When it comes to portrait photography, Darcy Hemley likes to capture subjects in their natural habitats—whether it’s their home, place of work, or sanctuary of some kind—with as few alterations to those environments as possible.
“I’m sure that some of my portraits are things that make some people think, ‘Oh my God, I would never have an air conditioner in the photo,’” The Los Angeles-based photographer said. “For me, that’s kind of like my bent.”
Hemley will be sharing aspects of her creative process and career-inspired tips on portrait photography during her upcoming workshop at Alisal Ranch in Solvang. Her presentation is part of the venue’s second annual WILDWONDER program, a multi-day women’s retreat scheduled for March 19 through 22.
During her workshop, Hemley will share with participants the techniques she uses as a professional portrait photographer, and later that day she will also hold a mini portrait session for guests who’d like their own photos taken.
“I’m going to go up early to pick a place for the portrait session,” said Hemley, who will take her intimate yet scenic photos somewhere on the Alisal Ranch’s vast estate.
One of the first things on Hemley’s mind when it comes to any portrait project is scouting locations and picking at least three different settings, she explained. Hemley starts with her least favorite location of the three, because by the time she reaches the third spot—her top pick—the subject usually “becomes the most trusting,” while gradually warming up to the process, the photographer said, and those final portraits usually turn out to be the best of the bunch.
Over the years, Hemley’s editorial portraits have appeared in several publications, including Vanity Fair, Teen Vogue, and GQ. While she also teaches photography courses at the California Institute of the Arts, aka CalArts, she rarely has held group workshops similar to her event at Alisal Ranch.
“I don’t teach these often, but this one has kind of inspired me to endeavor in that direction,” said Hemley, who added that she’s most interested in engaging with attendees who want to approach photography “from a really intentional place,” rather than think of cameras and phone cameras simply as tools.
“I think it’s really interesting to think about how kind of ubiquitous photography is to all of us now,” said Hemley, whose March 20 workshop is open to beginners without previous photography experience.
Hemley is a lifelong Californian, and her upcoming class in Solvang won’t be the first occasion to bring her up to the Central Coast, where she ultimately hopes to retire someday.
“The Central Coast is like if Northern California and Southern California had a baby,” the Los Angeles resident said with a laugh.
After taking a photography class during high school, Hemley was hooked on the medium and went on to study at CalArts, where she’d eventually teach courses herself someday.
Straight after college, Hemley quickly began working for entertainment magazines, she said. She continues to love capturing writers, filmmakers, actors, musicians, and other artists.
“My all-time favorite was Leonard Cohen,” Hemley recalled. “That was an incredible shoot, because I’m a huge fan of his work.”
Hemley has nothing but fond memories of the assignment—arranged by Spin magazine for a feature on Cohen. The shoot was held at the late musician’s home in Hancock Park.
“He was just so gracious and kind and such a great sport for being photographed—he understood the process really well,” Hemley said. “We spent almost the whole day shooting because he was having so much fun and offering us snacks and wine and playing us his new record.
“My whole team was like, ‘Oh my God, is this really happening.’”
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood is humming “Hallelujah.” Send comments to cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Mar 9-16, 2023.