I wrote this to help people with their own Humans projects. This is just my way of doing things— it is by no means a rulebook.
I will promote your Humans project as long as it follows the “spirit” of HONY. This means street portraits, not documentary photography. It means interacting with strangers—actually entering their lives for a few moments, and telling their story with images and words.
As long as you do that— and show a couple weeks of dedication, I’ll share your work with the HONY audience.
THE APPROACH
First of all, accept that some people will say “no.” A few people may even act offended that you asked. This has nothing to do with you, or what you are doing. Do not let these people make you feel rude. Do not let these people make you feel weird. There is nothing wrong with politely asking another person for their photograph. Most people will be honored.
Accept that you are going to be nervous when you first begin stopping people. This is completely natural. You must keep asking until you are no longer nervous. This takes time. But it’s the most important step.
Because the most important part of asking for a stranger’s portrait is remaining completely calm. People tend to reflect each other’s emotions—so if you are nervous, your subject will be nervous. Normally, the only thing I say is “Do you mind if I take your photo?” A lot of times, I don’t even explain the blog until after the photo has been taken.
Speak softly. Smile. Never approach from the rear. (People almost always say no if you tap them on the shoulder) Carry a business card.
THE PROCESS
Once someone has agreed to be photographed, they will probably have no problem helping you take the best possible portrait. If they are in a hurry—snap it where they stand—you got what you could. But if they have a few moments, try to control as many variables as possible.
Look around. Where is the light best? Where’s the best backdrop? Whenever I spot a person that I’d like to photograph, I’m immediately scanning my surroundings. By the time I finally approach them—I almost always have an “idea” to suggest. It normally involves walking a little bit, but people are almost always willing to go the “extra mile.” If they’ve already agreed, why wouldn’t they want to help you take the best possible portrait?
As you can probably tell from my portraits—in the absence of a better surrounding, I almost always prefer the middle of the street.
Be playful and have fun. If you act stiff and over-professional, you are going to get a stiff looking portrait. I’ve seen street photographers setting up portraits as if they are in a studio—asking their subjects to tilt their head “just-so” or arch their back “just so.” The final result is a “technically perfect” photo featuring a very unnatural, apprehensive looking subject. Remember, a portrait is intended to express your subject—not your photography skills.
Street photography is unpredictable. Your subjects will do unexpected things. Let these things happen. Don’t try to “control” every part of the photo. If a subject has an “idea” for a pose, I always jump on board. Let go. Some of my favorite portraits have come from the unexpected. Let chaos work for you.
*One rule I always follow: Drop to one knee when photographing children.
Get on their level.
Head-shots have their own power, but I prefer full body shots because they bring more of the person, as well as the city, into the photo. Sometimes a person has a great face or haircut that will call for a close—up. Otherwise, I prefer to feature as much of the person as possible. Taking full-body shots also brings a lot of The City into my portrait. When documenting the people of a city, I think context matters.
Finally— talk to the person, but be natural. Don’t act like Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes. Act like a human. Take a quick interest. Joke with them. Adding even the simplest quote to a photo can lend so much humanity to an image. If conversation doesn’t come naturally, try asking a quick question.
Good Luck!
— Brandon Stanton, Humans of New York
I will promote your Humans project as long as it follows the “spirit” of HONY. This means street portraits, not documentary photography. It means interacting with strangers—actually entering their lives for a few moments, and telling their story with images and words.
As long as you do that— and show a couple weeks of dedication, I’ll share your work with the HONY audience.
THE APPROACH
First of all, accept that some people will say “no.” A few people may even act offended that you asked. This has nothing to do with you, or what you are doing. Do not let these people make you feel rude. Do not let these people make you feel weird. There is nothing wrong with politely asking another person for their photograph. Most people will be honored.
Accept that you are going to be nervous when you first begin stopping people. This is completely natural. You must keep asking until you are no longer nervous. This takes time. But it’s the most important step.
Because the most important part of asking for a stranger’s portrait is remaining completely calm. People tend to reflect each other’s emotions—so if you are nervous, your subject will be nervous. Normally, the only thing I say is “Do you mind if I take your photo?” A lot of times, I don’t even explain the blog until after the photo has been taken.
Speak softly. Smile. Never approach from the rear. (People almost always say no if you tap them on the shoulder) Carry a business card.
THE PROCESS
Once someone has agreed to be photographed, they will probably have no problem helping you take the best possible portrait. If they are in a hurry—snap it where they stand—you got what you could. But if they have a few moments, try to control as many variables as possible.
Look around. Where is the light best? Where’s the best backdrop? Whenever I spot a person that I’d like to photograph, I’m immediately scanning my surroundings. By the time I finally approach them—I almost always have an “idea” to suggest. It normally involves walking a little bit, but people are almost always willing to go the “extra mile.” If they’ve already agreed, why wouldn’t they want to help you take the best possible portrait?
As you can probably tell from my portraits—in the absence of a better surrounding, I almost always prefer the middle of the street.
Be playful and have fun. If you act stiff and over-professional, you are going to get a stiff looking portrait. I’ve seen street photographers setting up portraits as if they are in a studio—asking their subjects to tilt their head “just-so” or arch their back “just so.” The final result is a “technically perfect” photo featuring a very unnatural, apprehensive looking subject. Remember, a portrait is intended to express your subject—not your photography skills.
Street photography is unpredictable. Your subjects will do unexpected things. Let these things happen. Don’t try to “control” every part of the photo. If a subject has an “idea” for a pose, I always jump on board. Let go. Some of my favorite portraits have come from the unexpected. Let chaos work for you.
*One rule I always follow: Drop to one knee when photographing children.
Get on their level.
Head-shots have their own power, but I prefer full body shots because they bring more of the person, as well as the city, into the photo. Sometimes a person has a great face or haircut that will call for a close—up. Otherwise, I prefer to feature as much of the person as possible. Taking full-body shots also brings a lot of The City into my portrait. When documenting the people of a city, I think context matters.
Finally— talk to the person, but be natural. Don’t act like Mike Wallace on 60 Minutes. Act like a human. Take a quick interest. Joke with them. Adding even the simplest quote to a photo can lend so much humanity to an image. If conversation doesn’t come naturally, try asking a quick question.
Good Luck!
— Brandon Stanton, Humans of New York
