Photographing People- Tips on Approaching Strangers

"Hey, that's bread, not people!" Well, unless you have lots of practice hiding in trees with binoculars, photographing people is sort of a new and scary venture....I'm easing my way into it, here!

Remember my last post about adding people to your travel photos? Well, as a beginner, I can tell you that it's scary enough when someone is willingly posing for you... I mean, what if the exposure isn't right? Can you ask them to stay still a little longer? People are much more intimidating subjects than say, a loaf of bread. Perhaps this is why I like photographing food... no backtalk.

Lucky for me, I didn't have to take my first crack at photgraphing people I don't even know all by myself. The Tulsa Digital Photography Group had their latest meetup at Blue Dome Arts Festival in Tulsa on Saturday and it was a blast. Our challenge was to get photos of strangers and practice technique in requesting their permission. Marty Coleman, Napkin Dad artist and co-organizer of the Meetup group shared some tips before we started out and here's my take on them...

1. Have a reason for requesting the photo. Just telling someone they're pretty won't get you far ( especially if you're a mid-age white male...just sayin'.) Find something specific you want to focus on. You can come up with your reason on the fly or even be working on a project ( say, you're really into unique earring photos, or something.) I happened to love this woman's focus on her work. She was making art right there on the spot and her necklaces were awesome so, I told her so...

2. Legitimize yourself. If you're part of a group (like we were) say so. Have cards so people know where they can go to see these photos ( psst, you can see all the group photos here.) Of course, this might not always be practical when traveling, especially when you are barely speaking the same language. Just do your best to give yourself credibility, actually BE credible, and if they aren't down with it, leave them alone. (Chances are, people are more than willing to be your subject.

3. Get permission for photographing minors. No exceptions. The kid may be more than willing to ham it up for your camera, but unless there's a parent there, you're getting yourself in a potential world of hurt. This amazing red head was too cute to pass up and his parents were happy to oblige. I even sent them the out takes and other crops. It's awfully encouraging when people actually like the photos you take!

4. Don't always ask for permission. There's no better way to ruin a great candid shot than telling people you're taking their picture. I know, I know I just gave the no exceptions rule on asking for permission. However, from afar, there is a boundary and you need to be aware of it. Riding that boundary carefully can get you some great opportunities. This is probably how you'll shoot most travel photos of people. Just remember rules 1-3 if you get into their personal space.

5. Don't forget about composition. Once you've scored the subject, don't forget about good composition, non-distracting backgrounds, etc. Sometimes, the shot just won't work. But, othertimes, you have a chance to reposition people, ask them to move into the light, or even move hair out of their face. After getting this guy to move to the side, I tried moving that dread lock over but he liked it there...and that's okay, too!

Marty had a lot of great ideas for composition and themes. He does photo collages and attempts to portray personality without faces. I really like this take and have a couple more tips of my own to add that I found helpful to get the shot...

6. Make your subject comfortable through conversation. You know how you go to the dentist and they start asking you all these questions and you can't really answer because you're jaw is pryed open? Well, same technique but better execution....chat 'em up to make them comfortable! I'm not much for small talk but I found it very helpful to talk while framing up a shot. It really helps eliminate the auto-smile or the blank stare.

Plus, you can focus on whatever you want and they need not know.

7. Appreciate the unexpected. So, you've framed up a great shot of some guy's hair and then his buddy comes and grabs his nipple. Go with it! You can get frustrated or you can capture the experience happening in front of you. (They proceeded to bite each other, too.)

I hope this has inspired you to add people in more of your photos on trips...even if you don't know them! Don't forget that you're a person, too. Jump in front of the camera once in a while... Even though you may dread it (like I do) it's nice to remember that you're a part of your travel experience, too.

Travel Photo Tip - Sharing the Experience versus the Cliche

Travel photos are a weird thing. Everyone asks to see them but few really want to see all 824 them (ah, the joy of digital photography.) You ever get the sense that your family is counting the minutes they'll never get back and your friends are secretly plotting your death after they see that fountain that looks just like that other fountain for the 10th time?

A way to avoid post-trip assasination attempts is to come back with something new to share and and something authentic to talk about. The fact is, when you're in Vegas, you're getting a pic of that welcome sign. Disneyland? Mickey's gonna be in there somewhere. And this is all well and good as they will represent to YOU the memories you cherish. Unfortunately, they don't do much to communicate your experience, which is usually the story you want to tell.

So, ask yourself...what is it that you love about being in a new place and what do you want to be able to share about your trip? Chances are, it's not the world famous landmarks that flip your skirt up and it's probably not what gets you excited for sharing. For me, it's all about immersion in a new culture and being around new people ( and new food, of course!)

See that pic above? How cool would it have been to get a photo of all the tourists with their hands up in the air? I love seeing my handy husband saving that poor leaning tower but what does it say about what it was like to be there? Not much. I found myself showing this picture and explaining what it was really like to be there more often than I desired. Ahh, to be able to communicate the experience!

Likewise, we all know what the Mona Lisa looks like ( and, I'm sure everyone's seen a better pic than mine.) So, why not try going for a bit of human interest? Why not make the crowd surrounding the Mona Lisa your subject? You could even develop a portfolio on tourists in action! You don't have to go to The Louvre to find tourists...they're everywhere complete with fanny packs and baseball caps.

People are the missing denominator in most travel photos but they're really what makes a trip memorable. This is actually a tip I need to take my own advice on more often... I would do this photo above much differently today, but you get the idea... Now, that's what the experience was really like (and we promptly left in search of a more authentic French experience a la crepe stand man.)

It's not always easy getting great photos of people, especially when they're strangers. Good thing the Tulsa Digital Photography Group had another meetup yesterday all on approaching strangers for photos. We'll cased the Blue Dome Arts Festival in Tulsa! More to come on that!

As you can tell from the pics above, photography skill itself is a journey, but so is understanding what you truly want to capture in your travel photos. Fortunately, there's nothing like a missed photo op to make me want to hop back on a plane! In the meantime, I can get inspiration ( and you can, too) from this travel photographer I happened upon- note how the people make the shot.

http://www.pennydelossantos.com/

Tulsa Digital Photography Meetup Group

I don't pick up hitchhikers or stop when people are pulled over on the side of the road, but I sorta have a thing for meeting people online. In the age of connectivity, it's a bit odd that most or all of our socialization and touch points with humans happens in the space between our keyboard and their screen. Seriously, does anyone use the phone at work? I know I don't. So, when it comes to making flesh and blood friends, I tend to start with the net. For instance, my best friend Tasha of Tasha Does Tulsa???...yeah, we met on Facebook. No joke. She messaged me and said, "Hey, I'm an American Studies major, too! [Our mutual professor] says you're a very organized individual. Would you like to start an American Studies club with me?" I did. And, we did. Now, look where we are. I get behind the scenes access to all her Tulsa doing ( like this weekend at the Cherry Street Farmer's Market) AND I get her child in the case of her untimely death.

Anyway, since that particular online meeting worked out so well, I decided to try again. In case you haven't heard of it, Meetup.com is this cool new social networking site where you can organize and sponsor events based on anything that interests you. Type in your zipcode and away you go to meet others like you, ranging from people who get together to walk their pugs, to people who get together to read Eckhart Tolle. Seriously, if you like something, there are at least two others that would like to meet you. I met up with the Tulsa Digital Photography Group at Woodward Park on Saturday and it was awesome. They were so willing to help out a beginner and I learned a ton. For instance, I learned that I should always keep the neckstrap around my neck so I don't drop my camera ( which I threatened to do all day.) It's things like this you can't learn in a manual! Seriously, this group is rad. I will definitely be joining them for the next meetup. I'll post the fruits of my work next...