Approaching Strangers, Part 2 - Celebrities

Billy Childish

The late Jane Bown, a photographic legend at the London Observer who photographed hundreds of prominent persons, rarely did any research about her subjects. She just showed up, studied the light and the environment, and made her exquisite portraits.

Having photographed a few celebrities and national politicians during my stint as a photographer for a regional magazine, I know that it can be a bit intimidating to have to capture the "personality" of a well-known person on film. I've learned, much like Jane Bown, that it's easier to make compelling portraits when the person is basically "unknown" to me. That's one reason I am drawn to photographing strangers.

We met Billy Childish on a London street; drawn to his handlebar mustache, his swagger, his typically British umbrella carried on a cloudless afternoon, and his hopelessly loud plaid pants. We made the portrait in our usual way, handed him an instant copy, and headed off.

Months later, I received an email from Billy praising the portrait and requesting further copies. In exchange, he sent me a copy of one of his books, and two charming wood cut prints. Turns out that Billy is a bit of celebrity in London.

Now, I'm certain even if I had known that Billy Childish was a person of some renown, I would have still made a decent portrait of him. But by not knowing, I surmise that I was totally relaxed; and by being that relaxed, it allowed Billy to present himself as relaxed, as well.

I need to keep that in mind the next time I ask someone famous to pose. Just stay "present."

Approaching Strangers

Antonio, 43, Madrid

I'm frequently asked about how we approach people in the street and get them to pose.

First, for me, there's always a bit of inertia and doubt, especially when the potential subject is a bit fierce, such as was the case with Antonio.

Antonio, loaded up with intimidating tattoos, a modified Mohawk, a large nose piercing and a scowl did not seem to be the kind of person who might be interested in having a large format portrait made of himself.

Nevertheless, the tee shirt, along with the entire "look," was just too good to pass up. So we had Linda make the approach.

Of course it turned out that Antonio was only too happy to stand for a picture, as is the case with most people whom we approach. While some folks think we may be trying to sell something when we stop and speak with them, most people are flattered by the attention. This is especially so because we use a large view camera for our work, which creates an instant credibility and seriousness of purpose.  After all, the unspoken message in relating to strangers under this circumstance goes something like this: "There are dozens and dozens of people walking by here who we could ask to photograph in a serious way. And of all the people here, we are asking you."

How do you think you would respond?

Welcome Back!

Okay...so I took some time off. Six years is one year shy of an "official" sabbatical, and now I'm back. (Actually, I was inspired to return to blogging by my friend, Brian, who just started a blog of his own.)

This blog is designed to offer insights into my photographic process; what compels me, what I'm thinking, who inspires me, and any other random bits and pieces that seem relevant to making images. Your feedback, offering your own thoughts and insights about my pictures in particular, as well as image making in general, is highly valued and seriously encouraged. 

So, now that I've returned, let's get at it:

After ten years of street portraits using a 4x5, we've shifted to an 8x10 format. (The "we" is my wife, and assistant, Linda). We still stop people on the street and ask them to pose for a portrait. Two years ago, as an acknowledgement that everyone has a story to tell in addition to the face that they present, we started asking people to write something about themselves. 

We initially stopped this twenty year-old student, Lawson Jingsang Ling, because we were attracted to his serene personae and his simple, black outfit accessorized by his stylish white eyeglass frames. His poignant, revealing anecdote, however, underscores the idea that everyone has a backstory. It offers a wonderful, and vulnerable, parallel to his portrait. How does his writing alter your perception of his portrait? Or does it?

Juvenciana - San Blas Islands, Panama

Juvenciana lives on the island of Cartí, part of an archipelago chain off the northern coast of Panama. Her people, the Kuna, have lived on these islands for more than five centuries.

The morning in 2006 that we photographed Juvenciana the quality of the light was unusually soft; a perfect match for her serene, unselfconscious presentation of herself. 

Emily

This is Emily. When we met her, she was taking a cigarette break from her job as a hostess in a trendy Lower East Side bistro in Manhattan. It was a summer Sunday afternoon. She was standing just this way, and consented to have us take her photo with the large format camera. 

Emily appears in our book of street portraits, Face New York available at Blurb.com

A Point of Contact - Antonio Patrizio

This is Antonio Patrizio at 86 years old. He was a gentle, dignified villager in the town of San Benedetto in Perillis, Italy, a small, out-of-the-way place. His image graces the cover of one of my latest books self published at Blurb.com

Couples in Black & White

We've begun a new project: mixed race couples. We stop couples in the street, and, using the view camera, ask them to pose for us. It's fascinating how couples relate to one another when having their portrait made. Some stand stiffly side by side, others make slight physical contact, and a few demonstrate a genuine passion. This project will become a book eventually.