PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE
Unless it's a paid assignment, I prefer to photograph people on-site. Those "environmental" images create more interest and intrigue, and are simply more engaging.
Sometimes, my images are totally spontaneous and candid. At other times, they are purposefully planned. When I plan, or "orchestrate" them, I usually want my models to look natural, as opposed to that "say cheese" look.
I don't like to talk about lenses when it comes to sharing tips on the subject. "What lens should I use" is not the right question. The right question is, "How do I want this to look?" Let your answer to that question determine what lens you should use. The same goes for "What f/stop should I use?"
Okay, with this short introduction, let me share a few examples from my collection.
To this day, this is one of my favorites from my entire collection. This is Michael. I saw Michael as I walked around Pearl Street Mall in downtown Boulder, Colorado. He was inside Starbucks, looking over some paperwork.
I went inside, introduced myself, and asked him if he would mind if I took his picture. He graciously allowed me. I told him he could just keep doing what he was doing. I wanted a candid look. I kept the shadows dark, to emphasize his face, reading glasses, and beard.
This is Vince, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Vince owns this classic beauty--a 1937 Chev.' It reminds me of those Chicago gangster cars we see in movies; those Al Capone era cars.
I invited Vince for an early-morning shoot in front of this still-operational 1950s hamburger stand. He is quite a talented musician. Among the several instruments he plays is the trumpet. I asked him to leave the car lights on as he posed for me.
Pearl St. Mall in downtown Boulder, Colorado has been a go-to place for me to find interesting people to photograph. I liked the dark areas surrounding this trumpet player. I liked his white sunglasses and red coat against the gold trumpet.
I get a lot of comments about this next one. Someone recently commented that it had the same feel to it as the painting, Nighthawks, by Edward Hopper.
I had to work fast to get this shot. Within a matter of short minutes, all of a sudden all the trains and people were gone, leaving this dainty figure all by herself. It's the type of image that begs a lot of questions: Who is she? Where did she come from? Where is she going? Isn't she afraid to be there all alone?
Ah, this is a fun one! There is even a country song about Luchenbach, Texas. I just couldn't resist. This is culture in the raw! Beer, overalls, cigarette, and sneakers. Life is good.
Here, I am back on Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado. These guys were actually street performers. They were, as you can see, dressed in silver; even their faces and glasses. What I do when I encounter these situations is I get my composition, make sure my exposure is the way I want it, and then just patiently wait for something to happen. When that guy in the middle, with the red lips, noticed me, he looked straight at me. Click.
This is on 16th Street in Denver, Colorado. This guy's stage name was JAMBOT. He could do some amazing illusion tricks that seemingly defied gravity. He too was painted in silver.
This is Paul, a Plein Aire artist in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I thought it would be artistic to convert everything to black & white, except the colorful painting Paul was working on, as well as his creative make-shift palette of paper plates.
These images represent just a small sliver of all my photos of people. I encourage you to grab your camera and head downtown, some community event, or art fair and see what or who you can find.
By the way, it's not against the law to take pictures of people--people do it all the time. And, you can even sell your photographs, if the people you photograph are in a public place.
