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Travel Portraiture
The people you meet on your travels are as much a part of the country as the buildings and landscape, so don’t forget to photograph them.
The very thought of this sends a shiver down the spine of many photographers, because approaching total strangers and asking if they mind being photographed is quite a difficult thing to do. However, most people will be flattered by your request and more than happy to oblige.
Always treat your subject with kindness and respect. Instead of trying to grab sneaky shots, approach the person and ask permission. Some people may feel uncomfortable being photographed. Remember, what they are doing is normal to them, like us going to the supermarket. Others may object on religious or cultural grounds. By asking permission you can establish this before anyone gets upset.
It’s not always possible to ask permission to take pictures and in some situations, doing so may ruin a great pictorial moment. Candid photography is all about seeing or predicting an interesting, unguarded moment and capturing it, rather than just grabbing boring pictures of people without them realising it. Look for things that could add interest, such as outward displays of emotion or humorous juxtapositions of people in their surroundings that create a visual joke.
Both wide-angle and telephoto lenses can be used for candids – the former is great in tight spaces or among crowds and will give your pictures a strong sense of drama and intimacy.
Tele lenses come into their own for homing in on someone further away, the combination of a wide aperture and minimal depth-of-field will ensure the background is thrown well out-of-focus.
A final option is to shoot from the hip – literally holding your camera at waist level and firing without looking through the viewfinder. It’s a great technique to use out on the streets and though the lack of control means your success rate may be low, the unusual angle can add a voyeuristic twist.
