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Travel photography often requires efforts and
planning, in addition to technique.
I am going to share with you some of the
techniques for approaching people I have developed after years of experience of
taking photographs with Nomad Photo Xpedition at the most
remote locations around the world.
It took me three two-hour sessions
at 5:50 am on the banks of the Ganges at Varanasi
to make a Sony World Photo Awards finalist. In midst of the mud, of the fog
and of masses of pilgrims...
Whenever I
organize a photographic journey with Nomad
Photo Xpedition for my clients, I reserve about five days, at the end, for
my own photographic work.
On such a trip, a small oversight or lack of
planning can ruin much of the adventure. The loss of a battery charger has
spoiled the day for more than one photographer who finds himself just somewhere
in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention shattered memory cards or the worst of
all, a broken camera.
.
.
.
.
Tips:
- Choose your destination; find out the best
season and do some research about the place
- Look for the guide/photographer who will make
your life a whole lot easier and point out locations for you
- Plan your future photos. Prepare a
script. Search for a reason, an argument
for your images.
- Make a daily record and save addresses and
phone numbers. You never know.
- Organize your equipment so that it is easily
accessible.
- Always make backup copies of your photos
- Don’t rush head over heels to “capture”
pictures. Take your time.
What, how and when
When
traveling, I always advise my clients to plan their future actions. Planning
and preparing is the most important part of our activity at Nomad Photo Xpedition.
Technique obviously
plays an essential role in obtaining the image, but deciding what to photograph
and how to do it is what is most relevant: “Production”, the “creation” of the
story is what really matters.
And how do
we get ready to reap the best results?
1. Plan your theme. - What are you going to take photos
of? People, places, landscapes, lifestyles, an activity?
2.
Consider the location. - Where can you find what
you want to photograph? Are there several possible locations? If it is a shoe
shop, is there more than one possibility? Is entry easy?
3.
Choose from several possible locations, establish a
priority. Do different topics interest you? At different places?
4.
Organize your stay. – Are you going to spend a
lot of time taking pictures? Will you need to have things changed around? Will
you be interrupting somebody’s work? Do you need permission?
5.
Find the right moment. - If it is during the day:
at what time will you find the appropriate light? At ten o'clock in the
morning? In the afternoon? If it is a workplace or a park: what is the time of
affluence? Where does the light come from?
6.
Create an atmosphere. - Establish relationships
that will allow you to do your job. Create bonds, empathies.
7.
Consider the planes beforehand. - Horizontal,
vertical, media, descriptive details.
Preliminary matters
Research. - For months before I set out I do
a lot of research about what interests me: what other photographers have done, photos
published on the Internet, in magazines. I look for interesting locations.
Search
for local contacts.
- I look for people or institutions that can open doors for me at the point of
destination, contacts who can help me or who know somebody who can.
Sometimes
I have to repeat a trip to gain access: I usually go back with pictures I've taken on
previous trips, so we can get to know each other and things get easier. In
Pasupatinath, Kathmandu, in Benares, in Remote
India, I return with photos taken in previous years. Little by little you get
familiar with the environment you are moving in.
The day by day program
When a Nomad Photo Xpedition ends, I usually spend a few days by myself for my own work. I approach new locations
and destinations that were not visited in the previous tour, thus expanding the
possibilities for future journeys.
Days one and two. - What
am I going to take pictures of? - I go around taking pictures with my mobile
phone and store them in an application called Evernote, which also copies all
information to a virtual hard disk. This way I have the image, the location and
interesting facts to be used or retrieved in the future; I also note the time
and the position of the sun, something relevant nearby, the name of a contact.
I try to make initial eye contact with somebody at the place, and sometimes I
start a short conversation. I always carry with me a small Blurb book with my
travel photographs. This allows me to show my work and allows the subject to
see that the quality is adequate.
Day three, I get close. - I make a selection based on my
previous notes. This is the day to establish a personal relationship. I calmly
explain - sometimes referring to my visit on the previous day - what I do. I show
previous work. In this phase, people sometimes ask to be photographed
immediately. However, I do this very seldom; I tell them that I will return at
some point in the future, creating interest and expectation, at the same time
giving formality to my work.
Day four, first photo session. – I hold a first photo session that
allows me to secure a personal relationship with the people I am going to photograph.
I pay attention to how the day unfolds, how they go about doing their chores. I
attempt to establish guidelines and anticipate occurrences. I talk about my
work (they are usually interested in it) and I show interest in them, in their
work and their lives. If I have seen something interesting nearby, I take a
break in the photo sessions to get closer regularly, looking out for the best
light for future outdoor photography.
Day five, final session. I take along some pictures from the
previous day. People enjoy them. It is easier to take pictures, I move with
more ease. I take mental notes about things I have missed, close-ups, details and
the light at certain places, everything that is a complement. I try to take that
picture that I haven’t been able to take the day before.
