The Daily Book of Photography

DAY 315

PORTRAITS

Inspired

ED KLEIN, AUTHOR

I received a commission to photograph Ed Klein, who is not only a bestselling author but also former editor in chief of The New York Times Magazine. I felt trepidation and inspiration all at once, and I wanted to make a commanding portrait.

Using a V-shaped background similar to Irving Penn’s series of studio portraits, I chose a large softbox strobe light above the camera, instead of daylight from above. This background conveys the subject between two “walls,” almost trapped yet completely relaxed. The final result is, as I had hoped, a strong and yet relaxed portrait of Ed, confined by his ...