Mira Sorvino knows my gear

500-Weeks #11 

Mira Sorvino in Toronto

In my previous Toronto International Film Festival photo tale, I discussed an interview and photo shoot with Annabella Sciorra that went on for longer than scheduled. This photo session was the opposite, which is to say, more like almost every other #TIFF photo shoot experience I ever had.

The assignment was to photograph an actress I had never heard of previously, Mira Sorvino, who was promoting “Mighty Aphrodite”. I was allowed into the hotel room a few minutes before she arrived. Typically, the writer and I would be in the room at the same time. I could then – quietly - use some of the talking time to chose a camera position and set up a light or two. This time the writer had conducted the interview previously. Without an interview taking place, I would only have 2-3 minutes to set something up and then 3-4 minutes to take my photo. With these sort of time constraints, simple is better.

The goal is to generate one memorable image for the publication, which would be printed alongside the interview.  My approach was to do one set up and to get a great expression in the subject’s eyes. Once I felt I had that one really usable image, I might be able to try something else, if time allowed. As long as I had that one, I had fulfilled the requirements of the assignment. 

One of my preferences is for the photo subject to be away from the walls. That allows the background to fall out of focus. I don’t like it when the pattern on the wallpaper is competing for attention with the performer. Another preference is light in the background, as I feel it also adds depth to the image.

I set up a chair by the window, as the natural window light looked good. I held my hand out where I thought her face would be in the photo, to see if there were any bad shadows and checked with my light meter to figure out the camera settings. Window light tends to fall off very fast. That is, it gets darker the further you move away from the window. It mixes with the room light from the lamps and then you get shadows crossing each other and maybe dark areas under the eyes. To really get nice window light, the subject has to be very close to the window.

I had my spot and set up my Rolleiflex camera on a tripod. The Rollei is an older style camera, referred to as a twin lens reflex (TLR) that was popular in the 1940s – 1960s and out of fashion when I was using it in the 1990s. It’s a box with two lenses on it. The photographer looks down from the top and a mirror allows him or her to look at the scene through the top lens, while the picture is taken with the bottom one. 

I get set up, and in walks Ms. Sorvino, looking fantastic. I said hello, she returned my greeting, looked right at my camera and asked: “Is that a Rollei?” A bit shocked – who knows camera names  - I reply, “Uhh, yes. Yes it is.”

She continued: “Is that the three-five, or the two-eight?”

This is total camera nerd lingo, which make reference to the lens.  I was impressed. So I countered with “Uh, this is the three-five. (pause) Do you shoot?”

“Yeah. I have the two-eight”

“What else do you use?”

“Nikon. FM2”

I paused a little as I turned to point at my camera bag on the floor and commented: “I have one of those over there.”

“Cool” replied Ms. Sorvino. “Where do you want me?”

Mira Sorvino and unknown foot.

Many people ask about the camera and lenses a professional photographer is using. Very few know what they are actually talking about. I was impressed, and not just with how great she looked.

She sat down and I started to take photos. With each frame I moved and tweaked the position a little and she subtly shifted her position and expression with each click of the camera. Two minutes and twelve frames later we were finished and she was off to check on another photographers’ gear. 

I managed to find this quote from Ms. Sorvino, from 2016:

What was the first thing you splurged on when you made it big?

“A really good camera: I have always loved photography. I even built a darkroom in my home. But now I’ve gone primarily digital, and the darkroom is the computer.”

Source:
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/mira-sorvino-on-selfies-growing-up-in-new-jersey-and-vintage-furniture/amp

The Rolleiflex TLR camera on the left photographed Mira Sorvina

I wonder if the Rollei two-eight she mentioned to me was her "really good camera"?

Ms. Sorvino won an Oscar for her roll in Mighty Aphrodite. 

Technical stuff: Rolleiflex TLR with 75mm f/3.5 Schneider Xenar lens and Fuji NPS colour negative film, ISO 160. By my count, eight of the subjects I photographed with my Rollei's have gone on to win Oscars.