Tips and Ideas on Photographing Strangers in New Mexico

As I’m beginning to write this, my suitcase still lies unpacked in the hallway and the photos from the trip’s last day of shooting sit unloaded on a memory card in the slot of my camera. The few days immediately after any trip are slightly chaotic, as I try to fight off jet lag, catch up on chores left behind and start my regular work schedule, which can be quite taxing on the body after such a blissful break from the ED.

But nonetheless, I always want to get back on my feet as soon as possible and share my photos with everyone who visits my blog and social media. It’s exciting to talk about my travel and relive the memories all over again. Isn’t that precisely the point of all photography anyway? To capture fleeting moments in time that will never happen again, at least not in the exact same way or form and to relive them days, months and years later? Maybe that isn’t the onlypoint of photography, but a huge part of it anyway.

My travels this time took me to Taos, New Mexico to a photography workshop with the great Harvey Stein. Harvey is a street and people photographer from New York City and even though his style of shooting is quite different than mine, he is a wonderful teacher and his workshops have a lot to offer. I have never been to New Mexico and wanted to see it through photographer’s eyes. I have heard many positive things about the place and I was really curious to check it out for myself.

The workshop was based in Taos, an artsy town full of galleries of every kind and surrounded by Sangre de Cristo mountains. It’s located close to the Rio Grande river gorge and many hiking trails of various levels of intensity. I was told Taos has been the gathering place of numerous artists, writers and photographers over the years…I believe this to be true; the creative energy there is palpable on every corner. Throughout the week we not only explored Taos, but also ventured beyond its borders, driving along the High Road with its stunning views of the mountains and valleys below, visiting small towns and churches on the way and continuing as far as the road to Santa Fe. There were many photographic opportunities, including landscape, architecture and people alike and the light never disappointed. My wish is that I had more time to explore New Mexico and to follow its scenic routes toward places like White Sands and Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. New Mexico has so much to offer and I’ve only so far touched the surface.

As much as I’m a nature lover, I have always been most passionate about photographing people. I didn’t know what to expect, but the trip turned out to present plentiful opportunities for people photography. I don’t think I have ever taken portraits of strangers on my home soil of America, something I consistently do when I travel abroad. However, this time I knew I had no real excuses, because I had to present street portraits for a critique with Harvey. And this is where I discovered something fascinating about myself: I have actually overcome my fear of photographing strangers on the street!

Over the years of learning photography and experimenting with different genres, approaching strangers for a portrait has always been the one thing giving me tremendous anxiety. I have missed hundreds of opportunities for a beautiful portrait simply because I was terrified to ask. During my very first workshop years ago with Joe McNally, I got a taste of what it feels like to photograph strangers on New York city streets. Joe was very encouraging and made sure we approached somebody for a picture; anxious, trembling and with sweaty palms I realized that the task at hand looked much scarier than it actually was. But even then, years later I still faced dread and apprehension when making street portraits. It wasn’t until my first workshop with Harvey in Miami, followed by my Cuba workshop in Santiago when I finally forced myself to put my anxieties behind. After all, I had to have images ready for my critiques and I think that was the biggest motivating factor for me: produce images of strangers, however bad, or face the humiliation of being the only participant without any work to show. The first argument won.

During the time I started to embrace photographing strangers on the street, I have gotten rejected many times. Sometimes the rejection was outward obvious and rude, sometimes a little embarrassing and sometimes kind and apologetic yet firm. Sometimes I pressed on a little more, but most of the time I respected people’s choice not to be photographed. I used to get discouraged with every rejection, but it no longer deters me. I realized that rejection has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the person making the rejection. Maybe they are having a bad day, maybe they don’t trust strangers, maybe they are worried what will be done with the photograph after. And I totally get it. I have had those same judgments at one point or another. Most important thing to remember is that rejection is not a reflection of you or your work. It’s just simply a rejection, not something to be pondered over for hours or overly rationalized. You smile politely anyway and you move on to your next subject.

I know many photographers who don’t ask for permission when shooting; I am just not one of them. I try to think of how I would want to be treated in a situation like this and apply it to others. I believe asking is simply the right thing to do and can many times result in a stronger photograph as you make a connection with that person. Some say when you ask a person to “pose” you lose the genuineness of the moment. Perhaps you do and there is a place and time for this type of photography. But when you try to make a portrait, I believe the best thing to do is to ask and allow this person to give you a part of themselves in the process. My best photographs have come out of a brief but honest interaction I’ve had with another person and the connection we made in that moment of time. To me, that is priceless and beats a “candid” portrait many times.

So to summarize, here are a few suggestions for photographing strangers:

• Be open about the fact that you want to make someone’s photograph; sneaking around may make you look suspicious and less trustworthy
• Let someone know that you’re in the process of learning photography or that you are working on a specific photo project. That often raises their curiosity and they are more likely to help you in this endeavor. A line I often use is “I’m a photography student and I’m working on a project of photographing hundred strangers on the street. Would you mind if I take your photo?” I have had a really great success in my approach this way.
• Once a person agrees to be photographed, don’t be afraid to move them against a more flattering background. The way I look at this is, they are generous with their time and you owe them the best possible photograph you can take. And that sometimes means having a background that compliments rather than distracts from the portrait.
• The same rule applies for taking multiple photos of the same person from different angles and at different focal lengths. Take one “standard” shot, but don’t leave it at that. Move around, get closer or further, zoom in or out. Take at least four to five photos and trust me, you’ll be so glad that you did later.
• To pose or not to pose is an individual creative choice, but most important thing is to not force anything that feels unnatural to you and your subject. Sometimes people are looking for direction and I will provide it. Sometimes very subtle changes in the angle of the head or the positioning of the hands can have a big impact on the overall feel of the photo. Execute what feels right to you and what fits your overall creative vision. In the end you’ll be rewarded much more than when strictly following some ambiguous rule. And please, have fun in the process!
• Remember that rejection is a normal part of this process and has nothing to do with you – it’s about the person’s state of mind at that moment or their attitude towards photography in general. Rejection is not the end of the world nor should it be discouraging. Thank them anyway and move on; you’ll quickly forget the rejection once you get ten other people to agree for every one who doesn’t.