Public Relations: portraits for a press kit
For a press kit and other public relation purposes concerning TV show ‘Farmer Wants Wife’, Dutch broadcaster KRO wanted portrait photography of TV presenter Yvon Jaspers, and as natural as possible. They found and hired portrait photographer Jeroen Bouman.
The location for the shoot, a nature reserve close to Hilversum, was decided upon quickly. The trees were in full bloom, it wasn’t going to get any better. But Yvon’s schedule was tight and the shoot could only be planned at noon.
“The weather forecast looked promising, it was going to be a lovely summer day. Not so good for portrait photography, though. At noon the shadows are harsh and ugly. Fill-in light is absolutely necessary. Normally I’d use flash lights, but for this assignment I decided I’d use a huge reflecting screen.”
“That’s what gives these portraits for Yvon’s press kit and other public relations uses such a natural feel. It fits Yvon and her TV show much better. And it allowed me to shoot with the widest aperture to isolate her completely from the background. With flash light this would have been impossible.”
“It requires some imagination and pre-visualization. And planning, because if you have a certain image look and feel in mind, you do need to bring the right tools for the job.”
Yvon is back on the lookout for farmers and candidate wives. After all, she has already found her photographer.
