Bryan Peterson - Understanding Portrait Photography: How to Shoot Great Pictures of People Anywhere

Psychology 101

As you think about some of your best images of peoplewhether posed or candid, family, friends, or strangerswhat do you feel was the single most important factor in the images success? Was it your subjects clothing, their smile, their activity, their hair, their environment, the light that surrounded them, your lens choice, your composition, your point of view? The answer could be all of the above, but Ill go so far as to say that at the root of most successful people photographs is a spoken or unspoken cooperation between the subject and the photographer.

Lucky is the photographer who has a sound understanding of human psychology and the patterns of human behavior. If youre going to be able to motivate anybody to be a subject (family members included), you had better be prepared to answer the biggest and most immediate question thats either spoken or thought by your subject(s): Whats in it for me? It is a fundamental law of human psychology that self-interest governs most of what people do.

To date I have flown more than three million air miles and photographed in just over one hundred countries, and without fail, I have repeated this same ice-breaker over and over: Hello, my name is Bryan and Im a photographer who loves to photograph people. You may not be aware of it, but right now at this time and this very place, you are part of an incredible photo that in fact would not be incredible at all if you were not here. Seriously! Can I take a quick snap of you and show you what I mean? I am sure you will agree! And of course, I would be happy to email you, almost instantly, a copy of this moment that you were such a huge part of. And to be really clear, this will cost you nothing.

Almost without fail, this truth produces the desired resultand truth it should be! When you analyze the reason(s) why you feel compelled to take someones photograph, you will find it is often because at that moment the person or people really are part of something compelling.

Likewise, if you are of the ilk to choreograph images, you will, again, be enlisting the aid of family members, friends, even strangers. How can you motivate them? More often than not, the answer in todays world is to suggest that they will probably receive a high number of likes on Facebook or Instagram, assuming the ideas you have in mind are executed perfectly. Again, cooperation between the photographer and subject is key. And in todays fast-paced, instant-gratification world of digital photography, both of you can be immediately immersed in the joy of this cooperation as the images are quickly viewed and hopefully celebrated.

This simple lawWhats in it for me?is at the root of most, if not all, of your motivation to do anything. Most of us form relationships and make both small and life-changing decisions based on the whats-in-it-for-me question. In todays world, this might mean more likes on social media, more clients because of a stronger portfolio, or simply the desire to bring an idea to fruition. And like it or not, your subjects share the same thought process in response to your request. When your subjects dont feel that there is anything in it for them, theyll say no, more often than not, to being photographed. And yes, as many of you already know, this even applies to family members.

To be clear, I very rarely pay my subjects, because quite simply, its not necessary, unless of course youre working with hired models, or youre photographing people with the intention of placing the images with a stock photo agency. In those cases, youll need a signed model release, in which one of the provisions clearly states for valuable consideration. More often than not, that valuable consideration is money, though it can also mean x number of photos from the photo shoot or a ten-speed bicycle or anything else deemed a fair trade of valuable consideration.

But again, most subjects are not holding out for some enormous fee. There are only fourteen pictures in this book for which the subjects were actually paid money; in three of them, the subjects were professional models who I gladly paid a fee, and the other eleven expected payment as part of the tourism culture for the native tribes of Ethiopias Omo Valley (and I cant stress enough that if you struggle with paying them their standard fee of 20 cents for ten minutes of their time, then please consider digging them a much-needed freshwater well instead!).

What Ive found throughout the 111 countries to which Ive traveled is that most people are willing subjects if your tone and intent are sincere. Lately Ive been traveling with a portable HP printer called the Sprocket. Using an app on my iPhone, Im able to print out a 2 x 3-inch color printeither a photo taken by my phone or a photo processed in Photoshop and then sent to my phone via email. Alternatively, Ill send a photo via email if the subject has an email account. Though at times there are language barriers, todays language translation apps have made this gap increasingly narrow.

Assuming you are presenting yourself as an aspiring photographer, and even if your experience is truly limited, people are more apt to hear the enthusiasm and passion in your voice and respond to that than they will to a somewhat reserved, shy, insecure voice. Its just another side of our human nature: most of us feel safe when the tone of the person speaking to us is self-assured rather than indecisive and unsure. Your subjects are more inclined to feel motivated not by what you say but by how you say it; once again, it comes down to the sincerity of your request.

And, no matter where or who you choose to shoot, you should be, first and foremost, motivated to make images that feed the fires of your creative endeavors. Here is my approach to choosing who to photograph: First, I seldom ask anyone who I dont find interesting, which of course is very subjective, since what I find interesting may strike another as completely boring. And second, Ive discovered that a few minutes spent simply observing a potential subject (sometimes discreetly) goes a long way toward determining how I want to photograph that subject. It is during these several minutes that I make mental notes about specific mannerisms or expressions I may wish to capture. Also, it helps, when I do approach a person, that I explain the reason I am interested in making the photograph.

Whether an image advances your career, wins a photo contest, or receives ten or ten thousand likes on Instagram is truly secondary to the greater reward. People photographers often work inside the fiercely protected psychological boundaries that many subjects possess, but whether it be immediate or several hours later, I often feel enriched by the shared experience and am grateful for that best high of all: connecting with others on what is surely a deeper level than the norm, whether they be family, friends, or strangers.