[Shy people allowed] Photographer's communication techniques revealed [Portrait]

Hello, this is Goto from the Web Service Division.

As a photographer, I have taken a variety of portraits, including those of weddings, coming-of-age ceremonies, Shichi-Go-San, fashion models, and mothers

 

posted a portrait of my mother on social media

 

"Lol, as expected."

 

I've received comments like these, but I don't mind being laughed at as long as it makes my mom happy

However, my popularity index may have dropped a little. It's still a bit of a problem.

 

Now, through this experience of shooting many portraits, I have come to have my own "pattern" for how to communicate with the subject , "this is how it works."

 

When I first started using a camera, I tried taking portraits without knowing anything, and since I'm not particularly good at communicating, I was flustered throughout the shoot and was a complete mess.

 

However, even though I'm such and quiet person , I was able to communicate smoothly during filming by keeping a few points in mind.

 

By the way, to give you an idea of ​​how shy I am, I once went to a group blind date with a senior colleague and left without saying a word.

 

As I was leaving, the girl snapped , "I didn't say anything today."

 

I'm sure there aren't many people who are this shy

the communication techniques during filming that I will discuss in this article are highly reproducible .

In this article, we will explain in detail with examples everything from basic concepts of communication how to give instructions to your subjects

Even if you're not a photographer, I think most people have many opportunities to photograph people in their work or daily lives

• I am often asked to photograph employees as a company public relations officer
• I want to take pictures of my close friends and loved ones in a way that makes them look even more attractive

This will surely be useful for people like those mentioned above

Also, if you are interested in what photographers are thinking while taking photos

Please be sure to watch until the end

You can see the photos I've taken so far Instagram (@gotoh_2682)

What you will learn from this article

• Learn how the cameraman communicates during the shoot
• Understand basic points to keep in mind when communicating during filming
• Learn how to give instructions to the subject during the shoot

Portrait photographers are in the service industry

As a photographer, when I take portraits, I keep in mind that portrait photography is both a creative profession and a service profession.

It goes without saying that the quality of the shooting data that ultimately reaches the client is important, but I believe that providing a good shooting experience equally important

This is because, high image quality has become commonplace able to provide a good photography experience one of the added values ​​of photography by a photographer . Also, the more the subject enjoys the photo shoot itself, the easier it is to take good photos.

Based on the above ideas, we will discuss the communication approach that photographers should take

Don't make your subject feel uneasy

more delicate for the subject than photographers realize .

Photographers tend to be only concerned with whether they can take good photos according to their own standards and tend to put the requests and feelings of the subject second .

However, the subject is also very concerned during the shoot about whether they are being photographed with a good expression, a good pose , whether the photo is taken in the style they wish

To make the subject feel comfortable during the shoot,

communicate with to alleviate any anxieties they may have about the shoot .

Examples of communication that don't make the subject feel uneasy

The following are the communication methods I try to use to alleviate my subjects' anxiety during photography

• Before starting the shoot, I ask the photographer how they want to shoot and try to come up with as many details as possible

*Alternatively, we may share the results of the shoot during the shoot to understand the subject's preferences for how they want to be photographed

• Always praise them when they make a good pose or a good expression
• If you take a good photo, share it
• Even if the photo isn't good, don't look sad or say anything negative

*In my case, in situations like this I usually just smile and say "Shall we try a different way of taking pictures?"

 

Through these efforts, I aim to reassure my subjects that their photos are being taken properly , and the shoot a fun experience

It's also important that the photographer doesn't get nervous and don't know how to take the photos during the actual shoot. If the subject realizes that you're getting nervous during the shoot, they'll start to "Wow, I wonder if today's shoot is going to be okay..." plan as much as possible before the actual shoot, such as refining the image of the shoot, choosing the location, and imagining poses .

As you can see, although taking a photograph only takes a moment to press the shutter the process leading up to pressing the shutter is actually quite a long process.

 

Also, I have explained how to take beautiful, good photos in a previous article, so please take a look at that as well

[With examples] A photographer explains tips for taking beautiful photos with a smartphone

 

As an aside,

During a shoot, many people probably have the image of the photographer repeatedly saying things like "Great!", right

It's true that I, too, am no exception , "Oh, that's great!" while taking photos, but from what I've said so far, "Oh, that's great!" is just the tip of the iceberg of communication that photographers have.

of a photographer saying , "Oh, that's great!", they are actually using various communication methods.

 

By the way, shy people have a habit of saying "ah" when they want to say something

It's me

 

However, whether or not you are shy does not actually have much of an impact on whether or not you can communicate as a photographer

Being able to quickly get along with people you meet for the first time is certainly an advantage , but

Rather, a photographer's communication skills should be more important , being able to notice changes in the subject's emotions during the shoot and knowing what tends to make the subject anxious during the shoot .

Giving instructions to the subject is important

From here on, I will explain how to give instructions during filming

Giving instructions to the subject one of the photographer's important roles in portrait photography .

If the subject is a professional model, they will suggest many expressions and poses without much instruction from the photographer, but in most cases they are not used to being the subject of the photo.

Make sure you remember how to give clear instructions so that you can take photos smoothly no matter who the subject is

How not to give instructions

First, here are some instructions on what not to do:

First of all, the cameraman doesn't give any instructions at all

Especially someone who is not very good at being photographed , if the photographer does not give any instructions, the subject will feel anxious will perceive the shoot as a painful experience

To ensure you can give instructions smoothly during the actual performance, organize your instructions in advance, such as posing and facial expressions

 

Giving instructions that are difficult to visualize

If you give instructions that are difficult to imagine or not specific, your subject will become confused

For example, during the shoot, I asked him to express the feelings he would have if the banana he was holding in his hand suddenly turned into a mandarin orange!

If you were to say something like this, it would confuse everyone so try to avoid it.

 

Forcing subjects into poses or expressions they don't like

may be so particular about the photo they want to take that they unconsciously force their subjects to follow certain poses and facial expressions

It's surprisingly common for photographers force their subjects to smile . Women, in particular, don't like the way they smile, and many of them would rather look sensible in their photos.

From a photographer's perspective a photo of a person smiling is likely to automatically be considered a "great photo!" , but the subject may not necessarily want to be photographed smiling in the same way.

As you take photos, be sure to ask your subject what kind of expression they want to have in the photo, and be careful not to force them into a certain pose or expression out of your own ego as the photographer

*However, as an exception, if you happen to take a good photo in a direction that the subject did not want, , "I think this kind of photo is also nice!" It would be wonderful if this helped the subject to discover a new charm in themselves.

How to give instructions to your subjects as a photographer

Based on the above examples of what not to do when giving instructions to a subject, it can be said that you need to keep two points

• Instructions must be clearly communicated to the subject
• The instructions given are not "coercive" to the subject

I will explain each point in order, taking into account the above points

How to give clear instructions to your subject

When I give instructions to my subjects,

"Can you look a little higher?"

"Look out the window."

In this way, we are conscious of making it easy to understand what exactly needs to be done.

From here further,

Sometimes I ask, "I'd like to take a photo of you looking out the window and thinking, 'What nice weather!'"

not everyone will be able to smoothly make expressions and pose with these instructions , so if they seem to be having difficulty, we will switch to other instructions.

If it is difficult to share an image with the subject through verbal instructions, I sometimes have them look at actual portrait photos and suggest, "Let's try posing like this!"

When taking a photo of someone who doesn't like having their picture taken

When you want to take pictures of your subject natural expressions and poses

"Try walking towards me!"

And ask,

"Is there any hobby you've been into lately?"

"Have you eaten at any delicious restaurants recently?"

We will film while having conversations such as:

People who are not good at taking photos tend to have stiff expressions when they are conscious of the camera , so chatting while taking , they will not be too conscious of the camera and a natural expression .

Of course, this is an effective method even if your subject is not shy about taking photos, if you want to capture a more natural pose or expression

How do you get your subjects to smile?

I think that every photographer has probably wondered at least once how to get their subject to smile

Even if you're not a photographer, many of you have probably had asked to take commemorative photos being unable to get the subject to smile during a portrait shoot

This is definitely the case for me, but I think that many people who are not good at livening up an atmosphere are particularly not good at bringing out natural smiles in people

*Obviously, smiling is not necessarily the best solution here, but when it comes to commemorative photos, it is often desirable to have a happy, smiling atmosphere

Here, I will tell you about a technique for bringing out smiles that I have been able to use even I am not good at livening up the atmosphere and could not say a word at group dates

How to get your subject to smile naturally

it's common to say "Please smile!" to get your subject to smile when taking a photo

This is because people who are not used to smiling often have a hard time doing so even when told to "smile!"

To bring out a natural smile, important to bring out the smile as indirectly .

intentionally smile, there are times when something funny or fun happens and you find yourself smiling naturally.

Here are some examples of ways to indirectly get your subject to smile

 

Ask them to strike a pose

When you can't take a fun-looking photo, don't say, "Smile more!"

"Shall we all try matching poses?"

Or suggesting,

"Let's make a peace sign!"

I try to get them to pose in this way

The reason why people don't smile when photographed is usually because they are unaware that they are not smiling

Not many people want to appear in a photo with a straight face in a fun setting

Therefore, when people are asked to pose in a fun way, turn to smiles

On the other hand, the only people who can make a double peace sign with a brazen look on their face are probably rebellious Yankees .

 

Have people shout out chants

If you want to create a more fun atmosphere, choose a chant and have everyone shout it together

This can be a little difficult to do with a small group of people, but it is effective when taking group photos of large groups

A typical example is:

"What is 1+1?"

＼２～～～～～！！！！ ／

It's something like this

It may take some courage to suggest this, but the person having their photo taken will likely want to take a fun photo, so they will likely be happy to oblige

However, some people don't like this sort of thing, so it's best to experiment depending on the atmosphere

 

Get someone to liven up the atmosphere

There is no rule in photography you have to be the only one to create excitement when taking

It's a bit of a trick, but if you find it difficult to create a fun atmosphere for your subjects on your own, ask someone who is good at creating a good atmosphere, "Can you make everyone laugh a bit?"

Doing this might make you seem unreliable important to be able to take photos that the person who asked you to take the photo will think are good no matter how many times they look at them later .

summary

• Prepare in advance so you don't get nervous during the actual shoot
• Be mindful of communication so as not to make your subject feel uneasy
• Give instructions that are easy for the subject to understand
• If you want to relax your subject, try not to make them too aware of the camera
• If you want your subject to smile, try to induce it indirectly

 

So far, we have introduced various ways of thinking and methods, but ultimately, the most important thing is to have "pattern"

As a first step, I would be happy if you would try out a communication method that you feel suits you

seems like a serious training course for photographers , but even if you are not a photographer,

I hope you will remember the contents of this article when you have the opportunity to take portraits or commemorative photos

Thank you for reading to the end