Lost in Bombay traffic, I had managed to be late for my appointment with Princess Monica Chudasama Varziralli. I was to photograph her for Flair, and someone had told me that the princess had an unpredictable nature. I decided not to give too much weight to what I had heard. After all, she had been exquisite with me the night before, when we had met quickly at a party and she was surrounded by paparazzi.
After entering her house and apologizing for being late, I looked around for the most suitable place to photograph her. A large window seemed to be the location that could provide me with good lighting and a suitable setting, but the wall behind it was a bit bare. In the corridors and other rooms, however, I had seen many portraits of the ancestors, including those of the two grandfather maharajas. Could I arrive late (and all sweaty!) at a princess’s house and then take the pictures off her walls to create the proper setting for the portrait? I looked at her with a big smile and said, “Of course, a portrait of Grandpa behind you would look just right,” and in a split second I knew from the look on her face that I could do it. The portrait was shot quickly, with lots of laughter and complete willingness on the part of the princess. But… how would she have acted if instead of a photographer ready to put her at ease and crack a joke she had sensed hesitancy or anxiety in me?
One of the problems students often talk about in my portrait photography workshops is being embarrassed or fearful of the person they have to photograph. What are they afraid of? Of making a fool of oneself, not being able to take a good picture, feeling somehow rejected, not being in control of the situation… all fears that, often, have more to do with one’s own insecurity (and inexperience) than with a really difficult situation. The Greek-Latin philosopher Epictetus of Phrygia (55-135 AD) summed up well the uneasiness that troubles so many photographers today (although in ancient Greece, there were none) when he wrote, “Men are not troubled by the things that happen, they are troubled by their own opinions about the things that happen.”
Of course, there are some really difficult people (and how!), but if the photographer allows himself to be influenced, they will become even more difficult!
So how should we act? We can’t change the other person, but we can do something about our attitude. Let’s recall Epictetus of Phrygia and ask ourselves what opinion we have of the person we are about to photograph. Are we standing in front of “a capricious and overbearing actress”? Let’s try to redefine her as “a somewhat insecure person on whose image her career also depends.” We will find that our mood will immediately change. We’ll also look at her with different eyes and feel more inclined to understand her limitations and needs. In fact, photographing her will feel like we are taking care of her. If we convey confidence, she will feel that she is in good hands and be more willing to be directed.
Confidence also comes with experience, so if we practice photographing easier subjects by trying to put them at ease and directing them with courteous firmness, some confidence will naturally develop in us. And if that’s not enough, there is no need to pretend to be perfectly confident when we are not. Rather, it’s important to be aware of one’s own insecurity and try to determine which action best suits the situation’s limitations.
Returning to the example of the wayward actress, she is probably used to being in front of a lens and may ask to be photographed in a certain way and risk making things difficult. The photographer may get sucked into that game and the situation could deteriorate because it is no longer clear who is directing. Or the photographer may look at the actress and consider her character just as he considers the light, the clothes or the background (i.e., consider it as one of many elements present). And as with every other aspect of the photo, he will take care to intervene so that everything is harmonized. What actions are best suited to the limitations of the situation? Is it necessary to change the framing, fix that lock of hair, reassure the subject a bit, take a few pictures the way she wants, find the right words to direct her (as we want)?
The important thing is to decide what to highlight and what not to. If something in the background disturbs the photo, we don’t frame it. If the light penalizes the subject, we change the lighting. If we notice that the subject is tense, we try to make them comfortable. If we feel insecure, we acknowledge it, but we can decide to leave our insecurity out of the photo as much as possible. Do we want to aim our lens at the actress’s tantrums, or can we see something back there? What does she need from us to drop that obnoxious mask? Do we want to shoot a portrait filtered through our impatience? Do we like the way the light illuminates her clothes? Is the pose okay or should we suggest another gesture?
In my experience, being aware of the various elements present while shooting allows us to choose what to highlight and what not to. In this way, even the photographer’s possible insecurity becomes just another element that is present, and just as with difficult light or a strange background, we take it into account and make sure that it doesn’t interfere too much with the success of the portrait. If the concerns don’t require too much attention, the photographer can more easily focus on empathically perceiving the subject and creating a photo that reflects him or her.