How To Get Over A Fear of Photographing Strangers Fast

[ennuipoet]

As some of you know, I landed a gig shooting fan photographs at Yankee Stadium for the team’s Home games. (I don’t know why any sports fan would not kill to land a job like this, free games! Me, I am apathetic about sports on a good day, down right loath them on a bad.) The job is simple, you take a camera and walk up to people and ask to take their photo, you get paid on a per shot basis, 25 cents a shutter click for usable shots whether or not the people buy them. The really hot shooters take 600-1000 shots per game. That adds up.

The thing is, you have to approach random strangers and convince them to let you take their picture. I usually shoot in stealth mode on the streets, so this was a great challenge. Turns out, I’m not bad at it. You have about 10 seconds to make a pitch, get a yes or a no and maybe 10 seconds to make your shot and move on.

It definitely ain’t “art” photography. Everything is shot at f8 to f11 because you need good DoF to see the stadium. It’s all Flash work, the shadows are hell in the stadium and everything is WIDE to give the booth techs plenty of room to crop the photo. (For me, this is the hardest part, I like to concentrate on faces and eyes when I shoot).

Aside from the money I wanted the job to improve my people skills with the camera. I wanted to be able to walk up to the people on the streets and do portraits and street photography fast and easily. By the time I finish the season, I will be fine asking ANYONE anywhere to take their photo. Plus, I am already doing tours and will be shooting Base Running, where fan’s kids get to come down and run the bases after games. THOSE should be great shots!

This kind of work is really growing, more and more stadiums are contracting out these jobs to Photo companies (mine is Jowdy Photography). So, if you aren’t afraid to talk to strangers, take their photo and want to see free games…you should keep an eye open. You might even make a few bucks.

[linguine]

Sounds like fun except for being around yankee fans.

[Yoyo]

It definitely ain’t “art” photography. Everything is shot at f8 to f11 because you need good DoF to see the stadium. It’s all Flash work, the shadows are hell in the stadium and everything is WIDE to give the booth techs plenty of room to crop the photo. (For me, this is the hardest part, I like to concentrate on faces and eyes when I shoot).

Sounds like good guidance for Fark Con. I’m rocking the 10-24 zoom and 580EXII for most occasions here. They worked great in Las Vegas. I don’t ask for permission here before I snap so I can get candid shots. However there are many people who recognise me from last year and mug for pics.

[ennuipoet]

Sounds like fun except for being around yankee fans.

Hey, to me, all fans are the same 😕 Too loud, too drunk and way too into the game.

Besides, my god, the Guido girls!

[ennuipoet]

It definitely ain’t “art” photography. Everything is shot at f8 to f11 because you need good DoF to see the stadium. It’s all Flash work, the shadows are hell in the stadium and everything is WIDE to give the booth techs plenty of room to crop the photo. (For me, this is the hardest part, I like to concentrate on faces and eyes when I shoot).

Sounds like good guidance for Fark Con. I’m rocking the 10-24 zoom and 580EXII for most occasions here. They worked great in Las Vegas. I don’t ask for permission here before I snap so I can get candid shots. However there are many people who recognise me from last year and mug for pics.

Yeah, it kills me to shoot like this, I hate shooting wide and I HATE using a flash for candids. But, you do what you have to do.

I spent today wrangling Japanese auto dealers doing group shots, no English, one interpreter for 30 people and limited space to shoot…damn, by the time I am done here I will be able to shoot ANYWHERE

[orionid]

I spent today wrangling Japanese auto dealers doing group shots, no English, one interpreter for 30 people and limited space to shoot…damn, by the time I am done here I will be able to shoot ANYWHERE

Combat. 😈 😆

[Yugoboy]

If you could PM me some details (like company info, or anything I might be able to present to someone) I’d be all about it for events here. We’ve got no “real” major leagues, and now Class A NCAA schools, but we’ve got a TON of minor league stuff going on in this town. Pretty much every sport but auto racing has some sort of team here.

The parking people somehow skipped me this year, and I didn’t call them soon enough, so as of opening day (today) I am not getting in for free to the Red Wings. Hopefully I’ll get a call soon, but I would totally be about doing what you’re doing for the same reasons you’re doing them.

[Yoyo]

Standing on the curb in the middle of Bourbon St. at the 2013 Fark World Party is a good way to photograph strangers. While it’s not exactly spy-photo sneakiness, I never had to ask for permission. On more than one occasion, people would see my flash going off and then pose for pics. Some people are better at posing (and more naturally photogenic) than others.

[emiliogtz]

The whole flash thing is a real turn off. I could stand the fans (whatever the team), the crowded spaces, the noise, shooting wide doesn’t bother me that much. But I suck at using on-camera flash, so I hate it.

Do you get free beer?

[ennuipoet]

The whole flash thing is a real turn off. I could stand the fans (whatever the team), the crowded spaces, the noise, shooting wide doesn’t bother me that much. But I suck at using on-camera flash, so I hate it.

Do you get free beer?

I get nothing free, except the game which I don’t want 😛

orionid: I could shoot combat if I were 20 years younger!

[Yugoboy]

emiliogtzBy “on-camera flash”, do you mean the built in one, or any attached to the camera?

As mentioned elsewhere, I got a camera mounting bracket, and so I at l east look a little more professional when I use that.

[Yoyo]

Yeah, on the few occasions that I bust out the flash bracket, people really think I’m a professional. The mere fact of sporting a SLR in these days of camera-phones or miniscule P&Ss makes people ask me who I work for, and a huge honking flash doesn’t help.

I know enough about my Canon Speedlite to be dangerous, but I’d like to faster and less experimental with it. More knowledgeable and confident.

[Yugoboy]

I know enough about my Canon Speedlite to be dangerous, but I’d like to faster and less experimental with it. More knowledgeable and confident.

Practice.

It’s what I plan on doing this summer. My flash is a cheap-o Vivitar (replacing two dead cheap-o Vivtars), but it’s far better than just using the on-board flash, especially with the bracket. The more I practice, the better I’ll get, and my “fear” of the flash will go away. Until I figure out how to use a flash the “right” way, there’s no point in spending serious money on a flash I’m just going to ignore or avoid.

[Author]

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