a book on Portraiture
For the past week or so, I’ve been collecting images and stories from my trips around the world for a forthcoming ebook I plan to release about Street Photography, or more specifically, portraiture in a street environment.
It’s coming together really nicely at the moment and is going to be a bit of a whopper this one I feel. I have three sections to the proposed ebook now:
Approach
This is where I discuss the conscious and subconscious decisions I make whilst out shooting.
Technique
This is where I discuss the kinds of lenses, the types of film, the choice of light I use and the pre-picture taking techniques I use (my camera for instance, is always pre-focussed).
Street Stories
This is more a ‘making of’ section, where I discuss what happened on a case by case basis with each of the images I illustrate.
I have topics like ‘From Within – getting into the picture’, a section on body language which is very important. How you convey yourself to your subject can make or break the exchange.
Which is really what portraiture is : an exchange or dialogue between you and the subject.
Anyway, it’s very exciting. I’m really enjoying writing this one as I think I was originally wondering how I would approach it. But now that I’ve laid out the guidelines for each of the chapters, I’m on a roll now.
I keep getting some folks out in the web call me a ‘landscape shooter’, but that’s only really part of the story for me. Originally yes, I started in landscapes, but I feel that in around 2004, things changed. I’d been interested in shooting people for a long time, but I had simply never made the leap. It all seemed to happen for me in 2005 when I went to Cambodia.
Armed with a collection of cameras, I remember trying each of them out to find which ones worked best. The EOS 1n was put away pretty soon as it was too obtrusive for me. I had a Bessa R3a which was a joy to use and most of my subjects didn’t take me too seriously with my small, quiet camera. But strangely, I got the same response with my Mamiya 7II. It was possible to make street photos with a big camera so long as it was quiet.
I’ve moved onto the Contax 645 system now, primarily because the Mamiya7II has hopeless close focussing (it’s a rangefinder) – it’s possible to get away with some street shots like this one below:
Anyway, time to get on with my writing, which is great fun because I get to relive the experiences of being back in all the places I’ve been to. Sort of like a virtual holiday :-)
Hi Bruce,
I have 3 of your e-guides already, and really enjoy them (still use them)
but this is one I’ve been waiting for. I look forward to it’s release… :-)
Glenn
Comment by gc — 24 May, 2010 @ 1:58 am
Wow! I’m really looking forward to this one!
I’ve tried street photography, and have failed time and time again as I always feel to self conscious. I found it easier to shoot people, I mean, photographing people, in the Sub Continent :) than in England or Europe- but even then most of the time people have wised up to westerners toting cameras around for shots of locals. But I’d love to know what approach you use, how you communicate with locals around the world, do you feel self conscious? how to adopt an approach and be ready, etc, regards to candids as well as portraits.
candid shots again i find extremely difficult, I tend to be able to spot a good photo, but cannot get myself to actually point the camera and shoot in coherent order, I’m basically too slow – the best candid shots I’ve had have been shooting from the hip or styling it out and composing before the people actually walk past or whatever – which is tedious work.
I’ve noticed many people referring to you as a landscape artists, but I see you as a Travel photographer, as your subjects include people, urban environments, nature as well as landscapes – fromm all around the world.
I look forward to the book!
Comment by Ibraar Hussain — 24 May, 2010 @ 1:10 pm