{"id":28644,"date":"2016-04-19T08:44:34","date_gmt":"2016-04-19T15:44:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=28644"},"modified":"2016-04-19T11:55:51","modified_gmt":"2016-04-19T18:55:51","slug":"make-someone-feel-beautiful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/04\/19\/make-someone-feel-beautiful\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Someone Feel Beautiful"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"SF,
SF, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dear friend,<\/p>\n

I just did an interview with my buddy Michael<\/a> and one of the things he asked me was, “How has your approach in photography changed the last 2 years?” Fantastic question– this is what I told him:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I used to be interested in capturing candid street photographs– capturing beautiful moments of everyday life. But nowadays, I am less interested in making photos; I am more interested in making connections– especially with strangers and close loved ones.<\/p>\n

I just did a workshop in SF this past weekend over the concept of “conquering your fear” in street photography. I feel that fear holds us back from so many things in life– the fear of starting a new company, the fear of approaching a stranger you find interesting, the fear of becoming an artist, or the fear of stepping outside of your comfort zone.<\/p>\n

What I feel that we need to do is not to necessarily conquer<\/em> our fear in street photography and life, but to harness<\/em> and to channel<\/em> our fears.<\/p>\n

For example, whenever I am out shooting on the streets, nothing really interests me anymore. But when I do see someone or something interesting, I feel nervous. I feel my heart start to beat harder, I feel the sweat pour down my back, and I have an insatiable urge to make a photograph.<\/p>\n

In these moments, I know that I have something (possibly) good and interesting I want to photograph.<\/p>\n

What I’m focusing on now<\/h2>\n

Another thing I told my buddy Michael is that currently I am more interested in shooting “street portraits”– photos of strangers with permission.<\/p>\n

Not only that, but I am shifting more to black-and-white nowadays– I love the simplicity, minimalism, and sublime-Zen nature of monochrome. While I love color photography, I started to feel that color was a distraction. Black-and-white helped me focus on emotion, soul, gestures, and what I found crucial and critical in an image.<\/p>\n

A beautiful encounter<\/h2>\n

In the beginning of my workshop, I saw this girl with blue hair and braided pigtails– and she looked fantastic. I encouraged Lin, one of my students to approach her. Afterwards, I wanted to make a photograph too– but I was too nervous to approach her afterwards.<\/p>\n

However I knew I would be kicking myself in the face if I didn’t even try as well– so after mustering up my courage, I also approached her. And she was willing.<\/p>\n

I set my Ricoh GR II to “P” (program) mode, and asked her to stand in front of the doorway (nice soft light, learned this from Steve McCurry). I put my camera to “macro” mode, so I could focus really close with my 28mm lens. She first looked stiff, and so I asked her to “play with her braids” — which made her hands much more engaging, and helped loosen her up a bit.<\/p>\n

\"Contact
Contact sheet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I chatted with her a bit afterwards, and found out that she was with her parents (who both just got out of an alcoholics-anonymous meeting) and was spending time with them that day.<\/p>\n

When I first approached her, she was stiff and reserved, but the interaction I had with her was able to make her laugh and smile a bit. I didn’t realize this, but one of the students told me that afterwards she said that I made her feel “beautiful” and “like a model.”<\/p>\n

Which got me thinking– shouldn’t we make our subjects feel beautiful? Shouldn’t we put them in a positive mood? Shouldn’t our photography empower our subjects, and make them feel good about themselves?<\/p>\n

I feel that so much of photography is documenting pain, poverty, and misery in the world. While that type of photography is very important, I feel that there is a huge dearth or absence of “positive photography<\/em>“– photography that makes people feel good (both the photographer, subject, and viewer).<\/p>\n

Life is short. I don’t want to add more misery and depression to the world. I want to make beautiful images that uplift my subjects, uplift my viewers, and uplift myself. I want my photos to be a testament to the beauty in the world– beautiful people, beautiful places, and beautiful moments (especially in ordinary or ‘mundane’ situations).<\/p>\n

So friend, I encourage you– don’t be afraid. Have the courage to make the types of images you want. Have the courage to approach strangers you find interesting, and as Sebastiao Salgado<\/a> says– figure out a way to make them look “heroic and honorable.” Find the beauty in the ordinary or the mundane, and uplift yourself, your subject, and your viewer.<\/p>\n

There is so much beauty in the world; why not focus on it?<\/p>\n

Always,
\nEric<\/p>\n

Tuesday, April 19, 2016 @ 8:33am, finally starting to wake up after restless sleep, but a nice espresso at home<\/em>.<\/p>\n

If you want to learn more about street portraits, download my free book: “The Street Portrait Manual<\/i><\/b><\/a>.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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