Sam Smith

DanOstergren · Mar 5, 2020

A recent portrait I was commissioned to shoot for actor Sam Lucas Smith (not the singer Sam Smith, but girl you know I'm gonna use that for clicks). Sam played a leading role in the indy film "Imperfect Sky", which went viral on iTunes with over 14 million views and won a multitude of prestigious awards.
Photographing actors has become my favorite aspect of my portrait photography, particularly when I'm commissioned to do creative shots in my usual style, which over the last year has developed into what I hope translates as being inspired by classical painted portraits.

Shot using the original Canon 5D with a Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens attached, set to f/11, 1/160th sec, ISO 100. Lit with a single Neewer C300 flash and softbox with a silver reflector for fill.

Soocom1 · Mar 5, 2020

Again... great work!

You my friend have a strong eye for this.

Run with it!

Jeff15 · Mar 5, 2020

Another very good shot.......

zombiesniper · Mar 5, 2020

Great image.

Derrel · Mar 5, 2020

I recognize this actor! Your use of the name Sam Smith made me think immediately of the Fantastic vocalist and your click-attracting title made me immediately think, "Oh my God, Dan got a gig photographing Sam Smith, the famous singer!" Well, still, a reasonably famous dude. I have not seen him shirtless, and I had no idea he was so hunky.

Warhorse · Mar 6, 2020

Fine shot!

DanOstergren · Mar 6, 2020

Soocom1 said:
Again... great work!

You my friend have a strong eye for this.

Run with it!

Thank you so much!

DanOstergren · Mar 6, 2020

Jeff15 said:
Another very good shot.......

Thank you.

DanOstergren · Mar 6, 2020

zombiesniper said:
Great image.

Thank you.

DanOstergren · Mar 6, 2020

Derrel said:
I recognize this actor! Your use of the name Sam Smith made me think immediately of the Fantastic vocalist and your click-attracting title made me immediately think, "Oh my God, Dan got a gig photographing Sam Smith, the famous singer!" Well, still, a reasonably famous dude. I have not seen him shirtless, and I had no idea he was so hunky.

I was hoping somebody might recognize him!

Soon I hope I'll be getting gigs with stars on THE Sam Smith's level, but for now I'll gladly still photograph these beautiful actors instead.

DanOstergren · Mar 6, 2020

Warhorse said:
Fine shot!

Thank you.

terri · Mar 7, 2020

This is terrific! Beautiful lighting, as usual.

Part of the fun of shooting these actors must be that they know how to get "a look." This guy has one, and it's fabulous!

jcdeboever · Mar 7, 2020

Excellent.

weepete · Mar 7, 2020

Again Dan, your lighting on this is simply superb. It's very painterly, sculpting the body and creating a real sense of depth. The processing is flawless. A real soft touch that strikes a great balance with detail that is real and tangeble but shows the subject in a great light.

I do think that his biceps, particularly the veins are very prominent (but not in the rest of his body) and it draws my eye so much it competes with the face, but at the same time I'd hate to see them cloned out or smoothed over. I do think the pose and look is top class, lighting is to die for. I appreciate the triangles you've created here, is really is composed very well and the simplicity of this shot that is excellently exicuted belies a complexity underneath.