Instant Feedback Brings Out Smiles

What makes a spectacular reportage photo?   Several things: capturing a moment, juxtapositional composition, pehaps a unique point-of-view.  Of those criteria, the last -- the POV -- is most crucial to reportage-style photography.  Often a great point of view shot is ruined by the subject looking straight into the camera.  Think about the shots you see on the front page of the New York Times.

One option is to shoot with a long lens, as was done in the photo linked to above, so as to remain anonymous to the subject.  Often times, that is the only option as the intrusion of the camera (and camera operator) would change the situation.  Sort of like Schrödinger's camera.  But to get that intimate feel, you need to be right up close.  And you can only do that if you've broken the ice with the people in the photo.

Breaking the ice with Cuban schoolkids

A long time ago, Polaroids were the way to break the ice: shoot a photo, wait 90 seconds and hand it to them.  Annie Griffiths Belt said in a recent lecture that she broke the ice with some women in the Sahara who had never seen a caucasion person before.  She shot a Polaroid and then handed it to them.  As the photo developed, they began laughing hysterically.  In this remote land that gets less than an inch of rain per year, they'd never seen their reflection.  Ms. Belt did not speak their language, but their point was clear: "You look terrible in that scarf!"  "Are you kidding, look at your wrinkles!"  "Who knew I had hair like that?"  She had broken the ice.

The ice has been broken!

In the digital age, it's even easier.  A small point-and-shoot digital camera can be that ice breaker and there is no need to wait 90 seconds.  Before breaking out the big SLR and bigger lens (not to mention flash and other accessories), try and snap a quick shot on the point-and-shoot and share it with your subject.  Let them take a picture of you.  Soon you will no longer be a stranger with large optics, but someone with whom they shared a laugh with and it will let you get truly candid photos.

Better yet, have someone else break the ice and take a photo of the resulting chaos!