I wanted to try something different and shooting 1000 portraits in 1 afternoon seemed like a good idea.  Due to circumstances mostly out of my control and a few tech/lighting issues, I only managed a pathetic 609, but I’m happy with that as it was a first attempt.  I’ll do better next time.  I had originally planned on using strobes, but could not get them to trigger, so reverted to mostly natural light.  These were all shot on a simple Sony a6000, with the 16-50mm zoom lens that cam with the camera.  I processed them with Adobe Lightroom.  Nothing was Photoshopped.

 —Steve Payne

Editor’s note:

What immediately grabbed me about these images was the variety of expressions, poses and people (and a dog!), as well as the very idea of setting up a simple outdoor photo booth at an arts festival and shooting as many portraits as one possibly can. It seems like an idea that other photographers may want to try as well. The fact that his strobes didn’t work seems like a pre-ordained happy accident. By keeping the gear simple and placing himself in a high-traffic area, Steve very quickly created an impressive body of work. Below, a fraction of his 609 photos…
—Mason Resnick

Biography:

“I’ve never taken a single class or read one book on photography, I just picked up a camera.  A bit like a baby owl climbing out of their nest and jumping, only to find out they have wings, just before slamming into the ground.  I started shooting bands for the music papers in London in the early 80’s and never looked back.  Ended up at London’s Evening Standard, shooting resturants and features.  I’ve also shot a lot of film/video and have worked on many docs.  Notable “Who Killed the Electric Car” and “The Revenge of the Electric Car” with Chris Paine.  I now have a great studio/art space in DTLA.”

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You can email Steve at paynie@mac.com.