Archive for Portrait

Turn Off the Flash on Your Camera!!

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , on February 25, 2013 by benlarrabee

Take charge, don’t let the camera dictate when you need artificial light. The flash is not meant as “standard operating procedure”. It’s a last resort when you “must” get the shot at your girl friend’s birthday bash.

Resnick #858 _H3H1287

Greenwich, Connecticut

If you don’t turn it off, the flash pops up at the least provocation to rob you of the subtle, intimate moment that motivated you to pick up your camera in the first place. It blasts the scene and makes it look ordinary.

So turn the darn thing off and set yourself free. Most amateur photographers have their ISO set so low (at ISO 100) that they need a lot of light to take a picture. In low light the flash kicks in to light the scene but ruins the ambiance.

Set your ISO to 1600 for starters and enjoy greater flexibility about where and when you can shoot. Your camera will automatically adjust the aperture and shutter speed for the available light. Even more importantly you’ll create images that are more about why you picked up the camera in the first place. Show the love, not the flash.

Resnick #858 _H3H2562

Greenwich, Connecticut

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Breakfast, Trudie

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , on February 11, 2013 by benlarrabee
Louisville Kentucky (20x24) 01.02.11 _H3H6093

Breakfast, Trudie

My muse in a quiet moment eating her breakfast.

She’s being natural, allowing me to explore her, allowing for a window into what is happening. She is the perfect muse, letting go of any goal beyond just being herself so I can capture the moment. It’s the mundane imbued with a story, leaving room for the viewer to fill in the details. She is herself.

Trudie wasn’t sold on the image when I selected it, but it interested me because it shows a vulnerability, a beauty that comes from dropping any effort to make it “artful”.

(Later Trudie told me she thought to herself as I started to photograph, “oh, please don’t shoot this Ben, I know it’s going to show up on some gallery wall”. Actually now it’s a prize winner at the Rowayton Arts Center and hanging in their Gallery at 145 Rowayton Avenue, Rowayton, CT)

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Stop the Action

Posted in Ben's Vision with tags , , , on January 10, 2013 by benlarrabee

When I shoot my priority is to stop the action. For me a shoot is not a sitting, it’s a session where everyone is moving. If they’re not then I get them to move, that’s when good stuff happens.

Glowacki #803 _86O8524

Nantucket, Massachusetts

I adjust the settings on my camera to shutter priority so I can photograph people in motion without getting a blurry image. The shutter speed ranges from 1/200 sec. to 1/4000 sec. depending on whether my subjects are sitting on a couch or jumping off a wall. I let the camera automatically adjust the aperture to obtain the correct exposure for the available light.

Shutter priority allows me to be spontaneous and go in the flow with my subjects without having to continually check the camera settings.

0455

Darien, Connecticut

I want to make the camera itself disappear so that I’m performing effortlessly and my subjects are acting naturally, unselfconscioulsy, expressing their spirit and love for one another. The times when this happens I call Moments of Grace®.

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Faces of Light®: Stories from Breast Cancer Survivors

Posted in Faces of Light® with tags , , , , , , on October 18, 2012 by benlarrabee

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month our October blog highlights forty-two images from two moving and inspiring photography exhibits created in 2006 and 2008. The exhibits feature portraits of breast cancer survivors from the communities of Darien and Greenwich, Connecticut. Ben donated his time to creating a poster title and design, and photographing the survivors. Each participant is featured in a poster that includes a portrait, medical history and lessons learned.

The exhibits were produced by the Foundation of Light, Inc. in partnership with Ben Larrabee Photography. The founders, Pam Zangrillo, Sharon Kratochvil and Claudia Sullivan, live in Darien and are breast cancer survivors themselves.

Ben and Trudie with the founders of Faces of Light®

We felt it was a perfect fit to do the project since Ben doesn’t photograph the way people look, he photographs their energy. Ben wanted to show each participant’s light – which is how we came up with the name Faces of Light®. He knew he could show the spirit, hope and emotion of these women so that viewers could connect to their stories. It’s an art exhibit with a message of hope.

The exhibits have made a huge impact within our community and beyond. They have inspired women to be vigilant about self-exams and mammograms.

In fact, Pam Zangrillo, one of the three producers of the Faces of Light exhibit, said “I learned that self exams are not to be forgotten. Even after going through breast cancer treatments, I was not doing regular self-exams because I’m so cystic and lumpy.  I can’t tell what I am feeling. As I worked on this project, and read the stories for the Faces of Light® exhibit, I was amazed how many women in our small sample detected their tumors by self exam. I will do regular self exams in addition to mammograms and ultrasounds every six months.”

See Ben’s portraits of the forty-two participants from the two exhibits.

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Faces of Light® is a grass roots, community based campaign to celebrate survivorship while raising awareness that early detection saves lives and providing hope to those who will have to make this journey. Faces of Light ® is a continuing initiative of the Foundation of Light.

If you are interested in creating a Faces of Light® project in your community contact info@facesoflight.org. Faces of Light® is a registered trademark of the Foundation of Light, Inc.

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Letting Go of Expectations

Posted in Ben's Vision with tags , , , on June 25, 2012 by benlarrabee

My approach is based on letting go of expectations and assumptions about how people should look or behave on a shoot so I can be open to what’s happening.

Ben Larrabee Photography

Flying

I don’t try to control the situation. It’s important to let things happen. I want my subjects to act naturally and unselfconsciously, expressing their spirit and love for one another. I don’t want people to step out of their world or way of being. This is why we come to the client’s home; it’s their nest, their world, where they are the most comfortable.

Ben Larrabee Photography

Couple

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Exploring New Ideas with the Macro Lens

Posted in Ben's Vision with tags , , , , , on June 1, 2012 by benlarrabee

For a while Ben has been interested in creating up-close images, especially with his portraiture. The latest addition to his collection is the Canon 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Autofocus Lens. It allows him to see his subjects from a different perspective, broadening his visual vocabulary.

One of his first experiments was photographing Trudie’s garden.

Trudie’s Garden

A week later he took an unusual close-up on a portrait shoot. The similarities between the bleeding hearts and the lips are uncanny.

Kelly

TIP: Ben gets all his equipment from B&H Photo. Great service, good prices and they’ve got everything. Here’s a link for his new macro lens.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/12145-GREY/Canon_2537A003_50mm_f_2_5_Compact_Macro.html

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No Rules About What to Wear

Posted in Ben's Vision with tags , , , , on April 27, 2012 by benlarrabee

Forget any rule you ever heard about what to wear on a Larrabee photo shoot. I tell my clients my only rule is to wear what you like and what makes you feel comfortable.

Rough Housing

This is especially important for moms to consider when deciding what their kids should wear. Clothes allow children to express their personality. Everyone will be more relaxed and have more fun if they like what they’re wearing. Patterns, stripes, solids or graphics – anything goes.

A Larrabee portrait session is really not at all about being photographed; it’s about experiencing the freedom to be yourself with those you love the most.

On Fence

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Perfecting the Salon/Gallery Concept

Posted in On Exhibit with tags , , , , on March 23, 2012 by benlarrabee

We were invited to create a permanent photography installation in the recently opened Vincent Palumbo Salon in the heart of Westport, CT.

For the second time we teamed up with salon owner Vincent Palumbo to create an ambiance through Ben’s fine art portraits that engage the viewer in a feeling of connection. We’ve worked with Vincent for many years, exhibiting our “Moments of Grace” at his former salon, Peter Coppola Salon, also in Westport. Vincent’s newest project is a state of the art, luxury salon built entirely from raw space. The salon’s clean, minimal aesthetic is the perfect backdrop for Ben’s large, black-and-white portraits.

The photography exhibit consists of Ben’s signature portraits along with images of the salon’s stylists in action. To create the images for the exhibit we spent an afternoon photographing the artistry of the salon experience.

Here are some of the images on exhibit:

Vincent Palumbo Salon

Salon owner, Vincent Palumbo

Marcy Larrick, the General Manager at Vincent Palumo Salon, says “The response to Ben’s work has been amazing. Our clients can really ‘see’ the work when they can make a connection to the subjects”

Maneki Neko, the Japanese Lucky Cat

For those of you who can’t view them in person, here’s what’s on display at Vincent Palumbo Salon:

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Vincent Palumbo Salon

616 Post Road East

Westport, CT 06880

203.454.8600

http://www.vincentpalumbosalon.com

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Our Clients Show Their Fine Art Larrabee Portraits

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , , on January 23, 2012 by benlarrabee

We suggest to our clients that they hang their Larrabee family portraits in places where they can see them often because they serve as reminders of what is beautiful and honest and enduring in their lives. These images can lift your mood, make you happy. They are healing images.

Below we share some examples of  how our clients show their fine art Larrabees in their homes.

Consider adding significant works of art to your home. We think some of your art should be about you.

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Entry Foyer  &  Alcove to Dining Room

Larrabee, Portrait Photographer, Entry Foyer, Layout, Installation, Black & White Photography

Entry Foyer

Larrabee, Portrait Photographer, Alcove to Dining Room, Layout, Installation, Black & White Photography

Alcove to Dining Room

Wilton, CT

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Grand Circular Staircase & Upstairs Hallway

Larrabee, Portrait Photographer, Grand Circular Staircase, Layout, Installation, Black & White Photography

Grand Circular Staircase

Larrabee, Portrait Photographer, Hallway, Layout, Installation, Black & White Photography

Upstairs Hallway

Greenwich, CT

A floor to ceiling wall installation of family portraits turns an upstairs hallway into a gallery.

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Family Room

Larrabee, Portrait Photographer, Family Room, Layout, Installation, Black & White Photography

Family Room

Greenwich, CT

37”x49” family portraits bring warmth and scale to a room with 16 foot high ceilings.

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Dressing Room

Larrabee, Portrait Photographer, Dressing Room, Layout, Installation, Black & White Photography

Dressing Room

Greenwich, CT

An intimate corner of a dressing room is a daily reminder of  the precious baby years.

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Bedroom

Larrabee, Portrait Photographer, Bedroom, Layout, Installation, Black & White Photography

Bedroom

Nantucket, MA

The prints are mounted into plexi for a frameless presentation in the master bedroom that is clean and modern.

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Foyer Entry

Larrabee, Portrait Photographer, Foyer Entry, Layout, Installation, Black & White Photography

Foyer Entry

Rowayton, CT

Track lighting illuminates the Larrabee collection on the wall.

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Hallway

Larrabee, Portrait Photographer, Hallway, Layout, Installation, Black & White Photography

Hallway

New Canaan, CT

A frequently used hallway becomes a gallery to showcase playful family moments.

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Front Entry Staircase

Larrabee, Portrait Photographer, Front Entry Staircase, Layout, Installation, Black & White Photography

Front Entry Staircase

Greenwich, CT

Each of the three children is featured in a 37”x49” photograph framed in white gold to match the color palette of the front entry.

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Stairwell

Larrabee, Portrait Photographer, Stairwell, Layout, Installation, Black & White Photography

Stairwell

Rowayton, CT

Consider how many times a day you go up and down the stairs to the upstairs floors. Here a stairway and  hall become a daily reminder of a family’s special time together at their beloved Montana home.

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Dining Room

Dining Room

Greenwich, CT

A recessed light over the fireplace mantel brings the family photo to life in the dining room.

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Hall to Office

Hall to Office

Greenwich, CT

The vertically stacked photographs draw the eye and make a finishing statement.

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Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom

Greenwich, CT

37″x49″ family portraits personalize the Master Bedroom.

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Stairwell

Stairwell

Greenwich, CT

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Stairwell

Stairwell

Stairwell

Rowayton, CT

Nothing proclaims where your priorities are like family portraits in the home. This stairwell displays Larrabees on both walls flanking the stairs.

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View the portraits shown in our installation examples above:

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Ben’s Work Inspires a Photography Student

Posted in Uncategorized with tags , , , on September 1, 2011 by benlarrabee

Photography student Belen Shafer was assigned to research and write about a photographer whose work inspired her.  Without a second thought she had Ben in mind.  Her enthusiasm and understanding for Ben’s work is shown in her essay below:

“When we were given our project to write about a photographer there was someone who immediately came to my mind, Ben Larrabee.  Ben lives and works in Darien, Connecticut.  Darien has a special place in my heart, as it is where I first stayed and lived when I came to America.  It is also where I first felt the need to buy a camera.

A friend of mine worked for a family in Darien.  This is where I first came in contact with Ben’s work.  I was very impressed with his photographs.  The family had portraits taken by Ben hanging throughout the house.  Each one was filled with impeccable taste.  He used the right amount of light, angle, a wide pallet of shades and incredible presentation.

Ben Larrabee  approaches the subject in a magical way; he captures the spirit and energy of his subject.  Ben chooses black and white photography for all of his shoots, which adds an air of romance, class, timelessness and mystery to what otherwise would be ordinary pictures.  Every part of the process is flawless from the paper to the framing to the signature.  He does not set expectations when he starts, but rather goes with the flow of the moment.  He starts with an idea and lets the photo shoot unfold until he feels that he has something special.

Ben Larrabee does not photograph the way people look, but captures the energy and dynamic of the family.  “Moments of Grace” is the term that Ben uses to describe that instant when he captures that “perfect” picture.  In my research I found a set of videos that helped me understand more about his practice, his values and the human spirit.  By keeping an open mind and having patience when shooting photographs he can capture these moments.

Ben Larrabee is the one photographer that caught my attention and soon to become my inspiration.  He is well recognized for his fine portraits.  Ben recommends to his clients to hang the photos where they can see them regularly.  Where they can remember the connection and the love when things do not go so well.  His photos are a gift that can be passed on from generation to generation as a personal treasure.”

View some of the family photos that inspired Belen’s essay

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