Category Portraits

Baring Scars: Portraits of Strength

January 29, 2025 0 Comments read Baring Scars Project, Blog, Portraits, Projects

Isaac Marston, Testicular Cancer survivor. © Brian Fitzgerald, *Baring Scars* Project

The last thing I wanted was to be seen.

Not for something like this, completely out of my control.

Many people get cancer—an estimated 2 million in the U.S. alone 2024—but every story is unique.

My own cancer came in late 2015. A routine scan for a kidney stone led to surgery, and suddenly, I was missing part of my right kidney. A rare cancer, they told me. No apparent cause, no warning.

Then, it was over—the surgery, at least—but not the worry, the scans, or the realization just how fragile life is.

I minimized it and took to calling it “cancer with a little ‘c'”. But it definitely changed me and still does.

There’s a moment when we all have to face our mortality and that was mine. My wife went back to school to retrain for a job, in part to support us in case I had a recurrence.

I dealt with it by throwing myself into work and filling my life with trivialities and busy work.

But every time I looked in the mirror and saw the scars—or felt the phantom itchiness as my scars continued to fade—I was reminded: it could have ended up so differently.

In 2020, I saw Trevor Maxwell’s name come across my feed. Trevor and I had worked together briefly at the Portland Press Herald. He was younger than me, a dad with two girls, a husband. And now he had stage IV Colon cancer.

I regret that I didn’t contact him right then. What do you say to someone fighting for their life? Months later, I saw that he was starting a podcast—Man Up to Cancer. A space for men facing cancer to connect. A brotherhood.

So I reached out. We talked about his fight—not just one battle, but many. I photographed him under the ancient oak tree on his family property he called his shield. Trevor mentioned his scars then. Not as things to hide, but to celebrate.

That’s when Baring Scars was born.

The idea: Photograph 50 men with cancer. Let them tell their stories. Show their scars—not just the physical ones, but the strength, uncertainty, and resilience they carry. Isaac Marston, whose photo is above, was the first person I photographed (read more about Isaac’s story here).

Men have worse cancer outcomes than women. Not just because of biology, but because of how we deal with illness. We tend to ignore pain. To delay seeking help. When diagnosed, we isolate.

Baring Scars challenges that. It’s about connection. A visual statement: You are not alone.

At first, I wasn’t sure men would step forward. But they did, over and over. They told me this was self-empowering. That they wanted other men to see what survival looks like. That they wanted to inspire others to keep going.

This project is for them. For the men fighting cancer right now and for their loved ones. For the organizations working to change outcomes. For the men who think they are alone.

If it encourages even one man to seek help, to get screened, to reach out—it will have been worth it.

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Transforming Global Health with Data and AI with Dr. Joan LaRovere

October 29, 2024 0 Comments read Blog, On Assignment, On Location, Portraits

Last month, I had the chance to photograph Dr. Joan LaRovere, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Transformation at Boston Children’s Hospital, for The Financial Times of London.

LaRovere is co-founder of the Virtue Foundation, which harnesses AI and data science to improve healthcare access worldwide, particularly in underserved areas. Inspired by her work at MIT Sloan and Boston Children’s, she’s launching a data-driven platform in 2025 to map healthcare needs in 72 low- and middle-income countries, helping clinicians allocate resources and address “medical deserts.”

We met at MIT Sloan, where LaRovere earned her Executive MBA and began to scale up her foundation’s impact. My goal was to capture several distinct portrait looks, balanced with elements of MIT (and Boston, if possible). Navigating crowded halls, armed with gear and pressed for time—common constraints for an editorial photographer—we worked together to create portraits that I hoped would give a sense of LaRovere and her work.

It’s inspiring to meet and photograph people like LaRovere, whose work impacts health outcomes for so many around the world even as she saves individual lives back in Boston.

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Joan LaRovere, photographed at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. *© Brian Fitzgerald*

From Cartoons to Glass: A Creative Maine Journey

August 22, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Creativity, Editorial, Inspirational, Mainers, Mainers at Work, Portraits, Storytelling

Maine Glassblower David Jacobson — David Jacobson, Glassblower, Belfast, Maine. © Brian Fitzgerald

David Jacobson was a freshman majoring in telecommunications at Kent State University in Ohio when he happened upon an outdoor glassblowing demonstration. “I knew at that moment that was something I needed to do,” he said.

It took a few years—and a few colleges—but Jacobson did end up studying for an MFA in glassblowing. He also became a professional editorial cartoonist for a Gannett newspaper in New York, where he is from, spending his career cartooning for various publications and with a full-time syndicated cartoon with United Media. Still, he found himself taking more glassblowing classes on the side. “Things were going well there. Yet it turned out that my cartooning supported my glass habit,” said Jacobson.

By 2003, Jacobson’s glass art was selling in galleries. He relocated to Montville, Maine that same year and did what Mainers do: cobbled together an income, by running a glass studio and a house-painting business.

He rebuilt his 200-year-old barn into a glass studio. “There was a lot of hard work, a lot of doubt, and a lot of moments thinking, ‘I’m the biggest idiot in the world.’ But the passion was always there and fortunately, the talent was always there too. I just kept meeting the right people and kept saying yes.”

Saying yes is what led Jacobson to co-found a studio with artist Carmi Katsir as part of the Waterfall Arts in Belfast. They built out the studio using much of Jacobson’s equipment from his old studio, adapting it to run off of vegetable oil and electricity—one of just a handful in the US. Now, Jacobson produces his own work and, together with Katsir and others, teaches hot glass classes to the public and to Belfast high school students.

David Jacobson, Glassblower, Belfast, Maine. © Brian Fitzgerald

Of the studio, owned by Waterfall Arts, Jacobson says that he’s grateful. “It allows me to do work that makes me the happiest I’ve ever been.”

As a creative business owner, Jacobson was used to being a lone wolf but is excited by the community aspect of the Waterfall Arts Glassworks. “One of the greatest assets of glassblowing is that it is community-oriented. People are trained to work with someone. So to come into this community situation is thrilling. It’s affected my work in that it’s given me great enthusiasm to try new things,” Jacobson said.

“It’s beyond any kind of vision that I ever had.”

David Jacobson, Belfast, Maine ©Brian Fitzgerald

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Find out more about the Waterfall Arts Glassworks or to sign up for a class at the only public-access glassblowing studio in Maine.

Creating Spaces is a project that explores the connection between Maine artists and craftsmen and their physical workspaces—places that are often hallowed grounds of creativity and solitude, far from the public eye or the gallery.

Triumph Over Trauma: Isaac’s Journey

June 21, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Editorial, Inspirational, Personal, Portraits, Projects, Storytelling

Male Cancer Survivor — *Isaac, testicular cancer survivor. © Brian Fitzgerald*

A recurring theme in my work has been narrating the stories of those who battle adversity, survive and even thrive despite the trauma or disease they’ve encountered. This piece is part of an ongoing series featuring men who bear the physical scars of their trauma.

Isaac, a native of Auburn, Maine, recalls experiencing a persistent dull ache in his lower abdomen during his teenage years and early twenties. As he attempted, yet failed, to complete a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail at 20, the discomfort continued. But he kept his pain hidden. “In my childhood, if you weren’t seen, you weren’t getting beaten,” he said. “So you never voiced any concerns.”

At 22, Isaac received a diagnosis of testicular cancer, a disease often affecting younger and middle-aged men. The prospects for recovery can be favorable if the cancer is detected early.

The following years were a blur of chemotherapy sessions, numerous surgeries, including a retroperitoneal lymph node dissection in Boston requiring an incision along his entire abdomen. His weight plummeted from 180 to 110 pounds, his body branded with two feet of surgical scars. Faced with an uncertain future, the 23-year-old grappled with the harsh reality of potential permanent disability.

But for Isaac, resigning to such a fate wasn’t an option. “I could have been milking the system like some people, but what kind of life is that? There are people who legitimately can’t care for themselves, but I’m too stubborn,” he said. Instead he returned to school to became a certified nursing assistant, a role he maintained for the next eight years.

A decade after his initial attempt, Isaac made his way back to the Appalachian Trail. This time, he embarked on his journey from Maine, and after eight months of backtracking, pausing, and restarting, he finally completed the hike.

“Things have happened to me that I didn’t choose,” he reflected, “but I tried to find my own way.”

Five Tips For Better Outdoor Portraits

May 23, 2023 0 Comments read Assignments, Blog, Editorial, On Location, Portraits, Storytelling, Tips

well-dressed motorcycle rider © Brian Fitzgerald

Outdoor environmental portraits offer a blend of human emotion and natural beauty and can elevate a simple portrait into a compelling visual story. Whether you’re a pro photographer looking to refine your craft—or you’re in a position to hire one—understanding the dynamics of outdoor portrait photography is key. Here are five things I try to keep in mind:

1. Don’t Fight the Sun (Unless You Know You Can Win)

There’s no way around it: photographing outside in full sun is a big challenge, especially for natural-light photographers. Harsh direct sunlight can cause unflattering shadows, squinting, and overexposure. A classic solution is shooting during the ‘golden hour’ – the time just after sunrise or just before sunset when the light is softer and warmer, which can help to create a magical mood.

Choosing the time of day isn’t always an option, so if you’re planning on doing battle under the blazing noon sun, you’ll have to bring plenty of backup in the form of off-camera flash and reflectors. For example, you might position your subject with their back to the sun, using it as a hair light, and fill in their face with a reflector or flash. You’ll need a firm grasp on balancing ambient and artificial light, but if done correctly, you can create dramatic portraits with impact.

2. Show The Environment

The outdoors provides background options that can complement your subject and tell a deeper story. Storytelling details might also help tell the story of your subject.

Watch out for distracting elements in the frame that may draw attention away from your subject. Use depth of field to your advantage, blurring out the background to keep focus on your subject when necessary.

3. Use Motivated Lighting

Just like in filmmaking, motivated lighting plays a crucial role in photography. The concept refers to lighting that appears to come from a natural source within the scene, like the sun, a lamp, or a fire. This kind of lighting not only looks more natural, but it also helps to tell a story and create a certain mood or atmosphere.

4. Create Rapport

Creating a genuine connection with your subject is vital in any kind of portrait photography, but it’s even more crucial outdoors where there are more variables at play. It’s easy to get caught up in your gear, or dealing with changing light and variables like wind, and to forget about connecting with your subject. Good rapport can help your subject feel comfortable and relaxed, leading to more authentic expressions and poses.

5. Mix It Up

Finally, add variety to your outdoor portraits by mixing up poses, locations, angles, and focal lengths. You might start with wide, non-portrait lens and then work up to a tight headshot with a portrait-length lens. Have your subject look away from the camera as well as towards it. You’re not just after a well-composed portrait; you’re looking to create a mood.

The key to a successful outdoor portrait shoot is adaptability. The natural environment is ever-changing, and so should your approach. The sun might not always cooperate, and your environment will present unexpected challenges or distractions. But with these five tips in mind you’ll be better prepared to capture stunning outdoor portraits that truly tell a story.

The Art of Location Portraits: Conquering Constraints

May 16, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Client Work, On Location, Portraits

© Brian Fitzgerald

Throughout my career as a photographer, from my earliest days as a newspaper stringer to the present, one thing has always been necessary: the capacity to create impactful, engaging portraits on location, quickly (if not sooner).

Epic and breathtaking locations lead to epic, breathtaking portraits that incorporate background elements to tell a compelling story. Typically, I’m faced with a problem: how to minimize a busy background and transform it into something less distracting and more aesthetically pleasing. It’s the ability to make cinematic, impactful portraits—often strapped for time and without the ability to see or choose the location—that has served me and my clients best year after year.

The adage goes that if you want more interesting images, shoot more interesting things or places. That’s true. What’s also true is that being a professional photographer means delivering consistent results despite constraints imposed by less-than-interesting locations.

When there is no background, or when it’s too busy or distracting, I try to create more cinematic, shallow-focus images that pop from the background and put the focus where it belongs: on the subject. Knowing how to light creatively and on the go is key, but also so is how to use the advantages of any environment (and there are always some) to the subject’s benefit.

© Brian Fitzgerald

Capturing Reality with Scientist and Innovator Sarah Martinez Roth

May 2, 2023 0 Comments read Client Work, Editorial, Mainers at Work, Portraits, Storytelling

*Sarah Martinez Roth, at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston, MA ©Brian Fitzgerald*

A few months ago, Colby College commissioned me to photograph one of their distinguished alumni, Sarah Martinez Roth. A 2011 Biology graduate, Martinez Roth went on to earn her master’s degree and Ph.D. in tumor biology at Georgetown University.

As a senior scientist at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston, Martinez Roth develops treatments for sickle cell disease and has received the Ainslie Alumni Achievement Award from the Posse Foundation for her work.

My challenge was to capture Martinez Roth immersed in her work within a bustling laboratory. I aimed to reveal that even when working at the forefront of technology, being a scientist still involves hands-on tasks in small labs filled with well-used equipment. I appreciate that the labs she works in are clearly spaces where work happens – far from the pristine, symmetrically gleaming, and unrealistic labs depicted in TV and film. My goal was to integrate as much of that authenticity as possible into her environmental portraits.

Scientist Sarah Martinez Roth — *Sarah Martinez Roth, at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston, MA ©Brian Fitzgerald*

Capturing Moments

February 7, 2023 0 Comments read Blog, Editorial, Portraits

Photography is synonymous with light. In Greek, the word literally means to draw with light. No light, no photography.

But what truly elevates photography to a higher form of art is something else. If video and film are all about assembling a story, where all the parts contribute to the narrative, the still image is all about capturing a singular moment in time.

Of the thousands of images you’ve seen or created in your lifetime, which stand out as special? It’s likely those that capture an authentic, remarkable moment. Moments can be a shared interaction or a fleeting expression. Sometimes dramatic, sometimes subtle, their impact is immediate and profound. Moments connect with viewers and pull them in.

The legendary photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson called what he sought to capture as the Decisive Moment. Another way to say it: Don’t take photos. Capture moments instead.

The magic of creative constraints

April 27, 2022 0 Comments read Blog, Editorial, Marketing, Portraits, Recent Work, Shop Talk, Storytelling

Parivash Rohani, @Brian Fitzgerald

One of the best ways to engage one’s creativity is to first strip away options. Constraint, not necessity, is the mother of creativity.

For portrait photographers, the focus of the image is the subject. Yet background elements and interesting locations help to tell a story and can result in a more compelling portrait. They can also be a crutch. One piece of advice I give to aspiring portrait photographers: learn to shoot portraits with no background.

The artist Platon is famous for his high-key white seamless black and white portraits. They are so simple—just the subject, often shot with a very simple lighting setup—but each one tells a story and compels the viewer to linger over every portion of the frame.

When you strip away all of the choices, you focus on the essential. When you strip away the excess background elements, the focus is solely on the subject.

The photographer is forced to focus on connecting with the person being photographed and helping them to carry the weight of the image through expression and mood, captured in fleeting moments.

Environmental Portraits: Take it Outside

July 7, 2020 0 Comments read Blog, Client Work, Editorial, On Location, Portraits, Storytelling

This June, after several months of working remotely (almost entirely indoors), I’ve been fortunate to be able to get back to creating new images for my clients. Now that the days are growing warm it’s been the perfect time for my clients to take advantage of the short but beautiful summer season here in Maine by having their commercial portraits done outside.

There are two primary types of portraits I’ve been making. One is an editorial-style environmental portrait, where the setting is an important storytelling aspect of the final image. Context is an important part of this type of portrait, since the background ends up being a secondary subject in the image.

The other portrait type is more of a cinematic headshot portrait, where there is an environmental feel but the focus is entirely on the subject–it’s a great way to photograph a doctor, lawyer or financial professional far from their normal work environs and still make it seem professional and natural to do so.

I’m finding myself taking my studio on the road more and more often, photographing my clients outdoors and on location where conditions may be more changeable and unpredicatable but the results are often more striking. It brings me back to my roots as an Arizona photojournalist, hauling out my Norman 200B flash heads to compete with the sun to make a memorable portrait.

So consider outdoor portraits as an option that could work for your business or brand.

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