Metal artist Frank Strunk introduced me to David Williams. Getting referrals from creatives I have made portraits with is both flattering and validating.

David invited me to his home and into his garage studio, where I was immediately enthralled. He had several projects in the works and bits and pieces of other projects that were all eye-catching. His bright, large-format, colorful work with acrylic paints containing icons that I recognized from my past was thrilling. He told me that some critics of his work disagree with what they consider “appropriation” because he uses images, text, and advertisements from his vast collection of old magazines and other ephemera to composite his work. I think the finished product is fantastic. It is easy to see why Frank holds him out as such a strong mentor. They have collaborated on several successful pieces.

For this portrait, I wanted to capture him doing what he does: photograph him painting one of his brilliant pieces in his marvelous studio. There were no windows and a mix of color temperatures from the different light sources he had. I was able to use color-balancing gels to illuminate the garage-sized studio and a wide-angle lens to capture his painting.

Technical Information- Gear: Canon EOS 5DMK III, Canon EF 16-35f/2.8L USM @16mm

Exposure: 1/50s @ f/2.5 ISO 400 Lighting: 2 studio flashes - 1 gridded reflector camera right, 1 gelled reflector bounced camera left, and 1 gelled speedlight for fill