Ways to Connect with Your Subject
Lesson 13 from: Street Photography: The Art of Photographing StrangersAshley Gilbertson
Ways to Connect with Your Subject
Lesson 13 from: Street Photography: The Art of Photographing StrangersAshley Gilbertson
Lesson Info
13. Ways to Connect with Your Subject
Lessons
Class Introduction
14:33 2What Do You Mean by Photographing Strangers?
04:42 3Why Photograph Strangers?
15:23 4The Psychology of a Street Photographer
19:31 5Establishing Trust When Photographing
24:27 6Decide on a Story to Tell Through Photos
39:47 7How To Tell Your Story Through Photos
19:00 8The Gear You Need For Street Photography
13:57Know How to Present Yourself as a Photographer
05:06 10Observe Your Shoot Location
10:42 11Where is Street Photography?
07:15 12How to Approach Your Subject
32:37 13Ways to Connect with Your Subject
08:10 14What to Do When People Say No to Photographs
08:34 15Always Have a Street Photography Backup Plan
06:28 16What to do When You've Finished Shooting
04:53 17How To Find The Right Caption For Your Photos
08:03 18The Street Photography Editing Process
32:28 19Toning Your Photos For Maximum Impact
11:21 20Career Tips For Street Photography
12:45Lesson Info
Ways to Connect with Your Subject
I just remember this I don't know what the video is gonna look like but um so I find this like I find approaching people pretty easy on dh I'm not you know it's still uncomfortable sometimes accept yeah sorry would you repeat again what you said about asking people to spell their names out loud repeating it out? We didn't hear that at home because it was fun so when I'm taking people's names down in the photo caption when I'm writing it down, I'm always like first of all, I'm writing it down so that they can see it make with leslie the first woman I photographed there I said it out loud l e s l e y and she said no it's e um but I'm also writing it down and they're looking at it while I'm writing it, so if I'm getting it wrong, then they correct me there on the spot because it's the most basic thing we can do to show respect of these people who actually let us take their picture is to get their names right, so get it right get it right the first time. Um, yeah, sorry, I'm just another f...
ellow question on that last video, so I was I was surprised that you went up that close with out having engaged with him yet and I don't think as a woman that I necessarily would have done that um and so I have a question that had come in saying I love your openness to jumping in putting yourself physically and emotionally close to strangers and places if you were a woman do you think that you'd be as open to it? Do you know many women photographers who would be as openly and independently as you as the male photographers? And I'm sure this is kind of a classic conversation in your world I've seen I've seen a bunch of friends of mine that very confident and get really close to people better women you know, I think like lyndsey addario comes to mind andrea bruce comes to mind nina berman comes to mind who are really I think probably than I am uh um you know, inserting themselves into these situations but in a in a respectful manner um I don't know what it would be like as a woman I can talk to that but I can say there there are plenty of women not enough but plenty of women working in the industry that you know way better at this than I am in terms of safety or uh those other considerations of putting yourself in potentially harm's way is that something that you've talked other for female photographers about that you have any advice occasionally except I can't really be like shooting on the streets I can't like this is not my area especially yeah like I know in conflict situations that could be really, really rough. Um, I mean, as we saw in cairo a couple of years back, but I'm not sure about shooting in places like this, you know? I can't I can't speak to it. Um, it's just it's better to ask oscar pro oscar professional, yeah, yeah, yeah, professional photographers. Woman yeah, I mean, do any of you guys who shoot a lot of experience with this? Yeah, we we did bring this up at lunch time, and I did I mention lyndsey? Lyndsey addario is book because it completely blew me away. I've I've I've been blown away by photojournalists that there are women and the work that they do but myself doing photo walks here in town when I've gone just down to pioneer square, I will not go by myself just because, um, I feel like they're there is kind of an issue with, like walking around alone, but I don't feel like, totally unsafe, but I think there are definitely times of day that I would feel more unsafe than others, but I think there's, if you're a man, there are definitely different issues than women walking around it's like you shouldn't be afraid of a situation, I don't think I think it's important to be brave enough to walk into a situation but be really knowledgeable about what you're walking into and like really be aware and like have a plan and like make sure people know where you are and other things and I know that specifically like and pioneer square that is somewhere that's a little bit more dangerous especially being a woman with very expensive can't hang here around your neck ah and that's something to think about but also like I can say that I've done a lot of work like this and I've never had any really problems other than just being afraid s o that's something I think that speaks maulings I've I've mostly made sure that I'm carrying minimal gear that's that's one thing and also just just having an accompaniment and just being confident but it's sometimes I think as we think it's an advantage to speaking to people I felt like approaching some people it's actually been easier because some people have passed up on speaking to a man that I've been on a photo work but they've said yes to me right? So it can be an advantage as well yeah absolutely thank you well thank you guys so my wife I thought she was joking but she wasn't I wish she was drugged me and she says that like, I'm pretty open when I'm photographing people in like interacting with people and like that she says that I still get nervous sometimes like noticeably nervous around girls I didn't think it was true but then this happened I'm sorry I'm a photographer I'm working on ah I'm fed up with the photo agency in new york called seven I'm working on a photo essay about downtown seattle um on so I'm just photographing around the area and I don't even write your name down for the caption the photo caption right angela angela okay and g l a yeah okay on joining the email you the picture so no cool so I would I would use that as a pretty good example of how teo attempt not to be aunt how when you when you're awkward that immediately rubs off from the person that you're photographing like I don't want to be near this person fits freak being me um so um or tease you are with what you're doing and you're talking to the better it's gonna work out because you don't want too much of that and every day after that I just wanted to go home but instead we went out and kept shooting and that's that's one of the keys like that's one of the keys to being a street photographer like you screwed up really badly sometimes like that or at least I do but then I going off having a cigarette saying okay, that was pretty bad why don't do that again let's go out and keep trying you know, like, getting up and doing it again is really important. Because if you just, if you finish a day on that, you're not gonna go out again for a long time. It was not that bad, it's. Just. I'm really embarrassed, and they were shooting me. So now it's now it's for the christmas tape and online forever.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
user-4e23bb
I have taken more than a few of the Creative Live courses. I have, in general, found all of them to be very good and I have learned something important from them all. Not always enough of exactly what I was looking for, but something useful and important. This course was absolutely amazing. The best I have taken. I would like to download it and see it again and again. Ashley's style was authentic, humble, yet confidence inspiring. The information he gave was focused and totally useful. He shared both philosophy and thinking as well as real tools to learn - whether they be soft stuff (like how to approach someone) or hard stuff (like gear and settings and such). I cannot recommend this class highly enough. If you want to learn to do "humanistic photography" (his term which resonated with me), this is best I have ever taken!
user-082aad
This was a terrific and wonderful class. Ash was superb. His stories were awe inspiring, his passion was evident and his ability to teach was flawless. I would take any other class by him and actually can't wait for more of the VII agency programs eminating from Ron's class during photo week 2015. A great great addition to Creative Live's orbit.
cranecreekphotography
Wow, I loved this course - I watched the whole thing, and most of it twice, during the first run. Ash is is intriguing, a good teacher, honest. I found this class to be so inspirational. I especially loved his encouragement about talking to strangers, asking to take their picture- "what's the worst thing that could happen?" And the videos watching him in action were motivating- you saw him make connections but also saw him get rejected too, but he keeps such a positive outlook. Love this class, please more photojournalism!
Student Work
Related Classes
Street photography