Operativ.Studio
Operativ.Studio
145 Spruce St,
Ottawa, ON 90017

Faces, faces, faces

overview

A collection of portraits that depict subjects in-studio, in-situ, and in thought. Jill is glassy and near-perfect. Chris exudes Hitchcock vibes. Eric, the subject of an ongoing series, looks at home in his upholsterer's environment. Konrad is ready for his Platon-esue closeup. And Tamara is elvishly ethereal.

Project ID

Faces, faces, faces

Capture Date

May 13, 2025

Gear

Various Rigs | Various Leneses

Christmas evokes a glut of emotion, but the vibes in Uncle Jean's basement are always moody, intimate, and sometimes a bit chilling. Chris's lighting truly evokes a Alfred Hitchcock nir mood so we went with it. Action!

I'm doing a series on small town upholsterers in Ontario – to try to bridge the early roots of my life with a window into how immigrants come to Canada and open up mom-n-pop upholstery. This is Eric. He's possibly what I may have become if I stayed on my earlier path.

Helping Konrad emulate a Platon studio portrait opened up some creative avenues. The tones, grit, hyper-bright backgrpounds – all come together to bring a character study into the light.

I'm not sure of Tamara really wanted to be photographed, but she's a game girl. I had just inished this painted backdrop - a sullen, gritty post-Katrina New Orleans-inspired backdrop. And she shows up looking like a cherub. I think the jutaposition works.