Photographing people has got to be one of the most challenging tasks. Without doubt there is always some aspect that challenges us, whether it is an issue of ethics, should I photograph them first and ask permission after? Composition, what technique should I use to capture the real character of the subject? Technical, will lighting the subject with a fill-in flash wash out all the natural shadow falling on the subjects face? Story, what posture should I adopt to capture the image in such a way that will help the image say more about the personality of the subject?
There are many considerations. You could attend an entire course just on this topic alone. Here are 2 different examples of photographing people for you to consider.
Before I photographed the monk sitting reading his daily devotional book I checked to ask him if I could take his photograph. He immediately posed for me – which I guess was to be expected. However, I stayed longer, shot more and gestured to him to continue reading his book. He then dropped his guard and returned to his more relaxed state. Got the shot.
It’s worth hanging around. Ask, don’t be afraid. Sometimes you need to shoot first, then ask permission. At least if the person says no, you still have a shot. Is it the one you were after? Maybe not, but it’s worth trying. Providing you’re not breaking the law or intruding on someone’s privacy then I think if they’re in a public place it’s ok to take their photograph. I’m sure that could be an invitation to open up a debate on the ethics of photography, but it’s a conversation we should be having.
You don’t have to travel to Thailand to get a shot like this. I’ll be blogging about photographing in your own backyard next week, but give it a go.
Get out and shoot your neighbours – allow me to clarify: photograph them
Next, a different style of image again. A traditional portrait format, however shot in an observational manner. This shot took some preparation. Let me explain.
The 3 year old aboriginal child was sitting with her mother and other siblings playing. In this situation I think it’s important to first get the permission from the parent before you photograph their child. Second, culturally the indigenous people of Australia are sensitive about having their photograph taken, so again, seeking permission is the right thing to do. Third, I needed to get very close-up to get the shot. I was demonstrating the effectiveness of depth-of-field to someone during a photography workshop. The lens I was shooting with was a Canon 50mm f1.2, so I needed to get close to shoot the shot that I was after.
The result is effective, and the example is a good one.
What we have are 2 different situations There are other examples and techniques and this would make a great discussion topic which I’ll raise on my Facebook Page for others to discuss. Feel free to drop in and leave a comment.
These and other techniques can be tried during the Exploring Photography Workshop. Book now.
