Spectator?

Don’t Be A Spectator!
by Tim Webb

Anytime that I’m teaching photography, the one rule that I stress the most is, get close to your subject. Don’t be a spectator! Use your feet. Your feet are the better than any zoom lens that you can ever buy.

This is the one mistake that stands out to me the most when I look at most amateur photography. Just by human nature, most people are too embarrassed or too shy to walk up and take a picture of other people. The camera becomes like a shield that the shy photographer can hide behind.

My rule of thumb, on most normal photos, is to move within 6-8 feet of the subject, and then tweak the shot with a zoom lens. But get close! Getting close doesn’t mean invading someone’s personal space. You don’t have to become the Paparazzi to achieve this. You should approach people pictures just like you were having a conversation. You would never stand back 20 feet and have a normal conversation with someone. It all starts with being comfortable with the camera and having the confidence to get close enough for a good picture.

Learn to deal with your fears. Do what it takes to get the photo done right. Don’t be afraid to get close to your subject. If a lamp post is growing out of your subjects shoulder, don’t settle for it.  Change your angle.

Getting close enough begins with abandoning the snapshot mentality. A photographer, who shoots with a snapshot mentality, usually throws the camera up to their eye and snaps away without giving any thought to the outcome or final product. In simple terms, they are just glad to get a picture, regardless of how it looks. Most of this gladness comes from the fact that they’re scared to death with the hunk of medal and computer chips that they hold in their hands. They tend to just want something to turn out, and if it turns out with any degree of success, then they’re happy. It’s kind of like that feeling after taking a final exam… “whew, I didn’t understand any of that, but I’m sure as hell glad that it’s over.”

When you get close to your subject, it makes your viewers feel like they are right there with your subject. They feel like they are a part of the photo, and don’t feel like spectators anymore. Your job as the photographer is to bridge the gap between your subjects and the people who see your photos. Use your feet and make your photos come to life!

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 at 9:52 pm. It is filed under Learning. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.