jebrady03 said:look into this: https://www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
For him, it was less about photography and more about getting out of his shell. It can be whatever it needs to be for you.
This is the crux of the matter right now, getting out of my shell! Really enjoyed your reply, thank you
unfocused said:The senior photographer was very conscientious and technically-minded. He took great care to set up the lights and took portraits that emphasized the light and modeling of the face.
Being less experienced, I was more concerned with just making sure the exposure was in the right neighborhood and the person looked decent. So, I usually just set up a single umbrella and shot away, all the while talking to the person to find out their backstory and put them at ease.
Invariably, the subjects loved the pictures I took. His, not so much. I figured out that while he was technically a better photographer he treated the subjects as little more than objects and never established any rapport with them. People liked my photographs because they had a good time while I was taking them. They didn't care about the technical details and even if the pictures were less than perfect, it didn't matter because they were predisposed to like them, since they liked me.
This is absolutely gold! I'm going to focus on this quite a bit and although I want to do well with the settings etc, I want to be a photographer who can translate a mood in my images.
Pookie said:Much of what photographers fear with portraiture is what you've expressed... The "f'ing" up. When you approach people on the street the first thing you encounter is fear of rejection. Then you become less sensitized to that and start to worry about f'ing up the tech details (focus, DOF, composition, checking the settings, etc...) Both of these aspects are usually overcome relatively easily with practice. The next big hurdle is evaluating the environment you have to work with, where the light is coming from, backgrounds, etc...
All of these aspects become second thoughts though, you become proficient and soon your working at a higher level. This is where I find stranger photography to be indispensable... you'll find that the best portraits you get are when you and your subject are completely comfortable. You don't think about the camera or the settings or the lens. With practice comes ease and confidence, and this is where your subjects will appreciate you as a seasoned photographer. You can talk with your subjects, really talk... laugh... offer posing suggestions and get your subject to let their guard down a bit... show you who they really are.
Stranger photography does all this and if you can succeed in talking a complete stranger into a 2-3 minute portrait session on the street your skills as a portrait photographer will soar. As for royally f'ing up... it's going to happen. So what, they are strangers. Thank them for their time, shake hands and part ways. I give out my business card if they ask but no pressure. The big question is can you recover, learn and move on to the next one. When your shooting strangers that could be minutes away or next week... it's up to you.
This speaks directly to me and directly to the crap that passes through my mind when I think about doing people photography.
I'm going to throw my 24-70 onto my 6D, leave all my other kit at home and venture out to places with loads of people and just try my hand taking their images.
I think this may be the start of something
A local photographer once told me that the best people photographers have the ability to make Mother Theresa feel comfortable while being naked in front of a lens.pwp said:People ask me the best way to photograph people. I say make it fun for them with good appropriate humour, skilled, genuinely interested (in them) conversation, and to look for the glow and shoot that. Shoot the magic moments that could go on and on or be here-and-gone in a heartbeat. I once shot a CEO level executive who had a long-held consideration that she was un-photogenic. We were flowing along nicely and she was relaxed and enjoying the process. She wept when I showed her the shots which communicated her professionalism, credibility and the human spirit. She went on to tell me that on her wedding day 25 years ago, the photographer was irritated with her and kept saying he was going to be hard-pressed to get a decent shot of her. What a mongrel photographer! So in its subtle way, a successful shoot can be life changing for your subject.
You guys are really incredible! I really appreciate all the knowledge you've sent my way. A million thank yous everyone
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