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In the second part of our portrait masterclass series five more pro photographers share the strategies they use to get the best from their subjects.
05 WORK QUICKLY
Having a portrait taken is an intimidating process for many people and I constantly hear, "I hate having my photo taken" or "I am so nervous". When I first meet my subjects, I try to find something in common that we can chat about to help put them at ease. There is no point being a loud, “out there” person when the subject is shy and introverted. I take my time setting up lighting and posing them, but when it is time to shoot, I work quick, as no one likes to hold a pose. And the longer you hold a pose the stiffer it looks and feels. If it feels awkward it will look awkward. The only way to learn is to pose yourself, even in front of a mirror so you can see what works.
– Damien Bowerman
www.exclusivephotography.com.au
Photo by Damien Bowerman.
06 TAKE BREAKS
Once the shoot starts people generally relax a bit and it takes away the pressure on the sitter to make every shot perfect. However, be careful not to shoot too much in one session. Take some breaks and you’ll be able to start fresh each time. I like to show the sitter the pictures as I go and explain my thinking so that they are aware of what’s going on – it builds their confidence and makes the experience more enjoyable.
– Matt Reed
www.mattreedphoto.com
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Photo by Matt Reed.
07 EXPLAIN YOUR APPROACH
Most of the portraits I am making at the moment are commissioned by an editorial client or an organisation. Commissioned portraits require a brief from the client including a consideration of layout, style, deadline, budget and availability of the subject. I get organised as much as possible and try to find out about the person I’m photographing. I do a Google search on the person so I have some thing to talk about and some idea of what may resonate with them. I explain a little of my approach to the subject so they know what I am hoping to achieve. Sometimes I want to create a formal structured portrait and other times a more fluid spontaneous style depending on what I want to communicate and what medium the image will be published in. Every photograph, even commissioned work, has a little of me in it in some way.
– Michael Amendolia
www.michaelamendolia.com
Photo by Michael Amendolia.
08 KEEP IT PRIVATE
Make sure your session isn’t interrupted by onlookers, emails, phones, etc. Block out the time and make sure your subject is fully attentive to your direction. The worst thing is to have people walk in and make your subject self-conscious. Your focus should be on trying to make them feel comfortable – especially if they’re not used to having their picture taken.
– Toby Dixon
www.tobydixon.com
Photo by Toby Dixon.
09 A CLEAR IDEA
Before I start shooting I always like to have a clear idea in my mind of what I want to achieve – the pose, lighting, treatment, everything. Things may change during the shoot but I find it helps if you at least start with a clear idea.
I don’t believe you need to have a close relationship with the sitter , it is preferable but the fact in commercial photography is that you may only have a few minutes with the sitter, so it’s often impossible to build any kind of meaningful rapport. One thing I’d say to young photographers is don’t be afraid to physically bend your subject into the exact position you want. Have a clear idea and do what you can to make it happen.
– Andreas Smetana
www.smetana.net
Photo by Andreas Smetana.
10 SUBJECT FIRST, TECHNIQUE SECOND
My approach to portrait photography is all about the person I am photographing. Too often it’s the technical trickery of the photographer that ends up showing through and speaking for the sitter. When that happens you don't really get to know the person in the picture, just the photographer. My goal is to strip all of the extraneous stuff out – I hate bullshit and pretentious crap so my aim is to cut all of that out and try to get to some sort of truth. Of course, a portrait can never be more than a subjective view of someone. So, even though I am trying to portray the sitter for who they are it’s inevitably my view, my interpretation.
– Julia Schauenburg
www.juliaschauenburg.com
Photo by Julia Shauenburg.
For a look back at the first part of this series, click here.