Balancing Act

André Costantini seeks out equilibrium in his New Orleans street portraits with the Tamron 35-150mm F2-2.8 all-in-one zoom for the Nikon Z mount.

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By Jenn Gidman
Images by André Costantini


In the vibrant heart of New Orleans, where the spirits of music and art intertwine, a unique portrait photography session recently unfolded under the direction of photographer André Costantini. Using the new Tamron 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD all-in-one zoom for full-frame mirrorless with the Nikon Z mount, André set out to tell a compelling visual story that captured the essence of a fictional indie duo.

“The individuals in my photos are actually professional models, but we created a concept of this being a promotional shoot for a charismatic singer-songwriter duo, with the redheaded model serving as their ‘photographer,’” André explains. “It was fun to run with this storyline and see what we could come up with.”

With its versatile focal-length range, the Tamron 35-150mm zoom offered André creative flexibility as they wandered the streets of the Big Easy. “Tamron already had the Sony E-mount version of this lens for full-frame mirrorless, and now it has introduced a Nikon Z version,” he says. “This new lens is revolutionary, because it’s the first in its class to offer an F2-2.8 aperture (F2 at the 35mm end). What you wind up with is a tool that’s amazing in low light and allows you tight control over your backgrounds, giving you the bokeh and separation you need. Add in the fact that it produces sharp, crisp images, and this lens is the ideal package for many different applications, especially for achieving dynamic balance in photography.”

ANDRÉ’S QUICK TIPS FOR BALANCED PHOTOGRAPHY

You can always find great light—if you know where to look for it.
All of these pictures were taken in natural light, mostly in the middle of the day. Seek covered areas that offer respite from direct sunlight—think shaded alleyways, tree-lined streets, and spots with natural reflectors. That kind of soft, diffused light can help your subjects stand out without harsh contrast and unflattering shadows. Also, be aware of how the light changes as you move around the city to achieve dynamic balance in photography.


35-150mm (55mm), F2.8, 1/320 sec., ISO 125
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35-150mm (42mm), F2.8, 1/400 sec., ISO 125
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Strike a balance between wardrobe and background.
When capturing portraits in a vibrant and colorful city like New Orleans, you want to make sure your models don’t clash with their surroundings. Otherwise, you could end up with visual chaos. Suggest neutral tones like whites, grays, blacks, or earthy hues to allow your subjects to blend easily into whatever backdrops you stumble on. You can especially see how important this was with the model standing in front of that colorful wall/door combo. This blending effect also helps draw the viewer’s attention to your subjects’ expressions and personalities.


35-150mm (60mm), F2.8, 1/320 sec., ISO 125
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Achieve that same balance in your compositions.
Positioning someone directly in the middle of the frame can create a super-strong portrait, but sometimes offsetting them a bit can lead to something even more engaging. In the closeup of my male model, he’s not right in the center, but his shoulder effectively fills the other side of the frame, balancing it out. The same with the model in front of the colorful door—her body takes up the left-of-center side of the frame, but it’s balanced by the door itself in that right-side space.


35-150mm (100mm), F3.2, 1/500 sec., ISO 125
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Sometimes dynamic balance in photography emerges from the elements in your background, which can help you create an almost subconscious symmetry and equilibrium in your photo. In the picture of the redheaded “photographer,” she’s actually slightly left of center in the photo, though it’s hard to notice. That’s because behind her are those two pipes—the bigger pipe against the white on the right, and then the smaller pipe on her left. I left more space around the bigger pipe in this case. I feel like if I’d had her shift a bit more to the right, the frame would’ve felt a little too “heavy” on that one side.


35-150mm (100mm), F3.2, 1/250 sec., ISO 125
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Bring out your models’ personalities.
Drawing out a bit of attitude from your models can breathe life into your portraits. As I mentioned earlier, we crafted a backstory and character concept for my models here, which allowed them to tap into specific personas and emotions. If people understand who you want them to “be,” that informs them on how to act in front of the camera and sets the stage for authentic expressions. A bit of direction on my part once they started to ease into their characters further enhanced that dynamic and brought out even more of the vibe I was going for.


35-150mm (55mm), F2.8, 1/320 sec., ISO 125
Click image to view larger

To see more of André Costantini’s balanced photography, check out his website or Instagram.


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