My Fear of People Photography

Hi everyone :)

So how do I get over my fear of people photography?

Macro, landscape and wildlife are my favourite and most explored genres. I've won a couple of local competitions and although not spectacular, consider myself a fairly competent photographer.

There's something about people photography though that just sets it apart from other genre. Where one can marvel at a well taken wildlife or landscape image, I feel one can connect to a far greater extent to a good portrait. An expression, an emotion captured I feel transcends just a visual pay off.

Well, that's my theory anyway.

I've also got some okay kit to do some portraiture. I reckon with my 6D, 24-70, 70-200 and 600RT-EX, maybe even my 50mm f/1.8ii, I have competent gear for it.

Except I lose all confidence when faced with the prospect of having a person or persons in front of my lens. I have this illogical fear that I'm going to take the absolute worst photos possible and tend to avoid putting people in front of my lens. I would just hate to be responsible for taking shitty pics of a memorable day.

Part of the issue is not fully understanding what I can accomplish with a single flash unit, both indoors and out. I also feel shy when having to pose my model, mainly because I think my interaction can be the cause of a model not translating well into my photos.

Can anybody offer me some advice or experiences on how to overcome this please? I really want to add portraiture to my body of work.

I'd highly appreciate any help

Thanks everybody
 
Sabaki said:
Hi everyone :)

So how do I get over my fear of people photography?

Hi Sabaki,

Have you considered taking a night class in portraits? Usually the teacher will walk you through setting things up, lighting etc, then have you both sit as model and also try your hand/eye as the photographer. I guess some even hires in models to sit for you.

That way, you get to try it and practice without so much at stake.

Go for it.
 
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kaihp said:
Sabaki said:
Hi everyone :)

So how do I get over my fear of people photography?

Hi Sabaki,

Have you considered taking a night class in portraits? Usually the teacher will walk you through setting things up, lighting etc, then have you both sit as model and also try your hand/eye as the photographer. I guess some even hires in models to sit for you.

That way, you get to try it and practice without so much at stake.

Go for it.

Hi Kaihp :)

I never thought of that! A portrait workshop or course...let me go see what's available
 
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I've made tons of mistakes in portrait photography. After a few years, I understand what I'm doing wrong and can make quick adjustments.

I would have to say just do it. Grab a friend and go for it. Along the way, you'll find out what you need to improve on the technical and mental aspects.

Take a look at other photos. Try to recreate the ones you like. Later on, you'll develope your own style.
 
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Sep 25, 2010
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I agree with the above recommendations, and will add a couple other suggestions. Buy a mannequin for technical practice. Also, look for volunteer subjects. Offer them free portraits for their time; HOWEVER, tell them openly that you're just learning portraiture, and will likely make lots of mistakes, so you don't guarantee anything will come out well. Make a point of laughing at your own errors with your volunteer models present to get accustomed to making and correcting your mistakes.
 
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look into this: https://www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/

It's a great idea to get you started. I tagged along with someone doing this and it was simply available light photography. A prime lens mounted in Manual with SS and Aperture set with auto ISO. He tended to pick areas in open shade to get the catchlights in the eyes.

The intro was really easy for him as he's photographed almost 1000 strangers. Everyone we met was happy to help but he said he occasionally does get someone who requests he not take their picture. And he moves along. 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.

A possible introduction for you could be: "Hi, good morning/afternoon. My name is _____ and photography is a hobby of mine. I usually take pictures of ______ but lately I've been wanting to learn portraiture. What's your name? It's really nice to meet you ______. ______, I was wondering if you would do me a favor, part of my learning process is to work with as many people as possible to learn as much as I can about portrait photography. I heard about a project called "100 strangers" where a photographer is supposed to go out, meet 100 people, and ask if he/she can take their picture - the purpose is to grow as a photographer and hopefully produce a nice picture of the subject. Seeing as how we're strangers, I was hoping you'd do me a favor and let me take your picture, but if not, that's completely okay as well."

You could trim that down a bit, of course and make it work for you. Then of course while you're snapping a picture or two "getting your settings right", make some small talk. "So _____, I really enjoy photography, what do you do in your spare time?" Learn about the stranger, engage them, make them feel relaxed. That will make for great shots!

I'd recommend keeping some of your images on your phone to show them you're not some creep. At first, have pictures you've taken of landscapes, etc. Once you get a few portraits, keep those on there. In fact, a blog might be a great idea too. You could even get some business cards printed up with your contact info and a link to your blog and ask the strangers to check it out. ALWAYS email them a full sized jpg upon request.

Here's a link to the guys blog that I followed for a day: http://deinfaces.com/

Bob asked people not to smile, although many still do. He often chooses subjects that have a unique look (hair, a hat, flashy this/that, natural beauty, homeless, etc.).

Hope this helps!
 
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jebrady03 said:
look into this: https://www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/

It's a great idea to get you started. I tagged along with someone doing this and it was simply available light photography. A prime lens mounted in Manual with SS and Aperture set with auto ISO. He tended to pick areas in open shade to get the catchlights in the eyes.

The intro was really easy for him as he's photographed almost 1000 strangers. Everyone we met was happy to help but he said he occasionally does get someone who requests he not take their picture. And he moves along. 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.

A possible introduction for you could be: Hi, good morning/afternoon. My name is _____ and photography is a hobby of mine. I usually take pictures of ______ but lately I've been wanting to learn portraiture. What's your name? It's really nice to meet you ______. ______, I was wondering if you would do me a favor, part of my learning process is to work with as many people as possible to learn as much as I can about portrait photography. I heard about a project called "100 strangers" where a photographer is supposed to go out, meet 100 people, and ask if he/she can take their picture - the purpose is to grow as a photographer and hopefully produce a nice picture of the subject. Seeing as how we're strangers, I was hoping you'd do me a favor and let me take your picture, but if not, that's completely okay as well."

You could trim that down a bit, of course and make it work for you. Then of course while you're snapping a picture or two "getting your settings right", make some small talk. "So _____, I really enjoy photography, what do you do in your spare time?" Learn about the stranger, engage them, make them feel relaxed. That will make for great shots!

I'd recommend keeping some of your images on your phone to show them you're not some creep. At first, have pictures you've taken of landscapes, etc. Once you get a few portraits, keep those on there. In fact, a blog might be a great idea too. You could even get some business cards printed up with your contact info and a link to your blog and ask the strangers to check it out. ALWAYS email them a full sized jpg upon request.

Here's a link to the guys blog that I followed for a day: http://deinfaces.com/

Bob asked people not to smile, although many still do. He often chooses subjects that have a unique look (hair, a hat, flashy this/that, natural beauty, homeless, etc.).

Hope this helps!

Interested in who you were shooting with as I know many who have participated in the project since 2009? Bob Dein out of Florida?

I was just going to suggest this group... I was a Admin for 100 Strangers (2009-2012) and wrote the rules for participation. It has helped many with your similar concerns. I have been shooting strangers for over a decade and it is the one past time that I can say has truly helped me connect with my clients on a daily basis. I've probably taken over 6k stranger portraits now and continue to do so. Once you're past the butterflies of approaching people then the real connections occur. It never get "easy" and rejections still hurt but the pay off is priceless. I've even recommended this to a few members here who are now undertaking the project.

It's also a practice advocated by many highly successful professionals. The best part, there are always subjects to work with. If you get shot down, right around the corner another person is waiting ;)

Here are some of my fave stranger portraits over the last few years.




12073971643_9688a961e0_c.jpg
 
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How about NOT doing people? I'm in the very same boat as OP. Happy with macro, landscape, all sorts of technical imaging. Plenty of published images, incl. temp and permanent museum exhibits. But people? No thanks, I find it creepy. I also don't like to be photographed.

Unless there's a reason, I would not bother. Play to your strengths. There are so many ways of challenging yourself, but retain the fun in the activity: z-stacking, focus trapping, HDR, stitching, astro, LF, etc.

It also saves me some cash, as I otherwise would have to get the Otus 85 ;)
 
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Besisika

How can you stand out, if you do like evrybdy else
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Zeidora said:
How about NOT doing people? I'm in the very same boat as OP. Happy with macro, landscape, all sorts of technical imaging. Plenty of published images, incl. temp and permanent museum exhibits. But people? No thanks, I find it creepy. I also don't like to be photographed.

Unless there's a reason, I would not bother. Play to your strengths. There are so many ways of challenging yourself, but retain the fun in the activity: z-stacking, focus trapping, HDR, stitching, astro, LF, etc.

It also saves me some cash, as I otherwise would have to get the Otus 85 ;)
No offense, but sounds like an Ostrich to me.
I understand if you don't like it. The OP wants to do it, just afraid of failure I guess.

You have the gear, you have the attitude to learn, what you need (at least in my mind) is a photo partner.
It is someone in the same situation as you, you shoot him/her, he shoots you and you exchange what you discover. Going to class is a good place to find one. You will understand each other, both as a shooter and as a photog.
My biggest suggestion is, do it step by step and don't jump to the sky right away.
I would start with ambient + outdoor light, then ambient indoor, then indoor with flash, then outdoor with flash.
Same thing, just shoot without posing to start with - just vary different parameters like fullbody, vs head shot, then different vantage point, then different focal length, etc and once you are confident with all that then learn to pose and stage.
Many people start with manual flash with posing the subject because of some fabulous photo they saw on the internet - recipe for failure.
 
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unfocused

Photos/Photo Book Reviews: www.thecuriouseye.com
Jul 20, 2010
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First, a true story.

When I was much younger (in the 1970s) I worked for awhile as a newspaper photographer. I was the "second" photographer and spent much of my time doing the lab work, while the lead photographer spent his days looking for pictures.

Anyway, we often had people come into the newspaper offices to have a portrait shot for a variety of reasons -- ads, they earned some special recognition, they were the subject of a feature story, etc. 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.

Nearly 40 years later, I'm still not the greatest technician (although the tools we have today are much, much better and easier to use), but whenever I need to take portraits, I try to concentrate on the person, not on my photography. If people like you and have a good time getting their picture taken, they will look better and be more satisfied with the picture. Only you will notice the technical flaws (and there will always be technical flaws).

This segues into another key point. I think many photographers dislike portraiture because it's not about them and satisfying their own tastes. The subject has to be your partner and for introverts who like to hide behind a camera (isn't that the case with most of us?) it's tough to engage the other person and even tougher to hand over some control and get them actively involved in creating their own portrait.

Ultimately though, it can be the most rewarding type of photography and certainly the most interesting. Let's face it, we may be incredibly proud of a perfect landscape picture we take, but most people are not going to sit there and admire it with the same enthusiasm that we do.

I've done just a few high school senior portraits (for friends of the family) and have found it surprisingly rewarding, largely because I have an opportunity to take some insecure kid who is not the most popular or beautiful person in their class and make them look the best they've ever looked. It's great fun to think about Plain Jane Smith handing out her senior pictures and half the boys in the class wondering why they were too blind to ask her to prom.
 
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Sabaki said:
I've also got some okay kit to do some portraiture. I reckon with my 6D, 24-70, 70-200 and 600RT-EX, maybe even my 50mm f/1.8ii, I have competent gear for it.

Except I lose all confidence when faced with the prospect of having a person or persons in front of my lens. I have this illogical fear that I'm going to take the absolute worst photos possible and tend to avoid putting people in front of my lens. I would just hate to be responsible for taking S___ty pics of a memorable day.

Part of the issue is not fully understanding what I can accomplish with a single flash unit, both indoors and out. I also feel shy when having to pose my model, mainly because I think my interaction can be the cause of a model not translating well into my photos.

Rereading your post I thought I might offer a bit more... your kit is superb for portraiture. I often use the 24-70 II or 70-200 II. That 50mm is probably your best bet though as you can control the light/dof easier with the ability to go to 1.8. Other fine choices would be the 85mm (1.8 or 1.2) or maybe a nice 135 for head shots.

I'd drop the flash for early work though as it adds a bit more complexity to the equation. I'd go natural light and reflectors (pricey ones or foam core board) to better understand how to control the situation and the lighting. Then add in a flash when you're confident with ambient light. And when you do use the flash, pull it off axis.

The greatest aspect of stranger shooting though is the primary reason for undertaking a photo project like 100 Strangers... connecting with people. 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.
 
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You have received really good advice here, if you want to photograph people, then go ahead, take that class and take as many people pics as possible until you're able to gain the confidence you lack today.

On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with keeping to nature and everything else, other than people. If it's a hobby for you, then the last thing you should have is being stressed out by your hobby.

Regards,
 
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pwp

Oct 25, 2010
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unfocused said:
First, a true story.

When I was much younger (in the 1970s) I worked for awhile as a newspaper photographer. I was the "second" photographer and spent much of my time doing the lab work, while the lead photographer spent his days looking for pictures.

Anyway, we often had people come into the newspaper offices to have a portrait shot for a variety of reasons -- ads, they earned some special recognition, they were the subject of a feature story, etc. 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.

Nearly 40 years later, I'm still not the greatest technician (although the tools we have today are much, much better and easier to use), but whenever I need to take portraits, I try to concentrate on the person, not on my photography. If people like you and have a good time getting their picture taken, they will look better and be more satisfied with the picture. Only you will notice the technical flaws (and there will always be technical flaws).

This segues into another key point. I think many photographers dislike portraiture because it's not about them and satisfying their own tastes. The subject has to be your partner and for introverts who like to hide behind a camera (isn't that the case with most of us?) it's tough to engage the other person and even tougher to hand over some control and get them actively involved in creating their own portrait.

Ultimately though, it can be the most rewarding type of photography and certainly the most interesting. Let's face it, we may be incredibly proud of a perfect landscape picture we take, but most people are not going to sit there and admire it with the same enthusiasm that we do.

I've done just a few high school senior portraits (for friends of the family) and have found it surprisingly rewarding, largely because I have an opportunity to take some insecure kid who is not the most popular or beautiful person in their class and make them look the best they've ever looked. It's great fun to think about Plain Jane Smith handing out her senior pictures and half the boys in the class wondering why they were too blind to ask her to prom.

+1 This post should be bookmarked by photographers starting out. In some respects it mirrors my own experience. There are a million photographers who would leave me eating dirt when it comes to technical abilities, but I've made a very successful career photographing people mainly by looking for or creating that magic human moment, and shooting that. Like Unfocussed I started out on newspapers where you had to come up with people shots that would both make the news pages sing, plus form part of the ticket to my ongoing career which has been decades of fun.

Photos without people in them seem somehow incomplete to me. Where some photographers may wait for people to walk out of their shot while shooting a scene for example, I wait for them to walk in.

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.

In a world appallingly and destructively obsessed with body image, a photographer with an eye for the magic of the human spirit can help right the wrong. Look at what the Humans of New York guy has achieved.

Being a photographer sure beats the hell out of having to work for a living.

-pw
 
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Everyone, thank you all so very much for the eye opening advise you've shared with me! I always say it but I reckon this may very well be the very best photographic community out there and I feel privileged to be part of it.

I've taken 5 pointers than I'm going to use as my starting point:
1. Accept that I am going to make mistakes
2. Buy a mannequin to figure out light
3. Shoot strangers or easy going family to gain confidence
4. Work out a fun, comfortable dialogue and learn how to set a 'friendly' tone
5. Attend a portraiture/lighting course in the next 3 months

This is a hump I simply must get over!
 
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