![]() ![]() Use your phone to take notes, get releases, and remember the people you meet on your travels. ![]() I also make a habit of writing captions and labeling images right after a trip ends, and not procrastinating. Now I carry my phone, loaded with a model-release app called EZ Release, which allows me to take pictures and get their consent at the same time. I would get back home, start looking through my notes and discover many of the girls I was photographing wearing similar-looking pink dresses. In the past, I used to take down people’s names and a short description of what they were wearing, or some distinguishing feature about them. You think you will remember everyone you meet, but time and age fade the memory. I had to adjust my settings quickly to capture this shot successfully before the light was gone. This image of the wrestlers had beautiful but extremely tricky lighting. I want to be so comfortable with them that I could operate the gear in the dark. I test my cameras and lenses thoroughly, as soon as I get them. I’ve been using Nikon equipment for many years. #BEST RSS READER 2014 HOW TO#It’s okay to use the latest and greatest technology, but know how to use it before you start your trip. I never bring new gear on an assignment or a trip, it’s always tested at home first, and I bring backups on the real trip. For me, simplicity is the key to success. Your confidence in yourself will instill confidence in them. Know your equipment so that you can focus on relating to your subjects. If you exude apprehension or tension, people pick up on it and cannot relax with the added element of a camera. This is a group of children who were displaced by conflict in the state of Gujarat, in Ahmedabad, India. Children are one of the most universal themes that unite us all. Rather, focus on the things that unite and bind us. Don’t look at people as different or exotic. Remember, we have more in common with each other than you might think. Whether it’s simply a nod of acknowledgement, a greeting, an explanation of what you’re doing, or a long involved conversation, connect with the people you are photographing. Put away the telephoto lens and become part of the moment. Successful pictures of people almost never happen from a distance. It’s a skill a photographer can develop, which requires respect for the subject and building a relationship in the time you have together. Making candid images of people is not a trick. The easiest way to make compelling, real photographs of people is by being authentic. If some of the people who surrounded Subita had taken the time to spend even a few hours with her, learning a bit more about her life, they would have had a story and not just an image. It was a hunt and she was simply the prize. Those who surrounded her were after only one thing-what they considered a great shot. No one even said namaste, or hello, to her. They made her feel like an animal―this is how she expressed it. Later, Subita would tell me how dehumanizing the impact of eager tourists and their cameras were on her. #BEST RSS READER 2014 ISO#The only time any of them acknowledged me was to ask me a technical question, like what ISO would work best in the stingy light. ![]() Before dawn broke, as we huddled around a fire, at least a half dozen people were looking at her only through their lens. At no time were we alone around us hundreds of digital cameras were firing away. I spent a couple of days with Subita and her family. Below are two anecdotes about how I gained access and went deeper into a story. One way to get beyond surface images is to plan a trip to one location, several times, if you can. It requires tremendous persistence and patience, but I would rather spend more time in one place than try to see it all. The magic really begins when you stay in a place and give yourself enough time to gain insight and understanding. Although I get to witness extraordinary things, it’s not simply about jetting off to exotic places. I don’t view travel photography as solely an adventure. With some thinking ahead and planning, I acquired a more unique image. With careful planning, we were given access to create a more powerful story that showed humanity’s relationship to the Giant Panda. ![]() In this case, the story was about China releasing the first female giant panda back into the wild. I like to use social media to meet people, or through websites such as, where there’s a forum to connect and ask questions. Nothing is as valuable as another photographer who has been there. Make a point of befriending other photographers and sources. Establish relationships before you even get on the plane. Local stories that may not reach the large international papers give me clues about what’s really happening in a place. Read everything you can about the place you’ll be visiting, especially local newspapers and social media. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |