I Still Shoot Film

April 23rd, 2012

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Rue Prevot, Paris (2006) | Shot With a Nikon FM2 and cross processed Fuji Provia

April 20th, 2012

How To Take Natural-Looking (Posed) Portraits

As a professional photographer, people will ask you to shoot all sorts of things… and it won’t always be gorgeous models or extremely interesting street scenes. One of the biggest sources of revenue for me personally is in shooting portraits of regular people who need photos for all sorts of things. I also get asked by magazines to shoot regular people for lifestyle stories, so it’s important to get a final image that looks natural and not contrived. The problem is that most people are not very comfortable being photographed, which makes getting a natural looking portrait somewhat of a challenge.

Personally, I am not a big fan of portraits that look stiff or posed. Sometimes it can work in the right context, but more often than not it looks awkward. There are several things that I do to avoid this while keeping my subject feeling comfortable:

1. Get to know your subject.

(Emeline Piot, Fashion Stylist)

I always, always, always talk to the person I’m photographing. About life. About music. About the weather. Whatever. I like to get a conversation going because it gets a rapport going - and a photographer must have a rapport with the subject. Talking helps people relax and frequently helps you learn something about them which can in turn help you make a stronger portrait. I would say I chat with subjects for at least 15 minutes before I even take out my camera. That way the ice is broken before we start shooting.

The above image is of Emeline Piot, a very talented (and adorable) fashion stylist based here in Paris, who I was photographing for Marie Claire. It turns out that Emeline hates to have her picture taken, so I wanted to make her as comfortable as possible. We joked and talked about life while I photographed her for a couple of hours, and at the end of the shoot I had her sit down at a cafe and that’s how I got this shot. After she felt comfortable.

2. Allow some prep and warm-up time.

(Alexandra Guerre-Joly, Photo Editor, BE Magazine)

The worst thing you can possibly do on a portrait shoot is to show up and whip out your camera. One key to shooting a “natural” looking portrait is evaluating the space you are shooting in, whether it be outside, at the subject’s home, or at the subject’s office. If you don’t take the time to choose a good setting for your subject and analyze available light in relation to that setting, your portraits will look rushed and awkward. It may actually even take you longer to shoot rather than if you had just spent 20 minutes looking around in the first place.

For the above shot, the story was on successful women who are addicted to shoes. After touring Alexandra’s gorgeous Parisian apartment, I decided that in front of her shoes was quite fitting.

3. Movement is a good thing.

(Isabel Marant, Fashion Designer)

As photographers, we often want our images to be as crisp and sharp as possible. But alas, straying from the scholarly path can actually make for a great portrait. I had the pleasure of shooting Isabel Marant a few years back and, while I have many other shots of her, this one is my favorite. For me, the movement and motion blur are what makes it a “real moment.”Try walking around with your subject and photographing them at the same time. Sometimes, mid-action makes a far better portrait than if the subject were still.

4. It’s OK to smile.

Many portrait photographers have a profound belief that asking your subject to smile makes for a cheeeeeeeezy portrait - which is not technically untrue. Except for the fact that 9 times out of 10, if you send a client a smiley photo within the selection they take it. Take the previous photo of Isabel Marant for example: the fact that she’s laughing makes it happy. And fun.

Instead of going for dead-on cheese, ask your subject to fake laugh. It sounds stupid, but it really works. You can also tell jokes if you think you’re funny enough to make the subject laugh naturally. Not all photographers are funny. Keep this in mind.

5. Provide direction.

(Valerie Laderriere, Creative Director, L’Oreal China)

Most people don’t know which is their good side, bad side or best angle. They also don’t know if they have a weird mouth or eye twitch every time you press the shutter. Providing your subject with ample direction helps you get the shot while helping your subject feel reassured. I usually tell my subjects to follow my finger with their nose, chin or eyes to get the exact position I want. For portraits, it’s important to pay attention to details such as hand position (claw hands are the worst), slouchy shoulders or bulging fabric. It’s the type of thing that can ruin your portrait when you think it’s great, and you only realize when it’s too late.

For more photography help and how-to’s, check out I Still Shoot Film’s Help & How-To page.

March 13th, 2012

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Bicycle, Amsterdam | Shot with a Superheadz Black Slim Devil and Kodak Ektar 100

{See more photos shot with a Slim Wide Devil}

March 8th, 2012

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Amsterdam Canals at the Golden Hour | Shot with a Superheadz Slim Wide Devil and Kodak Ektar 100

{See more photos shot with a Slim Wide Devil | See more photos shot on Kodak Ektar}

March 6th, 2012

Amazing documentary on Alfred Stieglitz.

February 28th, 2012

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Multiple exposure, Amsterdam | Shot with a Blackbird Fly and Kodak Ektar 100 (pushed to 200)

{See more film photos of Amsterdam here: http://istillshootfilm.org/tagged/Amsterdam}

February 27th, 2012

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Snoekjesbrug | Amsterdam | Shot with a Superheadz Slim Wide Devil and Kodak Ektar 100

{See more film photos of Amsterdam here: http://istillshootfilm.org/tagged/Amsterdam}

February 24th, 2012

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Dusk on the canal, Amsterdam | Shot with a Superheadz Slim Wide Devil and Kodak Ektar 100

{See more film photos of Amsterdam here: http://istillshootfilm.org/tagged/Amsterdam}

February 23rd, 2012

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Amsterdam Canal | Shot with a Superheadz Black Slim Devil and Kodak Ektar 100

{See more film photos of Amsterdam here: http://istillshootfilm.org/tagged/Amsterdam}

February 21st, 2012

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Amsterdam night | Shot with a Blackbird Fly and Kodak Ektar 100 (pushed to 200)

February 20th, 2012

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Amsterdam Double Exposure | Shot with a Blackbird, Fly and Kodak Ektar 100 (pushed to 200)

February 16th, 2012

Fun and extremely informative animated video about the right to photograph in public, featuring music by the Gregory Brothers and directed by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Photographers: Know Your Rights (via the American Civil Liberties Union)

Your rights as a photographer:

When in public spaces where you are lawfully present you have the right to photograph anything that is in plain view. That includes pictures of federal buildings, transportation facilities, and police. Such photography is a form of public oversight over the government and is important in a free society.

When you are on private property, the property owner may set rules about the taking of photographs. If you disobey the property owner’s rules, they can order you off their property (and have you arrested for trespassing if you do not comply).

Police officers may not generally confiscate or demand to view your photographs or video without a warrant. If you are arrested, the contents of your phone may be scrutinized by the police, although their constitutional power to do so remains unsettled. In addition, it is possible that courts may approve the seizure of a camera in some circumstances if police have a reasonable, good-faith belief that it contains evidence of a crime by someone other than the police themselves (it is unsettled whether they still need a warrant to view them).

Police may not delete your photographs or video under any circumstances.

Police officers may legitimately order citizens to cease activities that are truly interfering with legitimate law enforcement operations. Professional officers, however, realize that such operations are subject to public scrutiny, including by citizens photographing them.

Note that the right to photograph does not give you a right to break any other laws. For example, if you are trespassing to take photographs, you may still be charged with trespass.

If you are stopped or detained for taking photographs:

Always remain polite and never physically resist a police officer.
If stopped for photography, the right question to ask is, “am I free to go?” If the officer says no, then you are being detained, something that under the law an officer cannot do without reasonable suspicion that you have or are about to commit a crime or are in the process of doing so. Until you ask to leave, your being stopped is considered voluntary under the law and is legal.
If you are detained, politely ask what crime you are suspected of committing, and remind the officer that taking photographs is your right under the First Amendment and does not constitute reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.

Personally, I found this to be particularly informative but I would like to stress that this ONLY APPLIES TO THE US. Virtually half of these are not valid in France and laws on photographing vary from country to country. Always check the policies of the country where you intend to photograph beforehand.

February 13th, 2012