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Dudes in places, environmental portraiture (Self Assignment: Feb. 2010)

All content ©Mark Petko Photography (click here for permission)

For the second month of my ‘monthly self assignment’ project I challenged myself to accomplish some environmental portraiture. Some was random, some planned, some I stumbled into and others were requested. Towards the end of the month I realized that my attempts had been dominated by male subjects, oh well, that just makes room for a month later on down the line consisting of only female subjects. I find portraiture to be challenging because it is difficult to describe one’s personality in a visual language. This is what I came up with…

This sweaty mess was one of 6000 participants in Raleigh’s annual Krispy Kreme Challange. A charity event started in 2004 by a couple of NC State undergrads to raise money for the North Carolina Children’s Hospital consisting of running 2 miles, ingesting a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts, running 2 more miles, (vomiting optional and yes…many opted). Notice his doughnut is actually a stack of 3 pressed together.

This is Dave Jones, Atlanta food blogger of Eat Buford Highway. See a showcase of Dave on my photo-food blog Spoonfed (Atlanta)

Zack S. As I was shooting recently in an Atlanta restaurant I noticed Zack busing tables and keeping everything organized. I inquired about his eye, asking if the patch was permanent or just some recent surgery or something. He said it was permanent, 3 years ago he got into a fight and the other person came back with a gun. Zack got shot 3 times. I suddenly remembered the golden rule that was drilled into me during many years of martial arts training, ‘the first thing you always do when getting into a fight…run like hell!‘

These gents run Atlanta’s Top Flr, Underground dinner party, and a soon to be named and opened restaurant. (This was a challenge, lighting 5 subjects recessed into a booth surrounded by black, pull (dark) curtains because outside scene was undesirable, two wearing white, two wearing black, another down the middle in gray. I give myself a pat on the back for the results)