Studio Portraits With Griffin Goodman in Chicago

A few weeks ago, I visited Griffin Goodman’s studio to create portraits there. Nothing overproduced, just a simple session built around where he works and how the room feels.

Griffin and I met a few years ago while I was working with Esmé Chicago. He was one of the featured artists for their menu, and we stayed in touch. We finally lined up a day to shoot, and the studio was exactly what you hope for—part workshop, part archive, full of works in progress and the quiet evidence of someone actually making things.

We kept it straightforward and let the space do some of the talking. These are environmental portraits in the most literal sense—pictures that only make sense there, because that’s where his work lives.

I shot the session on a Hasselblad 500C with Kodak Portra 400, using strobes for lighting. Film slows the pace down. You shoot fewer frames, pay closer attention, and commit when it feels right. Portra captures skin tones beautifully, and the strobe light kept everything clean and consistent without sacrificing the room's natural feel.

Big thank you to Griffin for letting me come by and photograph him in his space. If you haven’t seen his work, go check it out.

IG: griffingoodman
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