|
Copyright © Lindsay Adler
I was photographing a
ship ‘graveyard’ in Sicily when I saw this man fixing his boat.
I came up to him and made the clicking motion with my finger on the
camera. He nodded and smiled. I started off further away
and slowly made my way toward him as I photographed. This
image was made when I realized he could speak Spanish (as well as
Italian) and I used my basic Spanish skills to introduce myself and
my purpose.
|
It
can be difficult to get up the courage to approach someone for his or her
photograph-- especially a stranger. Over the years I have developed a few
tricks for positive reactions from my subjects.
Try these tips and I think you'll be pleased with the outcome:
1. Smile
Smiles are international. Smiling shows your good
intentions and helps subject feel more comfortable. If you approach
someone with a frown or visibly show you are uncomfortable, this gives off
the vibe that you are doing something wrong and that they too should be
uncomfortable.
2. Explain Your Purpose
People are often more willing to pose for a
photo is they are helping to achieve something. If you are taking a
photo class, tell them it is for a class assignment. Otherwise, tell
them it is for a personal portrait project you are working on. This
gives you some validation.
3. Offer to Email
Give your subject your
business card (with your email address) and tell them if they contact you,
you can give them a copy of the file. People are more willing to pose
if they are getting something out of the photo themselves.
|
Copyright © Lindsay Adler
In this image
I was at the Tower of London in England. This is one of the
guards of this fortress. In this situation I saw that the
guard box was nicely framing the man. I approached him and
told him what I saw in the composition of the image. After a
bit of friendly chatting about British-American history, he was
happy to let me take my photograph.
|
4. Compliments
People
love to be complimented, so flattering someone is a sure way
to get a positive reaction. Don’t tell a lie, but tell
them truthfully why you’d want to take their picture.
5. Tell Them What You See
Tell
the subject what has attracted you to take this image.
Is it the light? The color of their clothes? The
environment and their general appearance, etc. If you
explain artistically why you are driven to make a portrait
of them, they will realize you are an artist and may be
willing to help you with your work by posing.
6. Avoid Large Groups
If you
are traveling with a photo tour or your family, try to hang
back behind the group. A subject may feel overwhelmed
and uncomfortable if too many people are watching them and
may feel that if they allow one photo, they will have to
allow everyone to take their photo.
7.
Language Barrier
I have
found that when I am other countries, I basically have to
smile and look confident. I then approach someone,
hold up my camera and make the clicking motion with my
finger. People understand what I am asking and usually
with a friendly smile, they will agree. Be sure to
watch body language. You can usually tell people who
don’t want to be bothered by their expression and body
language.
|
