One of my favorite types of photography is photographing people. Being able to work with, and connect with someone else to create beautiful, and hopefully powerful images. It’s so rewarding.
That being said, not everyone is comfortable in front of a camera. Actually it’s kind of interesting to me; the more ubiquitous cameras are, in the form of our phones, it seems like people tend to be even more uncomfortable when it’s someone else taking the photograph. Most people have become more comfortable with being their own photographer, taking selfie’s and making sure that only the best ones are seen.
Knowing that, I think that makes it even more important now than ever before, for us as photographers to develop the number one skill for creating beautiful, powerful photographs of the people in front of our lens. It’s the number one Gift that will really help us with this kind of photography.
Empathy
Yep, that’s it. Having empathy for the person in front of our lens, understanding that they would probably be much more comfortable taking their own photograph with their camera/phone. But if they are working with you, that means they understand that together you’re going to be able to produce something so much better than what they would’ve taken with the camera on their phone.
That doesn’t make them any more comfortable in the situation, so that’s why it’s up to us to be empathetic, understand the situation and realize that the more you can help this person feel comfortable, the better photos you’ll make, the better experience you’ll have making them.
