Every time I shoot pictures for other people and get micro-managed to the point where I feel I have no control--I greatly appreciate my friends and family who help me shoot on occasion. Most of the time it's just a girl and her tripod, you know? I have a vision and I figure things out; composition, adjusting for light, balancing my desire for epic pictures with the reality that I only have 10 seconds to get into position. When people help me take pictures I'd prefer to use them as human tripods...Stand here, get this shot, can I see what you just took? Part of it is practical--I need to see the pictures to fix minor issues with hair or dress or awkward expression that other people wouldn't notice and no one else is as comfortable with my camera as I am--I have to adjust the speed of pictures or brightness manually myself. Yet, it's good to let go of total control and allow the people helping me creative freedom. They're looking through the viewfinder and are going to see things I can't see (something I have to learn to communicate when shooting for other people). Most days I'll still end up being annoying by looking at the pictures and stating "ok, this shot again but I'm going to turn my head more to the side." But I'm working on accepting creative differences. The real magic happens when you work with someone often enough that they know what you're looking for and they can direct you into it. I've got a couple of fun shoots in mind this summer that might be more effort than my usual "this is what I wore in a pretty field" sort of business. This was a spectacularly beautiful field though...
CONVERSATION