Untamed Magazine
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PHOTOGRAPHER INTERVIEW
Charles
Peace
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER
My Name is Charles Peace and I’m currently located in Boise, ID. As a military brat I have never lived anywhere more than 6-8 years in my life and a camera has been a good companion. I have been shooting since my first class in high-school back in 1999. I would go on to earn a Bachelors of Fine Arts concentrating in Photography from Northern Michigan University in 2007. Most of my work is 120 film based often with natural light.
"For me, there's usually a specific person I'm thinking of when I see the images."
– Charles Peace
Can you walk us through your process for a typical shoot?
honestly my process tends to be very front end heavy. I tend to over think and over plan shoots. I spend a lot of time listening to music trying to get an emotional feel for an image. Then I’ll make a google doc and try and figure out all the details I can. The shoot is always this weird mix of anxiety and excitement. Editing has never been my strongest skill so I try to get as much done in camera as I can.
What is your goal in portraits?
My goal in portraits is an intimate and loving feels. I’ve lived my entire adult life alone. So I have this sort of romantic image in my head of what living with someone you’re romantically paired with might be like. When I look back at the images I’ve created, this feeling of intimacy, comfort, even longing is commonly what I’m left with.
What do you bring with you on a shoot?
If possible on shoots I try to have bottled water available for the model and some sort of sealed snack. I’ll also try and listen to music ahead of time to get me in the mood. Usually after a shoot my introverted self is spent and I’ll spend the rest of the day sleeping. I’m not used to being with people so much.
Can you walk us through your process for a typical shoot?
What cameras are you currently using and what is your favorite?
The Bronica SQ-Ai is by far my favorite medium format camera. The Mamiya 645pro is easily second. Lately I’ve been trying to do more digitally with my Nikon Zf camera. I find that medium format is the right number of frames to work with and provides the feel I really enjoy in an image.
What cameras are you currently using and what is your favorite?
I think a truth I’ve learned from portrait photography is the isolation it brings. Photography in many ways has been door opening. The camera has provided me access to people and places I otherwise wouldn’t have without it. The trade off is knowing I can never get truly close to any of the people I photograph in the name of professionalism. I’ve met a lot of really interesting people whom I would have liked to know better. When I did know someone outside photography, they commonly had an understandable concern about me photographing other women. So in the end I lost her, and I found myself in a situation where I’d never be able to connect with the people in front of the lens.
How do you think people feel when they see your work?
I’m not sure how people think or feel when they see my work. My hope is they see that intimate side of relationships. Maybe someone in their life they can relate to. For me there’s usually a specific person I’m thinking of when I see the images.
