Blind Spot

I like architecture, landscape, light and shade, abstract and all things natural. These are the subjects that occupy my viewfinder. However we all have our blind spots and mine is people. 

I have a colleague who is a prodigious people photographer. I would say ninety percent of his pictures involve people, and he covers Glastonbury on a regular basis. I have a suspicion he would be lost if instructed to make a quality landscape image, just as I would be out of my comfort zone doing a portrait session. (Edit: If you travel forward in time you will find I have done the odd portrait session).

However, it all depends on the context. If you are dealing with someone who is putting on an act in some way, a performer, then you are half way towards the end result. They expect to interact, and are probably happy to be photographed.

Here we have the Newbury Town crier in full cry. He is on duty, in costume and in character, and is fair game for a picture. Even so I felt I rushed the job and should have taken more pictures, maybe I would have re-framed him for a better result.

Here is another street character, this time in Winchester.

I had more time to compose the shot and select the right lens, although the crowds upset my plans somewhat. That is the problem with people photography. Rather like sports images, you have to be on the ball to catch the right moment. You need to take lots of pictures and be prepared to throw lots away. 

I guess that isn't my usual method. I never yet had a landscape that blinked at the exact moment I took the picture....

Another example: Here is a street cleaner in Florence. In this case I grabbed the shot and included the building as context. However I kept my distance, as I often do with this kind of image.

Here is another favourite method, photographing profiles. When I am pressured to cover a wedding, most of the pictures of individuals will be profiles. By taking pictures from the side you probably get another chance. If you use flash, its wise to turn away immediately. Anyone who sees the flash will want to work out if they were in the picture. I try to put them at their easy by looking away, and maybe I get a second chance.

This last picture has a story attached. We found ourselves in Woodbridge, a charming town with a photogenic violin repairers featured here before. Walking down the high street in mid afternoon I was surprised how quiet it was and how many shops were shut. It took us a long time to realise we had arrived in the middle of a power cut.

Life must go on, so this hairdresser simply moved her customers out on to the pavement! Even though I don't really do people, I felt I had to get this little scene. I walked past them., swapped lenses, then turned around, came back, made a joke of it and got the picture.