Frequently asked questions

What is an environmental portrait?

An environmental portrait is a photograph that shows a person in their natural surroundings, with the location playing a key role in telling a story about their life, personality, or occupation. Unlike a traditional headshot, it uses the background to provide context and depth, portraying the subject within a broader narrative. For example, a chef is photographed in a kitchen, or an artist in their studio. The setting is chosen to enhance and reveal information about the subject, making the environment a "second character" in the photo. It focuses on more than just the individual; it includes their work, interests, and the spaces they inhabit. And it is a form of visual storytelling where authenticity is an essential feature.

Since this is a project about artists and entrepreneurs, the preferred environment for the photo is where the subject creates their art or conducts their business. Yet the end result is very much a portrait, not a photo of someone actively engaged in their craft.

What are you planning to do with the photos?

My goal is to collect a sufficient number of environmental portraits to turn the project into an exhibition, a photo book, or both. Each participant will also receive a fine art print of their portrait as thanks for their participation.

Why artists and entrepreneurs?

Because in the Venn diagram between those two groups of people, there is considerable overlapping space. Most artists I know are also entrepreneurs of a sort, having to market themselves and sell their art, and deal with all of the business aspects that go along with that. Conversely, many small business owners are engaged in a craft that can rightfully be considered art. Whether you’re a pastry chef or a shop owner, whether you run a food truck or provide a unique financial service, the line between your special talent and that of a traditional artist (such as a painter or a poet) is quite blurry. And why draw that line at all? The purpose of this project is to celebrate creativity in its varied forms, and specifically how that creativity manifests itself in ways that improve the life of both the individual and the community.

Who is eligible to participate?

Any individual artist or small business owner who lives and/or works in or near Sioux Falls, South Dakota is eligible to participate in this art project.

• If you’re an artist, you do not have to be an artist full-time or rely on your art to make a living. You do not have to be well-known, or even consider yourself a professional artist. All that’s required is that you create art for the love of art itself. You can be a painter, illustrator, sculptor, photographer, writer, woodworker, fiber artist, musician, dancer, actor—any visual, literary or performing art can be represented in this project.

• If you’re an entrepreneur—separately from any art you might be engaged in—the only requirement is that you’re an independent local business owner (not a franchisee), and that there is a physical space (either fixed or mobile) in which you conduct that business that can form the backdrop of your environmental portrait. You do not have to have an official place of business, or employ others; it’s fine if you’re a sole proprietor running your business from home.

What do you need from the participant?

All I ask for is a couple of hours of your undivided time and access to your studio, place of work, or wherever you engage in your art or profession. For example, if you're a writer and you do most of your writing in your home study, that's where the photo shoot would take place. If you're a baker, we might use your bakery's kitchen, or alternatively ithe storefront where your bread is displayed. If you’re an artist, we will shoot in your studio or workshop.

You will need to sign a model release that allows me to exhibit and publish your likeness, as well as a property release for any recognizable private property that would appear in the photo.

What’s involved in taking an environmental portrait?

In order to build a level of comfort, which is conducive to an authentic portrait, I like to first spend some time chatting with my subject to get to know each other. I'm happy to tell you anything about myself that you wish to know, but I would love to hear your story—where you came from, how you came to do what you do, and what inspires and motivates you in your daily work as an artist or entrepreneur. This will also form the basis of a brief (one paragraph) biography that will accompany the photo in a possible future exhibition or photo book.

Based on that conversation, we will decide how to arrange the space around you (the environment part of the environmental portrait), and where to place you in that environment for the portrait.

Next is ensuring proper lighting. Because I value authenticity and spontaneity over style in this type of photography, my lighting setup is very simple—rarely more complicated than a single on-camera flash. I try to keep everything looking natural, and my camera operates very well in low light. That means limiting myself to available light whenever possible, and using flash only to fill in shadows where necessary. The overall light conditions, as well as the colors, texture and tonality of the immediate environment will determine whether the photo will be shot in color or black & white.

Finally we will do the shoot itself. I always like to keep a relaxed conversation going while we do this, taking a photo here and there, trying a few different angles or poses, so we don't feel rushed and the portrait comes out natural.

Most photo sessions take around an hour and a half, but I would like to reserve two hours just so we’re not feeling rushed.

My creative space is an unholy mess—can we shoot the portrait somewhere else?

My goal in this project is to stay committed to a high level of authenticity, which means I want the end result to reflect who you really are, not necessariliy how you would like to project yourself to the outside world. This can be the cause of some mild discomfort, and requires a level of trust in the me as your photographer. The social psychologist Charles Cooley wrote, “We define ourselves through our perceptions of what others think of us.” He had a name for this phenomenon, “the looking-glass self”. So when we see a portrait of ourselves, we judge it not by how our friends see us, but how we imagine our friends see us. The same can be said for our personal living or working space; there’s a reason we always clean up when a friend is coming to visit, and we apologize for the mess even when we know that our friend’s home is at least as messy as ours. When doing this shoot, I want you to remember that everyone’s creative space is an unholy mess—it’s a natural byproduct of creativity.

As your photographer, it is my job to ensure that our portrait shoot is a safe space where you can simply be yourself, without judgment of any kind. You need to know in your heart of hearts that I’m not trying to embarrass you, or make you look silly or unattractive, or make people think you’re a slob. On the contrary, I’m trying to catch that most elusive essence that is your uniquely beautiful spirit and the source of your creativity, and have it shine out through the photo. And while it must truthfully reflect your work environment, the photo’s backdrop doesn’t need to show your entire living room, only the part that is related to your craft or profession. There are simple ways (such as through lens selection) to limit the field of view to, say, a small corner of the room that speaks most directly and truthfully to your occupation, with everything else safely out of frame.

That having been said, I never want you to feel embarrassed, and if you really don’t want your personal space photographed we can work around it by shooting somewhere else. The only caveat is that public spaces can be difficult to shoot in if there’s a lot of foot traffic, and a business would need to give its permission to do a photo shoot on its premises.

Will this cost me anything?

It will cost you nothing except a couple of hours of your time at most. This is a personal art project that I'm spearheading, and I'm solely responsible for the time, energy and resources required to bring it to fruition.

Will I get paid anything?

Unfortunately, no. You will not be remunerated for the session time, nor will you receive any residuals from the sale of prints or photo books, or any other income that may be generated from this project in the future. However, you will receive a gift of a beautiful 12" x 18" fine art print of your final portrait as thanks for your participation.

Will my name be mentioned in any publications?

I would love to mention your name and contact information in any public display or publication that arises from this project. In fact, I intend to have every photo accompanied by a brief biography of the featured individual(s). However, if you'd prefer to remain anonymous, please let me know and I'll gladly honor your request.

How long will this project be open?

I plan to collect environmental portraits through June 2026, to ensure that seasonal arts and businesses are included.

Am I guaranteed a spot in your project?

When I started this project, my sincere hope was that I would be able to make a portrait of everyone who requests participation. However, there is a limit to my available time, and I want to highlight a balance of different disciplines and fields as well as a diversity of stories and backgrounds. For this reason I cannot guarantee that every respondent will be selected for this project, and in fact I have already had to turn down a few requests from people whose focus is similar to one already represented. Additionally, a few arts or businesses may not be a good fit for environmental portraiture, i.e., it is difficult to photograph the subject in an environment that truly tells a story about their craft. Finally, if I do make your portrait, I cannot guarantee that it will end up as part of an exhibition or photo book, as this would depend on many factors, some of which will be out of my control.

What happens after I sign up?

If your art or business fits within the project, I will reach out to you to schedule a photo session. I will be scheduling portrait sessions through the end of June 2026, so if you’re unable to commit to a shoot during the proposed timeframe, we can schedule it for a date and time that’s optimal for you. However, I encourage you to schedule the shoot as early as possible so there are no conflicts with others who are limited to the warmer months.