Approaching People Photography: What kind of photographer are you?

[fahim mohammed]

photographing strangers? Afraid you might be yelled at, handed over to the police etc.

I can give you a little bit of advice... be aware of the surrounds, respect the culture and the people you are amongst.

Be sincere with the people, most times you can become a part of the group..here is group I got to know reasonably well in Montreux. orginally they were Canadians, who later were from Stateside! Go figure!

A joke I told them about a Texan, Canadian and a Middle Eastern broke the ice!

Lovely bunch of girls...

Respect.

 

[Wendy Thurman]

Fahim-

I'm with you on this- a little respect and personal interaction makes for better opportunities, better understanding, and most importantly, mutual dialogue- even if nothing is said.

I hope I am not speaking out of turn, but I have developed an intensely personal relationship to your photographs. Your images effortlessly portray diverse cultures and an awareness that I can only hope my photographs may someday approximate.

Shukran jizeran!

Wendy

 

[fahim mohammed]

Hi Wendy...

First..I would never consider you speaking out of turn with respect to me. You have gained my admiration for your courage to be where you have have been/ and are and my respect for bringing
to this forum viewer's attention a world not of pleasant sunsets, pies and pretty dogs, flowers and
postcards..but a world where humans of all color die/hurt/cry each and everyday. Where friendship means putting one's life on the line for the other..to be there and give us a glimpse of what ' there ' is
of utmost importance. You are doing that valuable job.

Wendy, if one wants to convey an emotion one has to be at least a small part of it. How can we know
about farah if you are not there..by reading books? Asher asked if you speak pashtun..you are picking up dari you said. have you seen the look in the children's eyes. The US marine who has lost a friend or an Afghan who has lost a family. Do you really think, looking in their eyes, knowing English/Pashtun/Dari would help you to understand their pain? Or is it those emotions, those feelings that are common to all of God's creatures. We all laugh,cry,are hurt, need comfort, love,hate, are born and die. Feeling is what sets us apart. if one does not interact, how can one have genuine feelings of that interaction.

/ end of rant /

Who knows the name of Sherpas..quick name 2..see. but it is they who have made all those that reached the summit of Everest famous. Do you know they climb the summit, throw the rope for the last pull, bring up the team and stand aside for their photographs. That I salute.

Think carrying a load is easy? 10kg/20kg/30kg.. but this is at 5800 mts!!

Thank you and Fi Aman Illah.

Fahim-

I'm with you on this- a little respect and personal interaction makes for better opportunities, better understanding, and most importantly, mutual dialogue- even if nothing is said.

I hope I am not speaking out of turn, but I have developed an intensely personal relationship to your photographs. Your images effortlessly portray diverse cultures and an awareness that I can only hope my photographs may someday approximate.

Shukran jizeran!

Wendy

 

[Asher Kelman]

Who knows the name of Sherpas..quick name 2..

You have gained my admiration for your courage to be where you have have been/ and are and my respect for bringing to this forum viewer's attention a world not of pleasant sunsets, pies and pretty dogs, flowers and postcards..but a world where humans of all color die/hurt/cry each and everyday. Where friendship means putting one's life on the line for the other..to be there and give us a glimpse of what ' there ' is of utmost importance. You are doing that valuable job.

Wendy, if one wants to convey an emotion one has to be at least a small part of it. How can we know
about farah if you are not there..by reading books? Asher asked if you speak pashtun..you are picking up dari you said. have you seen the look in the children's eyes. The US marine who has lost a friend or an Afghan who has lost a family. Do you really think, looking in their eyes, knowing English/Pashtun/Dari would help you to understand their pain? Or is it those emotions, those feelings that are common to all of God's creatures.

We all laugh,cry,are hurt, need comfort, love,hate, are born and die. Feeling is what sets us apart. if one does not interact, how can one have genuine feelings of that interaction.

It's apt to look at both images, one against the other, as they are two sides of one coin!

Fahim Mohammed Two Pictures

​

At least it's nice to know the words for "Hello!" "How are you?" "GoodBye", "Thanks", "May I?"

Asher

 

[Benjamin Kanarek]

Accountability in Photography

Being a photographer can be portrayed in many ways by the person taking the photos. You can either be a very good actor and entertain those you are attempting to communicate with, you can be an incredible observer, only interacting when there is need to express what and why you attempting to do that which you are doing. There is the director role, that has many faces, probably as many as there are individual personalities on the planet.

In fact it really doesn't matter. Why? Because no matter who you are, you will capture that moment of interaction, even if that moment was not intended. Moments captured in photography cannot be refunded nor redeemed. What was said through the photo has been recorded for eternity.

Being a photographer or film maker is a responsibility, in that you are ALWAYS accountable.

Ben

 

[Asher Kelman]

Shooting people: Stalking, tricking, hunting, observing, sampling, setting them and m

Being a photographer can be portrayed in many ways by the person taking the photos. You can either be a very good actor and entertain those you are attempting to communicate with, you can be an incredible observer, only interacting when there is need to express what and why you attempting to do that which you are doing. There is the director role, that has many faces, probably as many as there are individual personalities on the planet.

In fact it really doesn't matter. Why? Because no matter who you are, you will capture that moment of interaction, even if that moment was not intended. Moments captured in photography cannot be refunded nor redeemed. What was said through the photo has been recorded for eternity.

Being a photographer or film maker is a responsibility, in that you are ALWAYS accountable.

Ben

A good photographer always has to be first and foremost a director.

Hunter Director: Thinks plans observes stalks walks around and picks the place to pounce from.

Trickster Director: Pretends that s/he's not ready and that's the time for the picture: Ben, your take a rest moment.

Sampling Director or Stock Sturges Approach: Take her to the right location and let the model do her thing, just sample these moments: with color film not digital. Only with the former, especially 8x10 are you choosing.

Thematic Director: Sets up the costumes, look, place and models to create a theme from which the model shines as the star.

Asher

 

[fahim mohammed]

' when it clicks '..

and when it doesn't...

it has charm of its own!

Thanks for looking.

 

[Rachel Foster]

This is a personal choice and I don't expect anyone else to make the same choice as me. In fact, I would be dismayed if everyone did.

I won't photography anyone without permission. Even more, I won't photography someone's house or barn without permission. There's no real reason I can give for it. I'm just not comfortable doing it.