I need your opinion on a little project im planing

Sunlit veranda

A
Sunlit veranda

  • 1
  • 0
  • 13
Free!

D
Free!

  • 2
  • 0
  • 14
Near my home.jpg

A
Near my home.jpg

  • 7
  • 2
  • 89
Woodland Shoppers

A
Woodland Shoppers

  • 1
  • 0
  • 59
On The Mound

A
On The Mound

  • 1
  • 3
  • 74

Recent Classifieds

Forum statistics

Threads
198,466
Messages
2,775,674
Members
99,625
Latest member
weselaar
Recent bookmarks
0
Joined
Feb 25, 2021
Messages
76
Location
Portugal
Format
35mm
Hey guys, I love photography and Its one of my passions, probably the biggest passion i have, but lately I have been a bit tired of photographing the srteets and people I already know and those basic thing, I need to meet now people to photograph, sometimes I look at someone at the streets and I think to myself: "God I really wish I could spend a day just shooting and portraying that person" and I really do. The thing is, i formulated a plan, I would print this business cards containing my contacts and stuff and offer them to people I find interesting on the street I would explain I'm a guy(20y/o) who likes to take pictures and that they caught my attention and if someday they want their photos taken or model, to contact me for a free photoshoot and i would offer them the photos for instagram or whatever they wanted them for(I dont want to make money while im still learning and I just do it for passion) I would tell them they could bring friends and it would be in public places so no weird stuff. I've been thinking about this to because i want to meet new people to and get out of my bubble and start learning how to interact more with people and I think it would be a fun experiment.
 

jtk

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
4,943
Location
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Format
35mm
Wonderful idea. Do it. Don't count on developing friendships that way.

It does take more guts to actually talk with people you may want to photograph than to avoiding personal contact with the pretense that one is a "street photographer."
 

Daniela

Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2017
Messages
1,040
Location
France
Format
Multi Format
Your plan sounds good. You'd give people a chance to think about it and help them feel safe. Another thing that might help put people at ease is to provide your own social media contact so people can check out your work. Good luck!
 

Steven Lee

Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2022
Messages
1,413
Location
USA
Format
Medium Format
Someone suggested this to my ex and it made her really uncomfortable. I suppose it was mostly because of HOW the proposal was presented. Idea is fine, but presentation is everything. Presentation = perception. You don't want it to be the creep who's trying to get women into his apartment. Maybe offer a well-known public place for a photoshoot, show the samples of other people, basically add as much specificity as possible to remove vagueness and reduce the possibility of misinterpreting your intentions. Or just start with men.
 
OP
OP
Manuel Madeira
Joined
Feb 25, 2021
Messages
76
Location
Portugal
Format
35mm
Wonderful idea. Do it. Don't count on developing friendships that way.

It does take more guts to actually talk with people you may want to photograph than to avoiding personal contact with the pretense that one is a "street photographer."

hey, thanks for the reply and for the incentive, I will go for it with the correct mindset thanks for the advice
 
OP
OP
Manuel Madeira
Joined
Feb 25, 2021
Messages
76
Location
Portugal
Format
35mm
Your plan sounds good. You'd give people a chance to think about it and help them feel safe. Another thing that might help put people at ease is to provide your own social media contact so people can check out your work. Good luck!

Thanks a lot for the reply, advice and incentive I will do that!
 
OP
OP
Manuel Madeira
Joined
Feb 25, 2021
Messages
76
Location
Portugal
Format
35mm
Someone suggested this to my ex and it made her really uncomfortable. I suppose it was mostly because of HOW the proposal was presented. Idea is fine, but presentation is everything. Presentation = perception. You don't want it to be the creep who's trying to get women into his apartment. Maybe offer a well-known public place for a photoshoot, show the samples of other people, basically add as much specificity as possible to remove vagueness and reduce the possibility of misinterpreting your intentions. Or just start with men.

Yeah, thats my biggest problem, trying not to be weird XD, but as I said, It would be in public places and possibly with their friends arround everything explained, no creepy apartments XD, but thanks for the advice!!
 

Pieter12

Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2017
Messages
7,575
Location
Magrathean's computer
Format
Super8
As an alternate to having sample photos on your phone, you could carry a small binder album with 4x6" prints to share with potential subjects. I would also suggest not approaching minors.
 
OP
OP
Manuel Madeira
Joined
Feb 25, 2021
Messages
76
Location
Portugal
Format
35mm
As an alternate to having sample photos on your phone, you could carry a small binder album with 4x6" prints to share with potential subjects. I would also suggest not approaching minors.

ohhh yeah, I will do that, And dont worry I will definetly no aproach minors, I will be carefull
 

koraks

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Messages
22,260
Location
Europe
Format
Multi Format
Wonderful idea. Do it. Don't count on developing friendships that way.

Agree with the first part, not really the second. Years ago I did something comparable; some of the people I met have become good friends of mine. Evidently not everybody meshes well with just anybody, but there's no reason why you couldn't click with someone through this route.
 

jimmelcher

Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2012
Messages
22
Format
35mm
If I am ‘street shooting,’ I try to always carry a few home-made ‘business’ cards that give my socials. I hand these out so the subjects can see I work intentionally and openly. I have to say, though, handing out the card is not a cure-all. Attitude and presentation matter much more.

As for the project, why not get a friend to volunteer as your first subject? Then your little carry-along album could be of a project in progress. I would also recommend hiring a model for one of these shoots. Plan ahead for that shoot, and try to structure it so you are doing a series of environmental portraits of her normal day, if only for an hour. You will learn a ton doing that, I bet.
 

warden

Subscriber
Joined
Jul 21, 2009
Messages
3,009
Location
Philadelphia
Format
Medium Format
Hey guys, I love photography and Its one of my passions, probably the biggest passion i have, but lately I have been a bit tired of photographing the srteets and people I already know and those basic thing, I need to meet now people to photograph, sometimes I look at someone at the streets and I think to myself: "God I really wish I could spend a day just shooting and portraying that person" and I really do. The thing is, i formulated a plan, I would print this business cards containing my contacts and stuff and offer them to people I find interesting on the street I would explain I'm a guy(20y/o) who likes to take pictures and that they caught my attention and if someday they want their photos taken or model, to contact me for a free photoshoot and i would offer them the photos for instagram or whatever they wanted them for(I dont want to make money while im still learning and I just do it for passion) I would tell them they could bring friends and it would be in public places so no weird stuff. I've been thinking about this to because i want to meet new people to and get out of my bubble and start learning how to interact more with people and I think it would be a fun experiment.

Outstanding idea! You've got a good start and I agree with the others that are suggesting carrying samples and limiting your activity to working in public places. All you need is one person to say yes and you're off and running. Please share some pics when you can!
 
  • jtk
  • jtk
  • Deleted

snusmumriken

Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2021
Messages
2,444
Location
Salisbury, UK
Format
35mm
Hey guys, I love photography and Its one of my passions, probably the biggest passion i have, but lately I have been a bit tired of photographing the srteets and people I already know and those basic thing, I need to meet now people to photograph, sometimes I look at someone at the streets and I think to myself: "God I really wish I could spend a day just shooting and portraying that person" and I really do. The thing is, i formulated a plan, I would print this business cards containing my contacts and stuff and offer them to people I find interesting on the street I would explain I'm a guy(20y/o) who likes to take pictures and that they caught my attention and if someday they want their photos taken or model, to contact me for a free photoshoot and i would offer them the photos for instagram or whatever they wanted them for(I dont want to make money while im still learning and I just do it for passion) I would tell them they could bring friends and it would be in public places so no weird stuff. I've been thinking about this to because i want to meet new people to and get out of my bubble and start learning how to interact more with people and I think it would be a fun experiment.
The bit that sounds difficult to me is where you would approach your subjects. On the street, 99 people out of 100 won't stop for even 30 seconds. Ask any pollster. So if you can think of places where people might be more relaxed and approachable, I suspect you would engage more people.

A chum of mine set out to make portraits of all his work colleagues. He is very eloquent, sensitive and persuasive, but even for him there were a lot of barriers to overcome. The results, though, were outstanding. To some extent those great results brought down the barriers of reluctant sitters, but it's getting the first subjects that must be difficult. Personally, I couldn't persuade any stranger to do anything more than tell me the time. So good luck!
 

Pieter12

Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2017
Messages
7,575
Location
Magrathean's computer
Format
Super8
The bit that sounds difficult to me is where you would approach your subjects. On the street, 99 people out of 100 won't stop for even 30 seconds. Ask any pollster. So if you can think of places where people might be more relaxed and approachable, I suspect you would engage more people.

A chum of mine set out to make portraits of all his work colleagues. He is very eloquent, sensitive and persuasive, but even for him there were a lot of barriers to overcome. The results, though, were outstanding. To some extent those great results brought down the barriers of reluctant sitters, but it's getting the first subjects that must be difficult. Personally, I couldn't persuade any stranger to do anything more than tell me the time. So good luck!

There are cultural differences. The OP is in Portugal, maybe people are more relaxed and approachable than in the UK. It also depends on the size of the city or if he's working on the outskirts or in a small town or village.
 

gone

Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2009
Messages
5,505
Location
gone
Format
Medium Format
I agree, it's a cultural thing. As a Southerner in the U.S., we're basically trained from birth to be friendly and outgoing. And that works exactly as it should down there, and in a few other places like Hawaii.

But here in Tucson, Portland, San Diego, quite a lot of places actually, you're going to be ignored if they don't know you. That includes even a "Hello" on the street. I think it's a bad way to live and can't wait to leave, but the people here are into it, it suits them.

If I were the op, I'd set up a table in a Saturday market or weekend street fair. People are more casual and relaxed at those things.
 

warden

Subscriber
Joined
Jul 21, 2009
Messages
3,009
Location
Philadelphia
Format
Medium Format
I agree, it's a cultural thing. As a Southerner in the U.S., we're basically trained from birth to be friendly and outgoing. And that works exactly as it should down there, and in a few other places like Hawaii.

But here in Tucson, Portland, San Diego, quite a lot of places actually, you're going to be ignored if they don't know you. That includes even a "Hello" on the street. I think it's a bad way to live and can't wait to leave, but the people here are into it, it suits them.

If I were the op, I'd set up a table in a Saturday market or weekend street fair. People are more casual and relaxed at those things.

Good advice there. I like that table idea. I have found in my professional life that people are more comfortable when they approach you than the other way around, and nothing on Earth beats an inexpensive folding card table and a smile to help that along.

As for southerners in the US, well I agree. I lived in the south for ten years after spending all of my early years in Ohio and Michigan. I had no idea that when you greeted a southerner with "How you doin'" that you should probably pull up a stool and be prepared to hear a story. It's a decent way to live.
 

Sirius Glass

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 18, 2007
Messages
50,316
Location
Southern California
Format
Multi Format
The bit that sounds difficult to me is where you would approach your subjects. On the street, 99 people out of 100 won't stop for even 30 seconds. Ask any pollster. So if you can think of places where people might be more relaxed and approachable, I suspect you would engage more people.

A chum of mine set out to make portraits of all his work colleagues. He is very eloquent, sensitive and persuasive, but even for him there were a lot of barriers to overcome. The results, though, were outstanding. To some extent those great results brought down the barriers of reluctant sitters, but it's getting the first subjects that must be difficult. Personally, I couldn't persuade any stranger to do anything more than tell me the time. So good luck!

Using a pollster is not a good example because many people will automatically dismiss one.
 
Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here.

PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:



Ilford ADOX Freestyle Photographic Stearman Press Weldon Color Lab Blue Moon Camera & Machine
Top Bottom