How I take pictures

A lot of people ask me about how I take pictures, so I’ve finally written this out. When reading this, keep in mind that I am not a casual picture taker. Casual picture taking is great and wonderful and can document a place and your experience. Nothing can communicate as much as an image and no one appreciates images as much as those who try and make them regularly. I feel it’s important to note this because what I’ve written about here is not necessarily instructions for casual picture taking. But, I still hope that both casual and less-than-casual readers will take something away from post.

EQUIPMENT
I use a Canon 5D. I have three lenses: 17-40, 50mm fixed, and 24-105. I use the 50mm most often. After I’ve taken pictures, I sort, caption and batch edit in Photomechanic. Then, I process them in the Camera Raw module of Photoshop CS4. I will do final editing in Photoshop if necessary.

I’d love to have an additional camera body (possibly a 5DM2) and either a 24 or 35 fixed lens.

BUT…
What’s more important than my equipment – than anyone’s equipment – is approach. This is how I work. It’s the only way that makes sense to me. It won’t work for everyone, and what’s more important than adopting a method from someone else is developing your own.

SHORT LENSES
I don’t use a telephoto lens in almost any case except for news photography. Generally, I want to use a short lens and stand right next to someone. I don’t want to grab a quick picture inconspicuously from across the street – I want to request it. I want people to know I’m there and I want to engage with them. I treat people with respect.

I think that ultimately has more of an impact on the final look of my images than the type of gear I use.

PERMISSION
I start by asking for permission to take photos. Sometimes this is a nonverbal exchange – I will look at someone while I gesture towards my camera as a question and wait for them to either nod or shake their head. Other times, I talk with people for a while before I take the photo.

YES
Most people say yes. A lot of budding photographers will tell me they feel uncomfortable asking to take someone’s picture or that they’re not sure how to do it. I’d say you just have to start. Just ask. If the answer is no, move on. What a lot of people don’t realize is just how often permission is granted when it’s requested respectfully. Most people will say yes.

Start small to build confidence. Do you like kids? Start with them. Think really old men are the most interesting people on the planet? Then start there. The hardest place to start is large groups of angry or disenfranchised young men. I avoid them as much as possible since it’s just not my thing.

It’s important to identify what “your thing” is.

NO
Some people don’t want their photos taken. In that case, I don’t take their photos. Most of the time, there’s someone standing right next to that person who will agree to have his or her photo taken. If I’ve asked someone who really doesn’t want their photo taken, and there’s some specific reason I really want to take that photo, I’ll often hang out a bit and chat. Ask about the family. Ask about the village. And then a bit later ask again if I can take the photo. Sometimes the answer will still be no, but sometimes people change their mind.

WHY
It’s also important for me to explain why I want to take the photo. There’s certainly a misconception that photographers make tons of money selling photos of Africans abroad. I tell people I don’t make money off of the majority of my images – which is 100 percent true – and that I’m here to take a picture to tell a story. In Liberia, I tell people that I want to share photos with the outside world to show that Liberia is no longer at war, that people are living their lives, that things are getting better. This appeals to a lot of people who innately understand how misunderstood they are.

PROMISES, PROMISES
For me, it’s also very important not to promise anyone anything. If there’s one thing that I wish other people who take pictures in the developing world would do, it would be this. I don’t promise people a copy of the picture because I can’t be sure I’ll get it to them. I don’t promise them something will change when the world knows their story since most of the time, nothing does change. And if it does change, and even if or when my picture is a catalyst for change, it’s not always straightforward. People always remember unfulfilled promises. If you promise someone something, you must bring it. If there’s even a small chance that you won’t be able to follow through, then don’t make a promise.

MONEY
Some people will ask for money. I don’t give people money in exchange for having their picture taken. Last year, I took about 25,000 photos. It’s financially unsustainable for me to pay people. And, it’s not right for the way I want to work. It changes people’s motives and it changes my interaction with them. It changes the dynamic is a way that has a negative effect on how the photo will look. If someone demands money in order to agree to have their photo taken, I just don’t take their photo. Once I make it clear that I will not pay, most people agree to have their photo taken anyway. Some don’t. That’s okay too.

AND THEN
Once I have permission to take someone’s photo, I will usually take one or two stiff and formal portraits. Most people here associate pictures with standing up straight and looking directly ahead, smiling just a bit. I’ll take the stiff ones, and then the person will think I’m done and relax a bit. I hang out more. Get to know people. Eventually, they forgot that I’m around and go about their business. And then the snaps are more candid and reveal a bit more of who they are. This is what makes a good picture. If the person looks back at the camera, it’s with a different level of comfort and ease than the first frame or two.



ULTIMATELY
I ultimately value the way an image can communicate that words cannot. I try to take pictures that are true to a specific person’s circumstances, place, and story. My photos are not of continents or histories, but of people living their lives amid those forces. I spend time with people, many of whom invite me into their homes and all of whom invite me into their lives. I release the shutter and hope for an image that can capture a convergence of light, emotion and circumstance I have been given permission to witness.