Charlie Shugart
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
|
CDalessandro wrote:
Happy thanksgiving Charlie!
You certainly know how to bring the essence of a person out in your photos Charlie.Wonderful capture.
Thank you for the kind remark.
Actually, I have no "technique" per se.
I approach a likely subject with my camera around my neck- but down at my chest. Knowing (in a case like this one) that the person will not speak English, and I cannot speak their language, I just smile at them and- with a "question expression" on my face- raise my camera a little, indicating that I'd like to take their picture. I have almost never been refused; I assume it's because I'm not the least bit pushy about the whole thing, and my body language and (very real) smile support that idea.
Because I have preset my film camera for exposure, I stand about 10-feet from the subject, zoom to frame, focus and shoot when the person has a natural smile (which is usually as soon as I raise my camera).
From the moment I raise my camera to shoot, I seldom take more than 10 seconds before shooting. By being so quick, the subject has no time to become uncomfortable.
I usually take only one or two shots, and then lower my camera. I smile again and nod my thanks, and walk away.
I never use flash, and never ask the person to smile, look this way or that way, or use any other manipulation.
The whole process is entirely painless to them.
Even when the photographs aren't particularly good- they are always honest. And that's important to me.
Charlie
|
