Portraiture - Empathy with the Subject

[johnwaine]

I would be fascinated to hear from accomplished portrait photographers regarding their techniques.

I would love to take more portraits - preferably using only available light. Any tips for establishing empathy with the subject(s) and how to get people to relax ?

[lord_of_the_badgers]

get em drunk?

it's a tough one yeah.. but perhaps just taking LOADS of photos is good.. that's what i found when i was doing a lot.. people got used to/bored of me taking the camera with me everywhere. Eventually you can strike lucky, and get something that appeals to you

eg this one

or this one..

[gummyb]

Drunk is good...especially if photographer is kind of boring, like me. I think it helps a lot of the person likes to have their pictures taken as they are more likely to be creative in coming up with their own style.

[agroni]

I think the best way to capture portrait is that the photographed person should not be aware that you are taking a photo!
If you are taking a session than just tell the person to think of something nice and not to be afraid of the camera. The person must trust you! Maybe some alcohol could relax the tension in the muscles which would result in great images. Just don't over drink them, cause you will get the usual drunken expression
here are some of my girlfriends portraits:






you have more under:
Portrait

[jude_53]

I've never gotten my subjects drunk, but I've been that way myself ...
KIDDING..

I've done many sessions and ONLY use available light. I find the best thing is to watch them as your guiding them into poses. Most of the time the person will be moving their head or body to do what I've asked and I ALWAYS see a position or way that looks fantastic or natural on them.

I then shout STOP!!! DON'T MOVE! I get very excited and usually am saying "Ohhh YES!" "OMG That's GREAT!!" as I'm shooting, etc - and not because I want them to hear that, I truly become very excited when I see something I might have missed if only they hadn't moved a certain way. People then pick up the excitement and become very relaxed because they start to believe they are natural in the process (if that makes sense).

One woman I shot (heh) was so nervous that her jawline was shaking a little when I'd tell her to "smile.. no not that much .. no, more"..lol When I finally found what I wanted I not only praised her but kept telling her how fantastic the pics were as I went. Before the hour session was over, she was suggesting poses and really into the process - and this came from someone who WANTED to have the photos done but was afraid she'd feel silly doing it.

The only person this fails at is my oldest daughter who has about a 2 minute patience level for getting her photo taken.

I think she might be the one to get drunk...

[jypsee]

and don't look through the viewfinder; that way you're looking at the person and engaging them. You'll need to figure out what your plane of focus is at a particular aperture for this to work and you will get lots of near misses focus wise, but your photos will be more engaged.
I don't ask for poses when I photograph people as I find that they become self conscious and that makes them look stiff. The portraits that work, in my opinion, are relaxed and informal.
That said, one of my favorite photos of my family is one where I'm in it and we're all looking relaxed and engaged... the camera was on a tripod and I was using a timer to set "us" up... no one was behind the viewfinder, yet we all look like we're smiling at someone

[mboimare]

Keep shooting....They'll be shy, then stress, then they will forget about you.
I'm not a professional photographer, maybe not even a good photographer, but I definitely agree with the idea of using only natural light and that what took me back to film. The noise that digital camera generate in low light is so unpleasing where the grain of a B&W film can be so nice and give so much drama to a portrait.
Everything is matter of taste and the most important is to have fun.
Cheers.







http://www.pbase.com/mboimare

[ernst]

Although no answer to the original poster, this question came up as I notice the preference for available light in several previous posts...

I agree that you can obtain great results with available light, but (fill) lighting with strobes widens your field of play [is this English? ] in difficult situations.
I say this when I just discovered a great blog on off-camera flash: http://strobist.blogspot.com/ with loads of information and tutorials about lighting.

Regards,

[sethlazar]

This relates to something I was thinking the other day. I was trying to think why I've been frustrated photographically since returning from travelling in India and Pakistan, and I think I hit on it. Over there, with my camera around my neck (and the fact that I am British) I was an oddity and people were automatically interested in me. The fact that I spoke Hindi and Urdu caused even more amazement, and immediately meant that people were either asking for me to take their picture, or incredibly responsive when I did. The rapport was automatic. This would even apply to candids--inevitably someone sees you shooting, but more often than not they smile, raise a glass, or do something equally charismatic. I think this is also something to do with the way people are in public over there--the distinction between public and private is not so rigid. This extends from people using the street as a toilet to their attitude towards passers by. Now, I don't know if anyone else remembers the TV show 'Gladiators', but in it one round involved contestants climbing into these big hamster balls, and bashing each other until they fell over. Walking down the street in Britain is like being surrounded by these atlaspheres (and being in one yourself). Everyone is closed off--this has some good effects, e.g. it's nice not to have people going to the toilet in the street, but it also has some bad effects, e.g. candid photography is a good way of getting yourself in trouble, and there's no point even asking people to take their portrait. So in an informal, non-studio context, I guess the key must be either to find a way past the atlasphere, or to travel a lot. The best halfway point I've come across yet was going to a wedding, when everyone drops their guard for a while. If I get permission from my Sister in Law I'll stick some pics from there up to illustrate; here is one from Pakistan which illustrates perfectly the immediate familiarity I was talking about



Incidentally, great idea to start this forum, and some lovely portraits on this thread. I especially like 'lord of the badgers'' first one, with the parka coat button.

[lord_of_the_badgers]

Incidentally, great idea to start this forum, and some lovely portraits on this thread. I especially like 'lord of the badgers'' first one, with the parka coat button.

thanks

[johnwaine]

Thanks all, for some really sound advice. Out of interest, I saw this guy sitting on a park bench with glasses on. I asked him if I could take his picture. He said "Yes, if I can take off my glasses!". So his mean look is actually a mild squint!


http://www.pbase.com/johnwaine/image/47045484

[neovolatile]

You know that when you are shooting nude models, it is very awkward and tense at first. Probably more for the photographer than the model. I usually try a silly joke if I have one handy. After I take a few pics, I sit down and push the replay button and show her some of the pictures. I make her a co-conspirator in the creative process. Often she will then suggest something that will make all the difference in the world.

I also use a bright lens that does not need lots of light or flash. And a big CF card means I can shoot more than I used to. Thus, I am content with just saying, "these are just test shots for lighting, relax" Often I get the best shots that way.

I also truly love people. I could not shoot pictures of my models if I did not find something to love about them. I tell them (and mean it) that they are beautiful and that I am so honored to be there shooting the pics. They have seen my work so they know I do not make women look bad or stupid.

Probably said enough. Knock-knock (who's there) Interrupting cow! (Interrupting..) Moooooo!

Ellsworth Weaver
Ars Neovolatile

[sean_mcr]

"The most difficult thing for me is a portrait. You have to try and put your camera between the skin of a person and his shirt."

Henri Cartier-Bresson


Bresson knew it, i know it ( that's where the similarity ends as he was a genius i'm not). Portraits with soul are not easy. Nor should they be, nothing good comes easy after all. I shoot only with available light, i don't like the studio look, just my personal taste.

There's always three people in a portrait they say, the subject, the viewer and you. Put your soul in to it, you'll have a better chance of capturing theirs and the viewer will see it and connect with it.

Get into the history of the genre, what drove people, why they did it. I take photos to express how i see the world and the people with in it.

Draw on art, literature & music for inspiration. Everybody has a story to tell, get a feeling for that person and tell their story.

Of course it's a plus to have a relaxed subject but...

John Lennon once said...

I'm an artist. You give me a (bleepin) tuba, I'll get you something out of it."

Know the art, know yourself. Express it