Inspiration for Your Bookstore or Library Photoshoot
Why a Book Store is the Perfect Portrait Location for Any Book Lover
I organize my books in piles. I have the already-read assortment, the currently-reading chunk, and the next-on-the-list lump. Books litter my living room, the kitchen, every bedroom, and even my basement.
And, of course, I always have a book in my purse. There's not even enough room for makeup or a hairbrush. It's a paperback, my wallet, and a bunch of crumpled-up receipts that I seem to save for no reason. And sometimes a protein bar.
Just the bare necessities.
I know there are many people like me. My love for the written word is far from uncommon. Call us what you want, bookworm, bibliophile, or book lover, but we prefer the perfume of pages over anything else.
I have long been fascinated with books used in paintings and photographs – especially in portraiture. A book is a clue to unmasking the subject's true identity. I ask, "What does that book cover say?" and "What could it mean?" "Are they reading it, or has it been cast aside?"
If you find out what a person reads, you learn a lot about the person.
So using books (and a bookstore) in your imagery can tell a story within a story.
Using Environmental Light
Natural light is seriously lacking way back in the stacks, but for many book lovers, the quiet and dark isolation in the depths of the bookstore calls to us.
Typically, a bookshelf in the back of the bookstore is illuminated by a lamp or a single bulb. The low light is a perfect setup for beautifully moody, cinematic portraiture.
If you're a book lover who prefers a more well-lit, classic shot, you can introduce auxiliary light into the scene with an on-camera flash or strobe. But I chose to enhance the available environmental light for these storytelling images. For the shots in the stacks, I just upped my ISO and used a Tiffen Black Pro-Mist filter (density 1), making the light bloom the most cinematic way.
Senior photoshoot Kansas City’s at Prospero Bookstore
“Bookshops are dreams built of wood and paper. They are time travel and escape and knowledge and power. They are, simply put, the best of places. ”
Don't Forget to Tell a Story
A book lover enjoys plots, details, and character development. When photographing them in a local bookstore, use their passion for storytelling to create compelling imagery. Photograph them perusing a bookshelf, cracking the spine of a new book, or gawking at a rare one. Capture them reading a good book, showing love to local authors, or talking to the bookseller.
Your photography should tell your bookworm's story, so get close-up shots of the actual pages and pullbacks of the entire bookshop.
Consider every detail. Is the book your subject is holding just a random work of fiction, or does it have a special place in their heart? These types of choices can make or break a story.
Get Permission from the Bookstore's Owner
When shooting a photo session at a private or commercial location, many photographers believe in the "It's better to ask forgiveness than permission philosophy."
I am not one of them when I am with a paying client or a professional model.
When I shoot in a library or bookstore, I'm with a client who has paid me to ensure their shoot goes smoothly. Take the time beforehand to make sure you're in the clear.
“Every book in a bookstore is a fresh beginning. Every book is the next iteration of a very old story. Every bookstore, therefore, is like a safe-deposit box for civilization.”
