How To Overcome Your Fear Of Creating Portrait Photos

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Күн бұрын

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Save 10% by using code JAN22 till 31st Jan 2022 For some, shooting portrait photography is one of the scariest genres.
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Пікірлер: 97

@johnchedsey1306 2 жыл бұрын

I'm a fairly introverted person who had crippling shyness as a kid, but managed to do many dozens of portrait shoots with both regular people and published/experienced models. First and foremost, I always have an outline of the shoot in my head. "use this backdrop for 15 minutes, switch to this lighting set up, etc". But I also give space for the model's energy and input to flesh out what part of the outline ultimately becomes. Second, I did once upon a time bartend so despite being a shy kid, I did learn the skill of chit chat, which goes a long way in relaxing someone. The handful of awkward shoots are those who just flat out don't want to interact with me. Those unfortunately do happen. But most of all, as you gain experience and have some successful shoots, you can both have some nerves but also know that you have the experience and knowledge to make the next shoot a good one. Believing in yourself goes a long ways

@RichardSilvius 2 жыл бұрын

"You have the ability to see the best in people and show it back to them". That truly is a wonderful point of view.

@dankoons5577 2 жыл бұрын

well said

@tw9535 2 жыл бұрын

Beautiful insights! I was fortunate that the photographs that first compelled me to study the craft were the portraits by Yousuf Karsh. I went out and bought Karsh books, straining my back because of how gigantic and heavy they are, but entirely inspired. What struck me was that on any two facing pages were, on the right, the iconic portrait, and on the left several paragraphs that Karsh wrote about the person he photographed and the session. That sticks with me. I always ask myself, "If you wanted to write about this person, could you do it? What would you say?" It makes me really and truly think about the person. And that is a good place to start a portrait.

@charleshacker765 2 жыл бұрын

Loved it. You could really make some other photography KZfaqrs quite mad. Your quote was one I put in my book: "You have the ability to see the best in people and show it back to them." Well said. It's about this, not gear.

@ezrarichardson279 2 жыл бұрын

That’s interesting! Because this is literally my what I enjoy the most! My favorite though is taking photos when the people in the photos know I’m taking pictures but don’t know when! You end up with very “real” looking photos where your actually seeing the person and not just the way they want people to see them. I love the results. You have to be pretty patient though!

@ThePhotographicEye 2 жыл бұрын

Hi everyone - thanks for being here at the premier premier umm, premier video :D If you could photograph any person at all, who would you? I would want to photograph my Grandpa Willy who passed when I was 8

@arcanics1971 2 жыл бұрын

Sorry for missing the premiere. I would want to photograph Sir Jonathan Miller. Not only did I like the man immensely, but I thought he had a very interesting face. I have painted him several times- not I should add from life.

@anthonybrigden1298 2 жыл бұрын

Sorry I missed you live, 4pm is when the young one comes bounding through the door. For me I would like to take your portrait amongst a few others, Bruce Gilden and Gary Gough, Gary to capture his pure jolliness, your good self to capture the wisdom and knowledge and of course Bruce Gilden, to emulate the grittiness of his own style on to an image of himself. To photograph a photographer i feel would be a great exercise. Thanks again, always enjoyable and educational Alex.

@largophoto 2 жыл бұрын

I thought about a well known public figure such as the Queen...or Boris Johnson ....but growing up it would have been the girl next door..her father was vicar..

@JerrisEverydayPeople 2 жыл бұрын

I would want to photograph my father. He gave me my love for photography and would be thrilled to know that I’m making my living as a photographer. More than just the photograph of him, I want to have another conversation with him behind the camera with him in front.

@chillaxsnip3r93 2 жыл бұрын

I would love to photograph Jason Mamoa

@anthonymara4533 2 жыл бұрын

As a landscape photographer who is breaking into event and portrait photography. I can confirm, even when you're shooting a large vista, if you're not excited, nervous, or a bit on edge, you're going to be disappointed when you get the shot on a bigger screen or print. I appreciate the video! Gives me something to contemplate going into the next phase of my photographic journey!

@AnalogueDiaries 2 жыл бұрын

I'm a portrait photographer and agree with everything said in this video. Most of the time I show up with one camera and one lens for a portrait shoot, because I don't wanna be distracted by gear and things like that. It's about the human interaction, and excessive amount of gear only make things worse, imo. Even though I am an introvert I much rather prefer to work with someone new (a stranger), rather than someone from my family. I find extremely hard to photograph my family or close friends. I become friends with people that I meet through photography, but not other way around.

@duketoby0 2 жыл бұрын

Your style of making these short films is just so calming and really inspires confidence in the viewer! Thank you so much for being out there and doing this for us! Best wishes from Munich Germany

@padonker 2 жыл бұрын

I began portrait photography with my own children. Then very quickly I became the family portrait photographer. Taking pictures of all the cousins. My biggest challenge has been to stick to what I wanted to photograph. Because I have a somewhat morbid taste for film noir style portraits, the children ended up with cigarettes in hand, a glass of whiskey (ice tea) and decks of cards and even a toy gun here or there. I absolutely loved the contrast between the innocence of the subjects and the lack thereof in the setting. But alas, the mothers just wanted smiling happy kids looking into a lens with dreamy eyes. I was thinking of your second-to-last point "bringing out the best" of your subject. Seems like I only enjoy bringing out the worst or the grotesque.

@JensMHA 2 жыл бұрын

"Plans are nothing; planning is everything."- Dwight D. Eisenhower. Its worth some meditating upon. :-)

@iaincphotography6051 2 жыл бұрын

Good advice as always Alex. I worked with agencies doing model portfolio work (fashion). It was always fun be it indoors or outdoors, every shoot was a buzz. Did I read a lot of photobooks, no. But I cut out a hell of a lot of pics from fashion mags to give me ideas.

@erikgouletphoto 2 жыл бұрын

"you have the ability to show the best in people" this touches me deeply

@dankoons5577 2 жыл бұрын

you hit the nail on the head! I was remembering my efforts and strife when taking my sons senior year portraits! I've always taken images of subjects that had no opinion on my skills. thank you

@linkedinfred 2 жыл бұрын

I have done five outdoor portraits shoots, so still very much learning the genre. I totally get what you are saying about the interaction with model. I see that. Get them involved. Show them and compliment them in their work. I think building that working relationship helps a long way getting the results one is after. It’s certainly helped me.

@grahamhobbs3501 2 жыл бұрын

There's no substitute for caring about what you you are talking about and caring about your audience - you can't fake it - and those things (with a bit of knowledge, planning and research thrown in :) ) are what what makes these videos compulsive viewing - another inspiring example

@richardsimms251 Жыл бұрын

Great subject and great teaching ! Thanks.

@LaneMaine 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your reassurance. I am pleased with the results from the first formal portraits I have taken. Still, I wondered if the nervousness I felt meant the portrait genre wasn't for me. I will definitely continue, thanks in part to your positive message.

@michaelobrien8219 2 жыл бұрын

thx for sharing the lessons you've learned from your experiences in the field - very valuable for me

@jamesoliver6625 2 жыл бұрын

But to me, those Penn portraits have an element of paparazzi to them simply because they are celebrities that forces me to discount them. A far more useful approach is to set your self a time limit, say 8 minutes (something NOT the usual of 5 or 10 minutes, and start at say a retirement home of non celebrity, non commercially attractive, people and approach one person with the line, "I give myself 8 minutes to take a picture of you,...could I?" If accepted you find a spot or take a chair and in a semi-street manner engage in conversation to take pictures while finding out what it is that interests that person. If after 8 minutes it's a washout you have already set your "escape" clause. If however the subject is interesting and has found your engagement interesting while you photograph, then you can conveniently forget to look at your watch. It will force you to work and look for natural light which always to me gives amore insightful portrait and to engage more quickly. People on the street, or at craft shows or fairs as you walk through, comic book conventions, farmers markets, etc lead to portraits in real settings.The farmer surrounded by his wares, the quilter with his/her pride and joy can give a ready play of what that person is about.

@miycalr 2 жыл бұрын

LOVE THIS

@valdrich1889 2 жыл бұрын

This is a great way to develop interpersonal and street photography skills. But to discount the Penn portraits simply because the subjects are celebrities? They are still exceptional portraits. They have emotional depth and are definitely NOT the work of a paparazzi. They were ground-breaking with the use of the 'corner studio' concept. Perhaps you simply object to studio portraiture?

@jamesoliver6625 2 жыл бұрын

@@valdrich1889 No, it's not an objection to studio portraiture but more a realization that the viewer isn't going to react the same way to a personage they know. That coupled with the fact that some celebrities are impossible to get out of their public performance schtick. The Karsh Churchill portrait comes closest to me of a good celebrity portrait. In his milieu, in his performance mode (see other portraits in the shoot) but forced out of it. Most other celebrity portraits I see verge on hagiography.

@seralegre 2 жыл бұрын

when possible, it works very well to take a coffe with the people you are going to take the portrait. And if is a different day than the session, is better.

@stoeikruimels 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. I really needed this. I want to make portraits of vulnerable children very close to their faces because then they can tell their stories with their eyes. I'm afraid I'll be told a lot of "no" because of the privacy laws in my country. And then I also have to take the right pictures. It's so scary that I keep procrastinating.

@nicwoodhouse 2 жыл бұрын

Great video, I will re watch this multiple times for sure. It's got so much useful advice.

@kevinroberts1888 2 жыл бұрын

I'm mostly a nature photographer, but I do enjoy doing some portrait photography from time to time as it takes me out of my comfort zone (I'm nearly deaf so I tend to be introverted by nature.) After it's over, there's something extremely satisfying about stepping out of your comfort zone now and then.

@lacanche12 2 жыл бұрын

I love your approach and the way you communicate. Very inspiring.

@colinspotswood9893 2 жыл бұрын

Breathtakingly informative.

@peterlieberzeit3138 2 жыл бұрын

Great recommendations. Really have to try. Concerning the nerves: reminds me of the time when I ran long-distance competitions (10k, 21.1k and some occasional marathon): the best ones were the ones, where the "horses were slightly dancing" at the start.

@erichstocker8358 2 жыл бұрын

Beautiful episode that contained tons of useful and interesting information. For misanthropic folks like me that particular form of photography is not available. But you had some very powerful insights why it is challenging and interesting!!

@derricksansome236 2 жыл бұрын

Really helpful pointers Alex that may yet coax the reluctant portraitist out of the landscape loner that I tend to be. Yet another of your videos to return to multiple times, thank you for your help.

@moilami1 2 жыл бұрын

This was so very spot on. Every photographer should watch this.

@wanneske1969 2 жыл бұрын

I love the Ian Curtis pic, hero !

@phillipP8848 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the inspiration to start into portrait photographe. My inspiration Comes from the late Kenny Rogers, who had a great technique. He would get the sitter to talk about the thing they liked best. So simple but effective. Many thanks again.

@darrylstubbs4245 2 жыл бұрын

I suffer with anxiety but do shoots,and its tough.I love seeing the end results,but its nervewracking.Loved the video and some great points are made.Hopefully this will encourage me to gain a bit of control over sessions.

@amv7m 2 жыл бұрын

Wonderful message. On point. Thank you.

@ivanstevens 2 жыл бұрын

I resonate with this video, as I am sure do many others. Just because I enjoy photography mainly travel and landscapes, my family nominate me to take photos of family groups etc and I get this enormous feeling of stress as do not want them to think I am not good at it. I don’t have any lighting set ups to use and these are just snaps of the family generally outside but sometimes indoors with a flash but feel pressure to act more quickly and when I do some practice shots I feel they are getting impatient. It is probably in my head most of the time but does put me off wanting to try it.

@jeremytome 2 жыл бұрын

Another refreshing video.

@arcanics1971 2 жыл бұрын

I'm not scared of photographic people- I take street photos that often capture people and sometimes I show them to the subject. But portrait photography has never really interested me. I have to say that recently I've started to change my mind about that. I still have no interest in family photographs and simple, to me boring, portraits. But I am starting to think that I could have a lot of fun getting creative with portraiture. Some the examples I have seen on TPE videos have certainly been instrumental in this change of thought on the subject.

@iaincphotography6051 2 жыл бұрын

Try copying Karsch see what you come up with.

@hotjazzbaby 2 жыл бұрын

Great insights. Thank you. The photo I liked the most is the one by Horst. Next would be Mann and Steichen.

@derricksansome236 2 жыл бұрын

Sadly unable to join you live but will definitely be watching later, thanks in advance for what I know will be some helpful discussion. Derrick.

@A861967 2 жыл бұрын

I did my 1st family shoot, with my Partner’s kids, took about 150 shots, the kids had a lot of fun by making faces and moving around while I was trying to get my exposure and focus correct.. after 2 hours I was exhausted.. I started at 19:30 and finished 21:30.. next day I reviewed my pics .. To my surprise only 3 were average.. I found that my focus was incorrect and had some people in and out of Focus.. a disappointing result But learned a lot 🙂looking forward to the next opportunity. Great information as Always Alex 🤗

@valdrich1889 2 жыл бұрын

LOVE portrait photography! Humans are so freaking interesting.

@clasijuls1 2 жыл бұрын

you are amazing . thank you .

@Batteristafoto 2 жыл бұрын

The great YOU!!!! hhahaha. Awesome video bro!

@ericlahra8373 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for another very informative presentation.👏👏🤗

@ProEditingLooks 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome I want to do it on my channel.🔥🔥🔥

@jimcastaneda 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing

@ralfschoeneck2089 2 жыл бұрын

Great!

@calmetosis 2 жыл бұрын

Such a lovely channel. Thank you

@marcp.1752 2 жыл бұрын

Seriously, i made only one time portraits (not my liking or kind of photography) on a scheduled zombie walk, a friend of mine and I made some portraits.

@shellywilks883 2 жыл бұрын

Excellence advice as always👍👍

@LittlePeterP 2 жыл бұрын

Bravoooooo !!!!!

@SimonWillig 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much 🙂

@paulrushbrook1598 2 жыл бұрын

Great advice thank you

@Rob.1340 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. 👍📷😎

@emilpana3270 Жыл бұрын

Thanks

@ingabett 2 жыл бұрын

Great advice as always! Thank you!! I wonder, do you have any advice to the person being photographed? I’m one of those people who hates being photographed, there is only one person who did capture who I am and that person is not around anymore. I can’t relax in front of a camera and it shows, I think I’m not alone in feeling like this.

@alangardner8596 2 жыл бұрын

Have a plan? I've done 180 portrait shoots, the vast majority one to one location shoots and always have some sort of plan in my head but on the shoot I always do something entirely different? Personally I think this helps my photos because I like a more spontaneous type of photo and work with the model. I see so many photos where the photographer has taken great plans to make sure the photo is perfect but the photo is 'dead'.

@onirudhakhansaadi1461 2 жыл бұрын

Hello there, I have been following your content since the very beginning of this channel also I have been doing street, documentary and humanitarian photography for couple of years. As I have been doing this for a fair bit amount of time, I had to engage with multiple other photographers and photography circles also, I thrive to be able to capture more compelling photographs with each shot that I take. Recently, I have been stumbled upon a issue with my photography which is photo selections. As I have been told by other photographers that, I discard better photographs of mine and keep the less compelling photographs as my final products. Which in essence means, I do shoot good photographs but I fail to select them for my final product. I have looked for a solution to this which I have failed to find. With utmost sincerity, I would love if you could address this issue and make a video on this agenda as I believe there are plenty of other photographers who are also suffering from this problem. They have better and much more compelling photograph but fails to recognize them. I video on this issue will help many to find their photographic journey much more enjoyable. Take Regards, Oni

@warrend8362 2 жыл бұрын

Love doing portraits just afraid of Covid lol

@ChrisW.Fuji_Canon 2 жыл бұрын

❤️👍

@largophoto 2 жыл бұрын

Alex..awesome 😎..I fail. on two counts...I have a bottomless end of pixie dust ...and as far as a plan of action ...I do check to make sure I have at least one memory card

@TheRoadrunner11 2 жыл бұрын

Great advices as usual. However I must respectfully disagree regarding not photographing people you like. I just started photography a month ago as a new hobby and had 3 portrait shooting sessions exclusively with friends and my gf and it has been a blast. Friends would be more understanding than strangers and you can chat and joke around while shooting to lighten up the mood. They shouldn´t have big expectations of you and just look at it as fun and the chance to come up with great photos for themselves. I might have been lucky and found my niche cause most photos turned out great but that certainly was not what I had in the back of my mind when we started the shooting. I only did it to explore and have fun. So maybe the trick is to communicate this with your friends beforehand, rather than avoiding it? Maybe I´d be preaching a different lesson here if the photoshoots didn´t go well and my friends didn´t like their pictures. But I know I´d have been a lot more nervous asking a stranger for a photo on my first time.

@RS-Amsterdam 2 жыл бұрын

Great video. Watch Peter Coulsons (great Australian Model Photographer) video's from this month, how he talks to a new to be model and turn her from a cramped girl into a loose model in less than 20 minutes. Amazing. (hope you don't mind) Thanks for sharing.

@ShaunVanDerVywer Жыл бұрын

Hi sir. Can i show you some of my work. Im still very new to photography

@gols 2 жыл бұрын

Bedankt

@ThePhotographicEye 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Gerard

@richardmurphy4648 2 жыл бұрын

Not that easy to find models in the east of Scotland. The models on the mentioned sites are not really models, most just thought it might to fun to call themselves 'model'... I know, I have tried to to hire so many, most don't even look their post often for years, let alone reply. I will continue, but short of moving to major city, it is a struggle.

@mikajulin 2 жыл бұрын

Earlier than last time!

@raccoons_stole_my_account 2 жыл бұрын

Rule #0 of portrait photography for me is - do not show raw images to the model. Under any circumstances. Camera is for me, model gets to see whatever I decided is good.

@photonsonpixels 2 жыл бұрын

Howzit, howzit. Are you on Instagram? Where can we see your pictures? Thanks!

@fegonbor 2 жыл бұрын

@fahd3754 2 жыл бұрын

the 25th a friend want to do a photoshoot for her birthday and i dont know what i should prepare for or what sort of question i should ask

@warrend8362 2 жыл бұрын

Start with what you know about your friend who is she what does she like she’s a friend so you can already start a conversation If you’re good friends maybe discuss what she’s going to wear take a look at it Make sure it doesn’t distract from her Or have her bring more than one thing to wear

@iaincphotography6051 2 жыл бұрын

Treat it like a fashion shoot, get her to bring a few outfits, have fun and laugh lots.

@warrend8362 2 жыл бұрын

@@iaincphotography6051 A Fashion shoot the stylist brings the clothes lol

@arcanics1971 2 жыл бұрын

Ask her what kind of photographs she envisages getting at the end of this.

@iaincphotography6051 2 жыл бұрын

@@warrend8362 I bloody wish, I think that happened with two models. Different on a clothes shoot.

@sl2608 2 жыл бұрын

I've been a portrait photographer for several decades. Just a few years ago I go my first request to do a High School Senior photo shoot. It was the first and last I will EVER do. I took around 200 shots, culled through and chose about 25 to show her as proofs. I even edited the proofs. Why? Because I know that young girls of this age can be very self-critical and I hoped to avoid that. She was an attractive girl, very fashionably dressed, hair and makeup professionally done for the shoot. All shots were outdoors in very natural, flattering, soft light, in a trendy, contemporary setting (no cliche' stand by the tree poses). I put a lot of hours and work into it -- prep/practice, the shoot, hours of processing. She did not like them -- not even ONE. Everyone else who saw them thought they were great. I tried to talk with her to find out what she didn't like, or what was missing that she was looking for. I was going to offer to reshoot if she could tell me what she wanted. She could not tell me. My conclusion was that she had some imagined, illusory, ideal image of herself in her head that nothing I could do would satisfy. I even gave her 50 additional proofs to look at. NO to all of them. I think she had the image of a rock star, or fashion model or actress on the red carpet in her mind. The shots I did were very contemporary, nothing traditional or old school about them! No, I didn't bring along a boom box, but they were trendy and current. I did a lot of studying beforehand to see what was trending for Senior High School shoots. Lesson for me: Senior HS Photo Shoots, NOT MY THING. I deal in reality, not fantasy. Sure, I want to please my portrait clients and I spend hours enhancing and doing everything I can to make them say "WOW, I love the way I look". But this genre is not for me. Huge lesson. For my own mental health, NEVER AGAIN. Not worth the incredible amount of time and stress. (And yes, she HAD seen examples of my work prior to booking me.)

@ThePhotographicEye 2 жыл бұрын

We’ve all been there at some point! There’s nothing quite as sold destroying sitting next to a teenager looking at their photographs and they are completely nonplussed!

@sl2608 2 жыл бұрын

@@ThePhotographicEye Perfect description -- soul destroying. Fortunately, I was not anywhere near her when she viewed the proofs in the online gallery. Also, she would never communicate directly with me -- sent all messages through her mother, who btw loved the pictures. Come on, you're not Prince or Beyonce', you CAN speak to us "little" people. Geeez. Sad.