The photos in my project that get the most positive comments are without a doubt my portraits of strangers in the street. And they also get a lot of comments along the lines of 'You're much braver than I am', 'I'd love to do that but I don't think I could', etc etc. So I thought I'd write this, because it'd be great to see more shots of all the people in the world getting posted on here. It's just a few points that I've noticed.
1 - I am not braver than you are. I am terrified every time I approach a stranger. I am a man who is very lacking in self confidence, I am not comfortable around new people and I suffer from tourettes which does have a tendency to make me self conscious. So why do I do it, why put myself through it? Because every time I successfully take a stranger's picture, the result has always been worth the hardship. If I can do it, you can.
2 - They rarely say no. They DO say no, that's a fact you have to get past, but since I started I'd say it's about 70% yes, 30% no. And the people who say no don't treat you like you're a freak (so far). They just say no. If you're braver than me (which you are) you might be able to convert some of those "No"s into "yes"s, and think how satisfying that would be.
3 - You can do the 100 Strangers Project. yep, as if taking a photo a day isn't enough to put yourself through, you can aim to complete the 100 strangers project. I personally am doing rubbish at it so far, as it involves engaging the stranger in a proper conversation, and nobody wants to talk to me ;) . But it's more motivation, it gives you another reason for going up to people, and it's another achievement under your belt when you finish. - http://www.100strangers.com
4 - You will learn more about your camera. So, you've decided you're going out and you're going to take a stranger portrait before the day is through. You put your camera on auto because you don't want to have to faff about with settings while trying to take someone's photo. You get the shot, and it's nice. But you don't like that bus in the background, you wish you could blur it out. Next person, you've switched over to aperture priority mode and opened it up wide, you've focussed on the eyes like you know you should, and it's lovely but why do the ears go all fuzzy as well as the background? As time goes on, you learn new stuff, and it's all down to the desire to get the best photo you can of that dead interesting looking stranger. Well, I say that, I'm still on a steep learning curve.
5 - When it's good, it's so good. - Check out @paoloricciuti on here, and the 100 Strangers groups on Flickr, and many other people who are way, way better than I am. People are the ever changing subject, even the same face isn't the same in two different photos. It's so rewarding. It must be, I've just waffled on about it for ages without being asked...
So, get out there, take photos of the people out there, and then post them here. Ta. :)
I'm one of the ones that don't think I can do it. After reading this, I think I might just be able to after all! My push this week is 'street culture'. When I get out there to shoot, I'll think of you :)
I started doing a 100 Strangers project at the end of July. In over a month, I have 11 strangers, so it's also a long drawn out process. I haven't taken a stranger shot in a week.
But on the same token, last Monday, I got two, only one I was actually planning. The second one, the stranger engaged me in conversation and I asked him for a photo afterward. It was by far and away, my most satisfying stranger photo, because I'd already learned so much about the man.
My problem, as I see it, and it may just be my problem is I'm a middle aged man and approaching young women can be considered kind of creepy. I want a balance of men and women in my project, but at the moment, I'm more weighted toward men. I need to work on that if I'm to achieve a balance in this aspect of my project.
I've posted all of my stranger photos here on 365. I've actually gotten some very nice positive feedback both here and on the Flicker group. They are interspersed in both this year's main album and my extras album if you're interested in looking at some of them. The story is part of the process and I'm very verbose, to say the least. Some of the stories are better than others. I can think of at least two encounters where I walked away after taking their portraits with the biggest grin on my face. I'd overcome a big hurdle and it felt good to accomplish this goal.
Here's my last stranger - Tom who was inducted into the Santa Clara School District Hall of Fame for his contributions to youth coaching and education over the last 46 years.
thanks for the great ideas!!! i don't do people shots myself, not even people close to me... so i am not sure if i can do strangers... but maybe i will give it a try one day...
Excellent write up... I've probably only asked 10 people whilst taking over 2200 shots during this project if I could take their pic.. and have to agree, when you do, most people say yes... I can think of only 1 person who said no and he was a dodgy looking market trader... :-)
That said, and I don't mean to take anything away from you or the 100 strangers project and I do toff my hat to those that can do that, but I like taking street shots and do think if I ask someone, it doesn't become a true streety but more of a posed photo...
I've got 7 'official' strangers in mine but I've taken lots of pictures of strangers that I haven't spent a lot of time talking with. More like a quick hello, can I take your picture .... kinda moment. I always let them know why I am asking.
With the Stranger project, I have slips of paper with the flickr address where they can see their photos but I don't carry them with me all the time nor even paper to write their name down. As a result, I have missed a lot of opportunities to include them in my project. It's something I need to work on.
@beeblebear is right in all his insights. Every journey begins with the first step is something to keep in mind. If you want to learn to be more comfortable taking pictures of strangers, you need to put yourself in the situation that will allow that. It begins with small steps which over time will build your confidence. So, maybe it's not that most of you don't think you can do so much as most of you have no experience doing it. Of course you can.
The 100 Stranger project gives you a reason to be asking. You don't have to struggle to come up with a reason that doesn't make you sound scary. You will be sharing the picture with them, so you probably will do your best to take a respectable picture of the person. You may actually enjoy talking with them. Most people are eager to share some personal information because they are flattered you would ask for their picture. You will be proud of yourself for having taken that step in developing your own people skills and be a better portrait photographer because you will learn how to get people to relax with you.
Thanks for sharing this! Sometimes we just have to be willing to get out of our comfort zone, and just the fact that you're willing to repeatedly go outside your comfort zone makes you brave in my book!
this is a wonderful write-up... i could almost almost do the 100 strangers thing... i seem to have no problem talking to strangers (altho' i have to be in the right mood for it)... where i stumble is in my utter lack of confidence when it comes to my portraiture skills, combined with the fact that i am short... i have two photos of strangers (where i asked first) in my 365... both were sitting down... i could have had half a dozen others easy - times where i'd struck up conversations and the stranger was really enthusiastic about something... but they were all so tall! plus i tend t panic about settings and background and stuff - and after asking them for a shot, i don't want to let them down by taking a rotten picture... i know that the only way i'm going to get better is by doing it... but somehow i just haven't been able to :(
@northy your new 50mm prime is perfect for this northy. if u wanna kept it simple. put into aperture priority @ 1.8 and go to town on continuous shooting. u will get some rubbish, but u gotta break a few eggs to make an omlette right? :)
This is wonderful reading! You are all inspiring me to go out and talk it up!!! Street Photography scares me senseless...but I really love character shots of interesting people. I may just try to do this!
wow........that was really honest and open @beeblebear ///thanks so much for sharing yourself in this way. I think you have given voice to a lot of people.....and probably provided a lot of inspiration - - - THANKS!
@beeblebear This is a great write up, but I'm curious, what sort of area do you live in? See, I'm not shy by any means, but it's actual fear that puts me off talking to strangers. I live in Middlesbrough (one voted the worst place in the UK to live, although personally I think that's a bit OTT) and I don't dare even waving my camera around in public too much, never mind take pictures of people. The streets are rough and I can't imagine folk being too obliging.
@northy About half of my strangers have been sitting down when I've taken them, it's easiest to approach them when they don't seem preoccupied with something else. I've only ever tried to stop someone and ask them once, and they just ignored me and carried on walking. They looked great as well. And @brin is so right, it's what the nifty was invented for. Well, that and rusty fences ;)
@amyamoeba I live in Leigh, over in Lancashire. It's like most other towns in the UK that used to be industrial but now aren't. I felt the same as you at first, I used to carry my camera around in my bag and only get it out when I wanted to take a photo and nobody was around. But you can't do that when you want to take photos of people, you can't really ask them to wait while you get ready. And you'll find, after a while, that having your camera out becomes second nature - on saturday I went out without my camera slung over my shoulder for the first time in months, and I felt naked.
I think as well, people do like to feel like they are of interest to other people, in a good way. An example - I was with a friend of mine and her husband in Liverpool the other month, at night. We were walking around, it was dark. Suddenly she shot off over the other side of the street, leaving me and him wondering what she was up to. What she was up to was asking a group of kids in hoodies who were spray-painting the local facilities if she could take their photo. She was talking to a street gang. Now, she is a fearless lady and I don't want to play down the fact that her behaviour COULD have got her in to trouble. But I know that my fear of approaching situations like that means I will never get photos like the ones she got that night, they were amazing.
Now, I'm not suggesting you start going up to the pitbull wielding hulks that I'm sure lurk in every town in the UK, but just keep a compact camera in your hand and approach the least threatening people you see out and about, after a while you'll see someone who is out of your comfort zone, but there'll be something about them that you just have to capture.
Probably the best post I've seen on this or pretty much any subject. The sight should have a Best of category for posts.....and this should def be in it.
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But on the same token, last Monday, I got two, only one I was actually planning. The second one, the stranger engaged me in conversation and I asked him for a photo afterward. It was by far and away, my most satisfying stranger photo, because I'd already learned so much about the man.
My problem, as I see it, and it may just be my problem is I'm a middle aged man and approaching young women can be considered kind of creepy. I want a balance of men and women in my project, but at the moment, I'm more weighted toward men. I need to work on that if I'm to achieve a balance in this aspect of my project.
I've posted all of my stranger photos here on 365. I've actually gotten some very nice positive feedback both here and on the Flicker group. They are interspersed in both this year's main album and my extras album if you're interested in looking at some of them. The story is part of the process and I'm very verbose, to say the least. Some of the stories are better than others. I can think of at least two encounters where I walked away after taking their portraits with the biggest grin on my face. I'd overcome a big hurdle and it felt good to accomplish this goal.
Here's my last stranger - Tom who was inducted into the Santa Clara School District Hall of Fame for his contributions to youth coaching and education over the last 46 years.
That said, and I don't mean to take anything away from you or the 100 strangers project and I do toff my hat to those that can do that, but I like taking street shots and do think if I ask someone, it doesn't become a true streety but more of a posed photo...
With the Stranger project, I have slips of paper with the flickr address where they can see their photos but I don't carry them with me all the time nor even paper to write their name down. As a result, I have missed a lot of opportunities to include them in my project. It's something I need to work on.
@beeblebear is right in all his insights. Every journey begins with the first step is something to keep in mind. If you want to learn to be more comfortable taking pictures of strangers, you need to put yourself in the situation that will allow that. It begins with small steps which over time will build your confidence. So, maybe it's not that most of you don't think you can do so much as most of you have no experience doing it. Of course you can.
The 100 Stranger project gives you a reason to be asking. You don't have to struggle to come up with a reason that doesn't make you sound scary. You will be sharing the picture with them, so you probably will do your best to take a respectable picture of the person. You may actually enjoy talking with them. Most people are eager to share some personal information because they are flattered you would ask for their picture. You will be proud of yourself for having taken that step in developing your own people skills and be a better portrait photographer because you will learn how to get people to relax with you.
@amyamoeba I live in Leigh, over in Lancashire. It's like most other towns in the UK that used to be industrial but now aren't. I felt the same as you at first, I used to carry my camera around in my bag and only get it out when I wanted to take a photo and nobody was around. But you can't do that when you want to take photos of people, you can't really ask them to wait while you get ready. And you'll find, after a while, that having your camera out becomes second nature - on saturday I went out without my camera slung over my shoulder for the first time in months, and I felt naked.
I think as well, people do like to feel like they are of interest to other people, in a good way. An example - I was with a friend of mine and her husband in Liverpool the other month, at night. We were walking around, it was dark. Suddenly she shot off over the other side of the street, leaving me and him wondering what she was up to. What she was up to was asking a group of kids in hoodies who were spray-painting the local facilities if she could take their photo. She was talking to a street gang. Now, she is a fearless lady and I don't want to play down the fact that her behaviour COULD have got her in to trouble. But I know that my fear of approaching situations like that means I will never get photos like the ones she got that night, they were amazing.
Now, I'm not suggesting you start going up to the pitbull wielding hulks that I'm sure lurk in every town in the UK, but just keep a compact camera in your hand and approach the least threatening people you see out and about, after a while you'll see someone who is out of your comfort zone, but there'll be something about them that you just have to capture.
Blimey, I'mm waffling again :)
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Thankyou for all the great comments, and well done for wading through it all ;)
@shadesofgrey That's high praise indeed, thankyou very much.