I wasn't intending to post this one, but Kevin asked an interesting question when I posted my last shot that got me thinking. He said:
"I'd love to hear how you (and others) approach these strangers (particularly in foreign countries) to take their pictures. I'd be afraid to do it as I would think it an imposition. How do you phrase the question?"
What this question made me realise was that the various portraits that I've posted that were shot in the Souk naturally lead to that question; i.e. I've portrayed these guys in a way that makes them look a bit unapproachable. This shot, on the other hand, shows this guy in a different light, and was taken just after my good friend Bobbi Lane had been shooting him. If you take a look at the front page of Bobbi's website you will notice that all of the people are smiling, as was this guy while she was photographing him.
In terms of answering Kevin's question, this is important for two reasons. Firstly, this guy wasn't as nearly unapproachable as my last shot implies, and second, people will react to you in the way that you react to them. In my case, I guess I often look reasonably serious when I approach people, and I get a reasonably serious response, while Bobbi's approach is quite different. I guess the bottom line here is that a portrait is as much about the relationship you establish with your subject as it is about them, and it's made me realise that I probably need to lighten up a bit ;)
captured camera lens focal length aperture shutter speed shooting mode exposure bias metering mode ISO flash image quality RAW converter cropped?
11.11am on 5/4/09
Canon 1Ds Mark II EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
70mm
f/6.3
1/100
aperture priority
+1/3
evaluative
100
no
RAW
ACR
minor
comment byEd O'Keeffe at 12:48 PM (GMT) on 19 April, 2009
Great tone and I love the contrast between the two people here. Maybe the background could have been more defused to avoid seeing that woman's head in the background but apart from that I look it - the black and white processing has really worked well here - I love it!
comment byNicki at 12:51 PM (GMT) on 19 April, 2009
I like this one more than the previous. Both are brilliant but this one shows a great warm moment. It's the special moment of two people which comes together from different countries . You did it! Fine ^^
comment byIlan at 12:52 PM (GMT) on 19 April, 2009
Two things - One, it's interesting to notice how different the Western and the Eastern (wo)man looks. As if we are not from the same planet almost.
The other thing is that when I'm abroad I find it even easier to approach people and take their photos. If I did something wrong, I can always blame the fact that I'm a tourist :)
comment byMirko Herzner at 01:06 PM (GMT) on 19 April, 2009
Thanks for sharing this addition to the other shot of this guy. It really gives a whole other impression. He seems to be quite relaxed.
comment by Kevin at 02:06 PM (GMT) on 19 April, 2009
Thank you David! I was surprised to see your comment in this approach (the "hey that's me" moment) but love the contrast of the two styles. I imagine it is a little easier to approach someone in a foreign country, as someone mentioned (particularly if there are a couple of you in a (not too large) group). I can only imagine the difference if someone were to approach someone in the bustle in a major city ("my hair's not done" or "I'm in a rush"). These pictures are refreshing.
comment byPhilip Jensen at 02:46 PM (GMT) on 19 April, 2009
I've wondered about this for quite some while, I have a had time opening the conversation mainly because of neverousity, and because I couldn't see myself being nothing but suprised if I guy walked up to me "HEY, can I take a photo?" :)
So, do you have an opening line, or do you just walk around a little and then approuach them.
comment byJeremy at 05:05 PM (GMT) on 19 April, 2009
You have better luck than me - or maybe you're just nicer than me :-) I approached a group of guys playing dominoes in a souk in Oman and asked permission to take a photo. One of them said fine, go ahead, but when I raised the camera one got really angry and started shouting and gesticulating at me - quite an unpleasant experience that put me off trying again. On the other hand, in India and SE Asia I have found people have been really happy to be photographed.
comment byBrooks at 07:23 PM (GMT) on 19 April, 2009
I think the juxtaposition between the previous portraits and this one is striking. I was definitely surprised to see this shot. I think it's amazing that you were able to capture both aspects. As for this one, it's fantastic. Bobbi looks so pleasant and the other man's expressions/ looking of completes it well. Nice.
comment byKevin H. Stecyk at 10:03 PM (GMT) on 19 April, 2009
Gorgeous shot David--I love it!
Look at the contrasts between old and young, male and female, East and West. And yet there is harmony, both in a pictorial sense in that it is a beautiful well balanced photograph and in a cultural sense in that vast differences can be bridged with understanding and smiles.
comment byCarlos Garcia at 10:24 PM (GMT) on 19 April, 2009
We are the world.
comment byKrims@nline.be at 06:45 AM (GMT) on 20 April, 2009
Beautifull portrait, excellent handling of tones ... well done!
comment byJason Wall at 03:45 PM (GMT) on 20 April, 2009
Great insight Dave.
What I want to know is, did you do anything specific to get that really lovely tonal range in the skin or was the light/skin just such that it happened that way?
comment byJohan at 06:13 PM (GMT) on 20 April, 2009
Man, you really need to do (yet) another portrait tutorial. Great stuff!
That's a really good tip - I'm often afraid to ask people if I can take their pictures, particularly somewhere abroad since cultural sensitivities are sometimes an issue, but sadly it's more true here too. I saw a girl standing on the street the other day while I was out photographing, and I just thought she'd make a great shot - no, I'm not just weird! - and when I asked her if it was okay for me to take her picture, she wasn't happy about it at all. Guess my demeanour wasn't quite right...
comment by kate at 03:41 AM (GMT) on 21 April, 2009
Evocative. Lovely. :)
comment byAgi B at 09:34 AM (GMT) on 5 February, 2010
Lovely shot. Interesting subject, the psychology of approaching people as a photographer. I am rather shy and very stiff when asking people. Often I rather not. May I suggest a link that I found interesting relating to this? Jill Mead photographing people on the street, it is a video on the Guardian Camera Club website. I hope you don't mind me inserting this here. I found this a very useful discussion, thanks!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/video/2009/dec/14/camera-club-assignment-markets
comment bydjn1 at 09:51 PM (GMT) on 5 February, 2010
Agi: thanks for the link, I'll take a look. As for approaching people: the more you relax, the more they will relax - so it can be a rather Catch 22 situation until you get a bit more used to it. What I will say though is that a) the very worst that's likely to happen is that someone will say no, and b) the more often you ask, the easier it gets.
I wasn't intending to post this one, but Kevin asked an interesting question when I posted my last shot that got me thinking. He said:
"I'd love to hear how you (and others) approach these strangers (particularly in foreign countries) to take their pictures. I'd be afraid to do it as I would think it an imposition. How do you phrase the question?"
What this question made me realise was that the various portraits that I've posted that were shot in the Souk naturally lead to that question; i.e. I've portrayed these guys in a way that makes them look a bit unapproachable. This shot, on the other hand, shows this guy in a different light, and was taken just after my good friend Bobbi Lane had been shooting him. If you take a look at the front page of Bobbi's website you will notice that all of the people are smiling, as was this guy while she was photographing him.
In terms of answering Kevin's question, this is important for two reasons. Firstly, this guy wasn't as nearly unapproachable as my last shot implies, and second, people will react to you in the way that you react to them. In my case, I guess I often look reasonably serious when I approach people, and I get a reasonably serious response, while Bobbi's approach is quite different. I guess the bottom line here is that a portrait is as much about the relationship you establish with your subject as it is about them, and it's made me realise that I probably need to lighten up a bit ;)
camera
lens
focal length
aperture
shutter speed
shooting mode
exposure bias
metering mode
ISO
flash
image quality
RAW converter
cropped?
Canon 1Ds Mark II
EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
70mm
f/6.3
1/100
aperture priority
+1/3
evaluative
100
no
RAW
ACR
minor
Great tone and I love the contrast between the two people here. Maybe the background could have been more defused to avoid seeing that woman's head in the background but apart from that I look it - the black and white processing has really worked well here - I love it!
I like this one more than the previous. Both are brilliant but this one shows a great warm moment. It's the special moment of two people which comes together from different countries . You did it! Fine ^^
Two things - One, it's interesting to notice how different the Western and the Eastern (wo)man looks. As if we are not from the same planet almost.
The other thing is that when I'm abroad I find it even easier to approach people and take their photos. If I did something wrong, I can always blame the fact that I'm a tourist :)
Thanks for sharing this addition to the other shot of this guy. It really gives a whole other impression. He seems to be quite relaxed.
Thank you David! I was surprised to see your comment in this approach (the "hey that's me" moment) but love the contrast of the two styles. I imagine it is a little easier to approach someone in a foreign country, as someone mentioned (particularly if there are a couple of you in a (not too large) group). I can only imagine the difference if someone were to approach someone in the bustle in a major city ("my hair's not done" or "I'm in a rush"). These pictures are refreshing.
I've wondered about this for quite some while, I have a had time opening the conversation mainly because of neverousity, and because I couldn't see myself being nothing but suprised if I guy walked up to me "HEY, can I take a photo?" :)
So, do you have an opening line, or do you just walk around a little and then approuach them.
You have better luck than me - or maybe you're just nicer than me :-) I approached a group of guys playing dominoes in a souk in Oman and asked permission to take a photo. One of them said fine, go ahead, but when I raised the camera one got really angry and started shouting and gesticulating at me - quite an unpleasant experience that put me off trying again. On the other hand, in India and SE Asia I have found people have been really happy to be photographed.
I think the juxtaposition between the previous portraits and this one is striking. I was definitely surprised to see this shot. I think it's amazing that you were able to capture both aspects. As for this one, it's fantastic. Bobbi looks so pleasant and the other man's expressions/ looking of completes it well. Nice.
Gorgeous shot David--I love it!
Look at the contrasts between old and young, male and female, East and West. And yet there is harmony, both in a pictorial sense in that it is a beautiful well balanced photograph and in a cultural sense in that vast differences can be bridged with understanding and smiles.
We are the world.
Beautifull portrait, excellent handling of tones ... well done!
Great insight Dave.
What I want to know is, did you do anything specific to get that really lovely tonal range in the skin or was the light/skin just such that it happened that way?
Man, you really need to do (yet) another portrait tutorial. Great stuff!
That's a really good tip - I'm often afraid to ask people if I can take their pictures, particularly somewhere abroad since cultural sensitivities are sometimes an issue, but sadly it's more true here too. I saw a girl standing on the street the other day while I was out photographing, and I just thought she'd make a great shot - no, I'm not just weird! - and when I asked her if it was okay for me to take her picture, she wasn't happy about it at all. Guess my demeanour wasn't quite right...
Evocative. Lovely. :)
Lovely shot. Interesting subject, the psychology of approaching people as a photographer. I am rather shy and very stiff when asking people. Often I rather not. May I suggest a link that I found interesting relating to this? Jill Mead photographing people on the street, it is a video on the Guardian Camera Club website. I hope you don't mind me inserting this here. I found this a very useful discussion, thanks!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/video/2009/dec/14/camera-club-assignment-markets
Agi: thanks for the link, I'll take a look. As for approaching people: the more you relax, the more they will relax - so it can be a rather Catch 22 situation until you get a bit more used to it. What I will say though is that a) the very worst that's likely to happen is that someone will say no, and b) the more often you ask, the easier it gets.