Finder View

This picture taught me a lesson, which I’ll explain to you now… 

I was walking around and saw this dude outside.  He had these really cool glasses on, and he was smoking.  When I see him I think, “Score!”  Because I think he will make a great subject.  

I start to move towards him, and he starts to move towards me.  ”Shit!”  Moving subjects are really hard for me to capture, because as soon as I stop moving and aim the camera the subjects reacts to the camera.  This makes the subject, and the moment, lose some of the candidness I’m going for.  

Then he takes off his sunglasses.  Again I think, “Shit!” Because the glasses were awesome.  Seriously.  It’s the details.  Know what I mean? 

Well I stop and snap three shots.  One of which is what you’re looking at now.  

Later I stop and check the lcd on my camera (Canon T1i).  Two of ‘em are rubbish so I delete ‘em.  The third looks great.  

Later in processing I see that when the images is larger (than it was on the camera’s LCD) it does not look nearly as good, and that bums me out, because if this picture were less blurry I’d be considering it for the street section of my portfolio.  

So the lesson I learned: I can’t rely on my camera’s LCD to be an accurate presentation of how the picture will really look.  Can it give me an idea how how the picture will look?  Sure.  But it’s important to keep in mind that it’s just that, an idea of how the image will look.  

Hope this is somehow helpful.  

Look words with today’s post.  

This picture shows how people can negatively react to a person pointing a camera in their direction without asking for permission first.  I find that people tend to have this reaction the most when their kids might be photographed.  

While I know that it is legal for me to take the picture, and that I don’t plan on doing anything “bad” with it, I still try to be respectful of people who are being protective of their children.  The way I (generally) do this is to.. 

1. Take the picture. 
2. Smile and say thanks. 
3. If someone stops me and asks what I’m doing I tell them. 
4. I offer a business card, and to send them a copy if they give me a email.  (Note: A business card that says PHOTOGRAPHER on it is often a total game changer.  I guess that it makes people see you as a “professional” and that changes how they think about you… )  
5. If they ask me to delete the picture I say, “No problem.”  Then I delete it. (Note: I don’t offer to delete the picture, but if someone asks me to I will.)  

As of this writing I have never had to go beyond step number three.  I think this is because  the person who is confronting me might be expecting me to be some sort of creepy dude taking pictures of random people.  They don’t expect me to be a nice, honest, and if I’m lucky “charming” dude who just offered to send them a copy of a picture.  

So I guess I’m trying to say… 

• Don’t be afraid to take pictures 
• Have a business card, honesty, and some charm in your bag of tricks.