Each spring, the Post-Dispatch compiles a list of scholar athletes from around the region. I photographed Jake Drysdale – a runner and someone who’s working to remove air pollution using nanotechnology.
David Kvidahl’s story explains the details of Drysdale’s background. We met in the late afternoon, a few hours before sunset. I used a single off-camera fill light to make him pop from the background and produce a bright, vivid image.
He brought several of the tools he uses to spray the pollution-reducing solution onto the sign and we used those as props for the portrait.
This is the photo that ran in the print edition:
Jake Drysdale, a 2016 Post-Dispatch Scholar Athlete, is photographed on the campus of St. Louis Priory School in Creve Coeur, Mo., on May 4, 2016. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com
This is the setup of the off-camera light:
One off camera light provided a nice fill.
It was a Canon speedlight into an umbrella.
Here’s a comparison of the strobe (though a bit overexposed in this instance) vs. no strobe:
Jake Drysdale, a 2016 Post-Dispatch Scholar Athlete, is photographed on the campus of St. Louis Priory School in Creve Coeur, Mo., on May 4, 2016. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.comAn example of the portrait without the off camera flash firing.
And one other photo:
Jake Drysdale, a 2016 Post-Dispatch Scholar Athlete, is photographed on the campus of St. Louis Priory School in Creve Coeur, Mo., on May 4, 2016. Michael Gulledge, Special to STLhighschoolsports.com
Published by Michael Gulledge
Software developer and freelance photojournalist based in St. Louis.
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