The Montoya Collective

I think one of the biggest ways to display emotion in photographs is through the hands. Not necessarily always in facial expressions. There's so much power, feeling, and personality in hand placement. At Forest and Falls this year we were sitting in a circle talking to Ryan Muirhead. He was explaining that he tries to create an environment where his subjects feel completely themselves so that he can pick up on their quirks or the way they naturally present themselves. He turned to me and used me as an example. When I'm listening to people I put my hands in a really funny position under my chin. It may not be how you would pose someone, but it's part of what makes me, me. I think that plays largely in wedding photography. I recently had a bride who when holding her hands together for a simple portrait held them together in a way that wasn't 'photogenic' but I didn't move them. That was her. That's what makes interesting photos, and that's what encapsulates personalities. I went on a bit of a tangent there, but yeah. Hands. They play a large part. Thanks for listening to my musings. ;)