Portraits Without Faces

Following on from our successful ‘Through The Generations’ photo challenge, here’s another chance to experiment with your people photography and build your confidence in taking images on the street.

Working individually or in small groups, you’re encouraged to seek out images which give a sense of a portrait but without including the face.

There will be no hard or fast rules as to what lens to use, or whether the portrait should be ‘posed’ or ‘candid’. The aim of the photo challenge is to start to develop an approach to taking people photos that you feel comfortable with.

To help with this, the event will include:

• Sharing of images to help inspire you
• Discussion on ways to take non-facial ‘portraits’
• A map of places to photo with suggestions of themes
• Experimenting with ‘ice-breaking’ openers

The photo challenge lasts three hours which includes time to ask questions about your camera as well as group check-ins. The cost of the event is £10 which includes the chance to receive feedback on your photos post-event.

“Lovely to meet you all today – I had a great time and got a couple of photos that I really like. The day has definitely helped me to have more confidence approaching people to ask them to model for photos and I’ll be doing more of this in the future! Hopefully see you all again soon…” Neil

“Fantastic event. Really helped to build up my confidence when taking pictures including asking for permission.” Siddrah

“Excellent day, really worth-while. Taught me how to approach people and gave me confidence to do so & take my first real portraits!” Natalie

“Really enjoyed it and was really nice to push myself – it was good that we had to set ourselves challenges (even though I didn’t meet mine!) and the guidance and opportunity to share with others was great.” Chantal

Special Shoot: Strictly in the City!

On Saturday, we held our second dance shoot in the City. 11 of us photographed 3 dancers – contemporary and hip-hop – in the beautiful settings of an old church.

Learn How To Take Better Outdoor Portraits

At the end of May our new people focused workshops will take place. Last week I introduced street photography and this week I’m talking about outdoor portraits.

Outdoor portraits can be either candid or permission based. Whether you ask your subject if you can take their photo or not will depend on your style and confidence, the location and practically of asking for permission, as well as whether you think it is appropriate to ask for their permission.

Asking Permission To Take A Photo

Asking permission to take a photo can to some seem quite daunting. However, with practice you’ll start to hone your technique. Your opening lines, what you say, how you ask them to pose, whether you show them the photo or not, all will start to become easier.

As a beginner, I think one of the best group of people to start with is to ask kind friends and family (but not those that you know don’t like having their picture taken!). Offer to take some family portrait shots, photos of anniversaries or birthdays, or photos for their work’s website. People often need passport photos too, if you know what you are doing re. size and background. Asking parents if you can photograph their child might also be an option.

I’ve built up my skills in photographing people by asking these two groups of people if I can take their photo. With this confidence, I’ve felt more comfortable in approaching complete strangers.

There are certain situations where asking strangers their permission to take a photo is easy! I find people who are enjoying themselves are generally more in the mood to have their picture taken.

As a beginner photographer, good places to practice asking for permission are at festivals, street parties, protests, fashion shows and public spaces or events such as the London Marathon, Wimbledon, Pride etc..

If you’re friendly and wearing a smile when you approach people, they are more likely to engage in a conversation with you. If you take a genuine interest in them, tell them what you like about them and why you want to take their photo, I’m sure it will be much harder for them to refuse you!

Taking Candid Portraits With A Telephoto Lens

Another option when you are shooting outside, is to use a zoom lens to take a person’s portrait. You may find this approach easier or it may be the only option you have to take their portrait (if it’s impossible to cross the road or the canal for example).

I find that using my compact camera is also a good alternative as I feel I can mix in with a crowd or get nearer to my subject than I can with a big SLR camera. Sometimes using my SLR makes me more noticeable and it can also be off putting for those being photographed.

I think what is important when you are trying to take a portrait outside, rather than capture a moment in time (e.g. street photography), is to observe the person you are taking a photo of.

See what they are doing and what their face is telling you. Wait for the right time or anticipate what they are going to do next. Be patient enough to wait for interaction, e.g. friends suddenly laughing or money exchanging hands, to make the photo extra special.

The Outdoor Portrait Photography Workshop

If you’d like more practice at photographing people, join us at the end of the May for the outdoor photography workshop. In small groups we will learn how to photograph each other using reflectors, positioning the sitters appropriately for the daylight available, what the best lenses for portraiture are.

Each person will play the role of the sitter as this can help to make you a better photographer by understanding what the experience is like to have your photograph taken. You’ll find you are better able to direct and understand your subject when you have experienced being them.

Below are some photos from a previous portrait event showing the location where the workshop takes place.  Book now to save £5 off the workshop.

Learn About Street Photography

This month at The Photo School, we’re launching a new set of people focused workshops aimed at beginners: street photography, indoor portraits and outdoor portraits.

Going alongside that, the month’s photo competition theme – to win a £45 workshop – is ‘people’. So whether it’s photos of children, posed portraits, candid shots, people abroad, people showing strong emotion, it would be great to see your photo.

Street Photography

Each week, I’ll be introducing in this blog a beginner workshop taking place at the end of May. Today we’ll look at the street photography workshop.

There’s no fixed definition for street photography but essentially a photo that meets some of the following criteria could be classed as ‘street’:

• The image should be unplanned
• The scene takes place in a public environment
• There is minimal or no interaction between subject and photographer
• The image elicits an emotion in you e.g. happy or laughing
• The photo is spontaneous with no posed people in it
• There’s a sense of juxtaposition or quirkiness in the image; like a ‘play on ‘words”

Street Photography Workshop

Focusing on the area around Tower Bridge, the street photography workshop on the 28th May will give you a chance to practice photographing people in the company of professional portrait photographer, Jon Mortimer.

Jon will show you how to photograph people confidently and the best lenses and accessories for candid portraiture. They will also be a discussion about ‘what is street photography’ as well as the legal issues involved.

After the tuition, you’ll get a chance to go out photographing around the lively Tower Bridge area before showing off your new talent to other participants in a photo review.

Street Photography Festival

If you are keen to know even more about street photography, check out the London festival that is taking place in July. There’s a brilliant selection of events, exhibitions, talks taking place with tickets being launched next week 9th May.

Start To Take Stunning Portraits

This Sunday professional portrait photographer Jon Mortimer will be sharing his skills on how to take a great portrait. It’s a chance for beginner photographers to become acquainted with a studio environment whilst learning about flash, daylight, props and lens for portraiture.

Jon will share his approach to taking a great portrait which includes how to tell your subject’s story through one image and how to best use your subject’s environment.

During a full day you will learn how to:

• Use daylight for a flattering portrait
• Set up your camera to use a studio flash
• Best use camera and studio flash for portraiture
• Use depth of field in portraits to draw your subject out of the background
• Select the best lenses for portraiture
• Pose people and make them feel comfortable in front of the camera
• How and when to use props

Jon has photographed John Malkovich (below), Ralph Steadman, Beth Ditto. He’s not only a great photographer but an excellent teacher too (see our workshop testimonials)!

Join Jon and other beginner photographers this Sunday 27th March 10.30am – 5.30pm.

Photographing The Alternative Fashion Show

Tomorrow (Wednesday 20th April) Spitalfields sees East London’s major fashion event – Alternative Fashion Week – host to the most original and creative collections by a fresh crop of new designers with truly innovative ideas.

Join the Photo School tomorrow as we will be photographing the models as they walk down the catwalk at 1:15pm.

Improve Your Photography

Alternative Fashion Week is where all the best new designers are to be discovered. It provides a genuine alternative for them to present their work directly to the press, public and the fashion industry.

Designers come from all over the UK and other parts of the world including Russia, the USA, Europe, India and Japan.

Over 70 designers will be selected to show their work. Hundreds of applications are received from independent designers aiming to establish their labels to recent fashion and textile graduates. Expect anything from elegant to edgy.

Photography Event Details

The Photo School will meet at Liverpool Street Station at Bishopsgate Exit at 12:30, to give us enough time to walk over to the Market and find a spot for the catwalk show. If you are running late or are lost, please call me on 07773 819053.

There are 6 beginner photographers attending so far. Will you be the seventh?