The technical aspects of photography - lighting, camera angles and background - have to be second nature, said Bachrach, because the real challenge is communication and getting the subject to mellow out.
"People hire me to take pictures of them that are flattering, so that's a prerequisite for the job," he said. "To do that, I have to get them to let their guard down, because people always put their guard up when there's a camera around. Then you can get great pictures."
He guaranteed that things like lighting and the precise camera angle must be chosen carefully, but affirmed that the expression is king. "And the only way to get that is to communicate with [the client.] It can't be just like photographing an inanimate object."