ASSIGNMENT 4

Street Portrait with a Story

ASSIGNMENT

Now it’s time to step up your game and make a deeper connection with your subject. Engage them in a brief conversation.

TECHNIQUE

The technique is similar to the previous assignment, but be prepared to exchange a few words with your subject before photographing them. At the very least, find out what their name is. It’s quite easy to find a topic of conversation. It can simply be about an item of clothing or the story of a particular tattoo. It is very common for photographers to turn these portraits into series by asking the subject a specific question consistently. What is your dream job? If you were given a million dollars, what would you do first? If you could go anywhere right now, where would it be?

TIP

When I have a conversation with a stranger, I always take a few notes on my phone or do a quick voice recording. I do this immediately after the encounter in order to remember some of the details, including the name of the person, their dog’s name, or where they are from.

Studley / NYC, 2019

I met Studley the dentist in a small and colorful alley in New York City. I was admiring the graffiti on the brick wall when I saw this really nice-looking gentleman. I smiled and said, “You look so cool, I bet you’re an artist!” He replied, “Yes, I’m a dentist.” We talked for a little while and I asked if I could take a picture of him in front of the colorful backdrop. He gave me a beautiful smile, et voilà!

Fujifilm X100F, 23mm, f/4, 1/200 sec., ISO 1250