This Week’s LIDLIPS

22. There is nothing more interesting to us than photographs of other people.

23. Be the director. Your lens gives you that authority (and responsibility).

24. There is no I in “personal”, but there is one in “personality”.

25. Your client has her own problems. She doesn’t want to hear about yours.

26. Make up a story if your model does not have one.

27. Ultimately your career as a photographer, amateur or professional, will be defined by the lives you touch through the images you make.

Lessons I Didn’t Learn In Photo School 22–27

22. There is nothing more interesting to us than photographs of other people.
We are voyeurs at heart. We are curious about each other. When it comes to photography, there is nothing more interesting to us that photographs of people. If you want to increase your chances of earning a living as a photographer, you have to learn to photograph people. For many, this is an obstacle that drives them towards landscape, nature or still life photography. On the journey to becoming a people photographer, you may start off making candids because you’re shy. If you don’t push through, your photographs will shout that you are timid. The people pix that viewers connect with are the ones where the sitter connected with the photographer through the lens. In this way, photography is just like life. It ultimately gets down to connections.

23. Be the director. Your lens gives you that authority (and responsibility).
Every sane person fears looking bad in a portrait. If your sitter looks worried, it’s because he doesn’t know what to do with his hands, or how to stand, or where he should look. Be the director. Encourage. Reassure. Demonstrate. It’s up to you. Your sitter sees a piece of glass at the end of a black tube. You see what the camera sees. Even if you haven’t a clue, conveying a sense of confidence is key.

24. There is no I in “personal”, but there is one in “personality”.
It’s a common chant that “every photographer needs to shoot personal work.” I agree. Yet, I think that a lot of personal work, mine included, can be really boring. If it’s too personal or too subtle, your personal work becomes a visual secret. Personal work is about pushing your creative boundaries. Rather than create images that are personal to me, I now shoot personal work that reflects my personality.

25. Your client has her own problems. She doesn’t want to hear about yours.
It really doesn’t matter if your client is a turbo-stressed advertising exec, a nervous bride-to-be or your mother’s second-cousin. No one deserves to hear about your problems on a shoot. Yes. It’s tough to keep a calm demeanor when you’ve just screwed up royally or your gear has gone on the fritz. If you want to be a pro, then be a pro. Keep your problems to yourself – all the while smiling and chatting as if everything is perfect.

26. Make up a story if your model does not have one.
True confession time. I have a really hard time making photographs of people if I don’t know their story. When I’m photographing a model in a workshop or another set-up situation, I need a connection. So, if I don’t have a relationship or a purpose (making a photograph is not enough), I create a storyline in my head. Try it. Next time you’re stalled on a model shoot – create some story about the sitter, a bit of history, a perspective, an attitude. I bet your pix will start to flow after that.

27. Ultimately your career as a photographer, amateur or professional, will be defined by the lives you touch through the images you make.
And chances are good that you’ll never know the final score on your report card.

Previous Lessons I Didn’t Learn In Photo School
LIDLIPS 1–12

LIDLIPS 13– 17

LIDLIPS 18– 21