21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Divine Inspiration

It can take time for a photographer and model to understand each other's personality so the resulting poses do not appear forced and unnatural. Achieving a comfort level is particularly difficult if there is no prior experience working together. Casual conversation between Leah and me revealed that she was a very religious person so I tucked that away in the back of my mind as one important aspect of her personality. The shoot was not going well until we were on a Lake Michigan beach and I remembered her strong religious beliefs. I asked Leah to pose beside a sun bleached piece of drift wood, kneel, and look up into the heavens and have a conversation with God. The resulting image as shown here is my favorite of the entire photoshoot as it shows her complete concentration and happiness.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.0002
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, United States of America
Copyright: © GARY MARTIN