/125, and an ISO of 800. That aperture seems weird, right? Yea, when I was flipping from F5.6 to 8.0, I likely fell a bit short. It happens.
We had two off-camera strobe lights for this setup so you might be wondering why the ISO was this high. Because of the fast-paced nature of being backstage at a fashion show, I needed to make sure that I didn’t miss any moments. Every time a strobe fires, it has to cycle power for the next shot. Firing at a high power repeatedly can lengthen this cycle period, which means you might not get enough power for the next shot. I couldn’t risk this.
Since I would be firing a lot of shots—along with other photographers accidentally triggering my strobes—I brought the lights to a lower power and drove up my ISO to compensate. With a camera like the SL3, an ISO of 800 is plenty enough for this environment.
The Story
My team and I were informed early that there would be several high-profile guests in attendance at this show. A handful of them would make it backstage so we had to be ready to document those moments. And where possible, I wanted to make sure to capture some portraits for the KidSuper team.
In moments like this, it’s important to be patient and be quick. That sounds like an oxymoron right? Maybe I should find a better way to phrase it but until I do, let me just explain what I mean…
It’s easy to get caught up in the experience of everything that’s happening and try to force a shot. But this is too reactionary for me, and the result is often average-looking images or worse, a bad human experience. I wasn’t here to shoot like this. I was here to shoot with intention and deliver unique results for the KidSuper team. With that in mind, I knew that I had to be patient with my shot selection.
So, it’s already hot and packed backstage. The show is about to start and Jaylen Brown walks in. Naturally there’s a buzz. Colm walks over to greet him and a swarm of other photographers that were there (all covering this event for different people and outlets) move in on this moment. I wait.
Colm and Jaylen share a genuine moment. I wait. As they wrap up, a few other comics come in and start to connect with Jaylen. I mean, he’s the reigning Finals MVP, I don’t blame them. I wait. Finally, I see a moment opening up where conversations seem to be winding down a bit. Not completely done, just slowing. I know what I gotta do.
I jump in and say, “Hey, can let me get a group shot of everyone!” Boom. Everyone’s lining up, I angle them against my backdrop and then start shooting while that swarm of cameras is behind me doing the same. I exclaim, “Thank you!” And everyone starts walking off. This is where I knew I’d have my chance. I just had to make it count.
I walk up to Jaylen and do what I do any time I wanna take a portrait of someone. It’s something I’ve shared multiple times on this newsletter. I lead with kindness then ask for the shot. I dap up Jaylen and say something like, “Congrats to you on an incredible season and the Finals MVP. Truly amazing work.” He smiles and says he appreciates that. I then ask the question, “Do you mind if I grab a quick portrait for the KidSuper team?” He obliges.
He stands. I shoot. The rest is history.
So, what’s the takeaway? You’ll have these moments in your journey that feel ‘bigger’ and it might compel you to behave in a way that isn’t you. For example, there’s a high-profile figure in the room and you might succumb to shooting it like an overzealous pre-teen at a Taylor Swift concert. Don’t do it.
Be patient. Be quick. Take a moment to analyze the situation and think about how you can leverage the environment in your favour. And when you see the opportunity, make it count. Go after what you’re looking for in a focused manner and do it with respect. With enough conviction, you’ll walk away with a moment that feels true to you. And you just can’t beat that.
Previous Favourites
September Contest!
Each month, I’ll be giving away a $200 gift card to the Moment Shop where the winner can save big on their next camera, lens, bag, or courses. Moment has so many creative products to choose from and $200 can absolutely make for a better deal.
How am I picking the winner? All you have to do is be a free member of this community and leave a comment on this post. As with every contest, I’ll be randomly picking one person, confirming they meet the requirements and contacting them directly before announcing the winner publicly.
Once again, this contest is void where prohibited by law. Good luck!
My thanks to the team at Moment! Not only for this contest but for being the longest supporter of my work online. They’re a lean team of passionate creators that truly believe in supporting other creatives on their journey. Whether it’s a new camera, lens, workshop, or just some great articles, visit ShopMoment.com today.
Reader Question: What if a celebrity rejects your portrait?
If a celebrity rejects a portrait offer, I just move on. It’s bound to happen. I’ve had rappers and athletes just straight up say no to a portrait. And that’s fine. What I’ve also learned from those moments is that I probably didn’t leverage the environment to get the portrait I needed.
Maybe it was bad timing. Maybe my approach was too strong. Whatever it may have been, the important thing for me was to not take it personally. And that’s what I continue to tell myself with any interaction. Never take it personally. Just move on.
What’s Next?
I needed this portrait of Jaylen Brown. Not just for the KidSuper team but for me to reaffirm to myself that I can indeed make it count in these moments. While I love this portrait, let’s be honest, it’s just clean headshot. It’s not gonna change my life.
But what will change my life is making a habit of doing things that require more effort. Getting this shot in the environment we were in required more effort. Adding to the list of experiences that I made the opportunity I had count. And that’s something I never wanna lose sight of.
Currently, I’m in Jaffna working on my most ambitious project to date. Starting in October, I’ll be sharing more of my work being done here so you can expect a lot more street photography to come. Anyway, that’s enough for this week. See ya next time!
GB
😮🔥❤️