Outside of your comfort zone - what would you like to try!

[RalphLambrecht]

OK, we have the comfort zone thread…..so what is outside your comfort zone that you would really like to try?

For me, its models, in particular ‘Pin Up’ style photography. Of late, I have found myself seeking out the ‘Kustom Kulture’ and Hot Rod scene – maybe it’s a bit of a thing at the moment, but I really like the ‘look’.

Yes, I have done people photography in the past, but its been people I know and in their own environment. I would really like to be able to try working with a model in the styles above – my thing is I get a cold shiver thinking about having to talk and deal with someone in that scenario….

Oh well, maybe one day I’ll get the courage.

hi hoffy. i would gt startedby joining a workshop or a photographer wh o does this kind of thing, as far as finding models, just ask. the worst you can get is a 'no and a black eye. i got neither in 20 years of nude photography, just met great people.

[RalphLambrecht]

you can stop doing portraits as soon as you as good as yosuf karsh.until then ,keep working at it!, iknow, i will.

[stavrosk]

you can stop doing portraits as soon as you as good as yosuf karsh.until then ,keep working at it!, iknow, i will.

What is so amazing about his portraits other than the people he photographed?

[hoffy]

hi hoffy. i would gt startedby joining a workshop or a photographer wh o does this kind of thing, as far as finding models, just ask. the worst you can get is a 'no and a black eye. i got neither in 20 years of nude photography, just met great people.

Thanks Ralph. I have hinted very much to my wife that a perfect birthday present for me is a 2 day workshop with a local photographer - I hope she has heeded my request!

[Araakii]

Couples in very intimate settings, like Nan Goldin's stuff

[markbarendt]

What is so amazing about his portraits other than the people he photographed?

His subjects expressions and poses for two.

[Xia_Ke]

I'd love to do one of those 100 Strangers projects. Walking up to a random person on the street and asking them if I can take their picture terrifies me for some reason. I've done it before but I don't know what my deal with it is.

+1... I've been wanting to do this for a while. I just moved to the city too, but haven't mustered up the cojones yet to start asking people

[Thomas Bertilsson]

I'm challenged by photographing strangers. It's really hard for me to walk up to someone and ask to take their picture. I don't even know what I'm afraid of, as I'm not normally a very shy person.

That's a boundary I'm looking to push through.

To get really out of my comfort zone, perhaps go to Sturgis for one of the biker meetings there, and do a documentary. On film. That would be challenging to me. The hardest thing I know is to capture fleeting moments. Landscape, aerial, architecture, etc takes mostly time, dedication, and enough money to pull off. A fleeting moment never returns, so it becomes an exercise of reacting quickly and making very fast decisions. That, to me, is a lot more difficult, and to do that with a stranger even more so.

[darkosaric]

What I would you like to try and what I am trying almost always lately: complex geometry in harmony together with people in the frame.

Safe zone is to make photo of one object, one person, one flower, one grave stone... but to combine many objects in harmony and in geometry - this is hard for me, many times I end up with 36 bad frames on film.

[jnanian]

I'd love to do one of those 100 Strangers projects. Walking up to a random person on the street and asking them if I can take their picture terrifies me for some reason. I've done it before but I don't know what my deal with it is.

it used to terrify me too, but after a while i used all that nervous energy to make better portraits.
eventually it lead to me making portraits for a newspaper, photographing everyone from supreme court chief justices
to chief sachems ...

What is so amazing about his portraits other than the people he photographed?

hi stavrosk ..
my take on karsh might be a little different than others but ...
he transformed portrait photography from lots of light
to theatrical lighting ( rembrandt style lighting ) ..
he in some ways merged dutch painting and modern photography
because technically it wasn't possible before he was around.
films ( and plates ) were slow there had to be lots of light &c ...
his portraits really show more of personality/character of his subjects
than a deadpan-portrait, or a bathtub filled with milk.

but all that said, i can see why someone would look at them and not be impressed ...
( i only know the effort of what goes into portraits like that because i apprenticed with someone who did similar work
and for her it was nearly effortless work, probably like karsh )

john