How To Photograph Any Person With a View Camera in 31 Easy Steps. by Greg Miller
1. Look at the world, connect with your deep inner purpose to be a photographer.
2. Go over to the most beautiful yet possibly the most frightening person or people in your view at this moment.
3. Smile. Tell them your name, the truth about who you are and why you want to photograph them, ”I are making a book about _____________”, “I am a student at ______________”, “I like your hat, scarf, pants, etc” (choose one).
4. They don’t get it (go back to #1.) They get it (go to #5)
5. Ask them if they are over the age of 18. (No, go to #7) (Yes, go to #6) Fuck it, it’s too good. (go to #9)
6. Tell them that since you will be publishing their picture in your book, (see #3) you will need to get a model consent form afterward. Is that ok? (Yes, go to #9) (No, go to #1)
7. Explain to them that since they are under the age of 18 that you must get permission from their parents to take and publish the photograph. They are with someone or doing something they don’t want their parents to know about, (go to #1) Their parents are nearby but the parents don’t get it (go to #1) Their parents are nearby and are cool with it (go to #9). Their parents are not there but the kids are willing to call them on the cell. (go to #8) Fuck it, it’s too good. (go to #9)
8. Call their parents on your, or their, cell and honestly explain in your most upbeat voice who you are and what you are doing. They get it and give you a verbal OK, get their email and phone # (go to #9). They don’t get it. (Go to #1)
9. Smile. Shake their hand and tell them again your name and ask them their name.
10. Make small talk while taking a meter reading.
11. Set the shutter speed on the lens (but not the aperture).
12. Pause here and gather yourself. Buy yourself time by telling them you need a minute to look at different angles to figure out where to put the camera. Tell them you are thinking.
13. Turn several film holders upright so they are ready and remove tape.
14. Start by looking through the ground glass at the person. You can always improve on what you see. Consider distance. Will you photograph just their hand, from the waist up or a landscape where they are small? Consider the background. Does the background harmonize with the person or does it have nothing to do with them?
15. Raise or lower the camera. Looking through the ground glass, adjust the tripod to the height that harmonizes the subject with the background. No horizon lines through their heads, etc.
16. Looking through the ground glass, move the camera until you also find harmony, left and right, between the person and the background. No trees or flagpoles coming out of their head, etc.
17. Open the lens and aperture all the way.
18. Focus on the subject. Gently explain that you need them to begin being still. Or at least to stay on the plane of focus.
19. Direct them minimally. Don’t over do it. Don’t be a dictator, but don’t be passive/aggressive either. Tell them anything that will improve the picture but also think of Cartier-Bresson photographing Matisse and consider saying nothing. If you do say something, be assertive, follow through and be supportive. Compliment them. They are helping you even if they are not completely cooperative. Smile.
20. It looks good on the ground glass, looks sharp, harmony exists between the background and subject. They move! (go to #17). They stay in the plane of focus. (go to #21)
21. [Quickly] close the shutter, set the aperture, slide the film holder into the camera in front of the ground glass. Make sure it seals light tight. Slide the darkslide all the way out.
22. Pause. Look. Wait for the moment. It’s not quite right. (go to #17) It’s right. (go to #23)
24. Slide the darkslide back in.
26. You got the picture. (Go to #27) You didn’t get the picture and you have to refocus (go to #17). You didn’t get the picture but you don’t have to refocus (go to #21)
27. Take the holder out and put the tape back on.
28. Thank your subject and tell them they did a great job. They do something amazing now that the pressure is off! (go to #17) They are done and they are older than 18 (go to #29). They are done and they are younger than 18 (go to #30)
29. Have every adult sign the model consent form. They sign it, no problem and walk off into the sunset (go to #31). After reading it, they say, “What the Hell is this? I am not signing this!” Smile, patiently explain to them that this is so you can publish the photograph and while it does say that they will be irrevocably giving you the right to publish their image, forever and always, in any medium, now known and unknown and that extends to your children and heirs, explain that you are a professional and that you actually take great care in protecting their image from misuse. Adding that you thought that was a fantastic picture we just made together and your would simply hate to see it disappear forever since you would never publish or otherwise use an image without a consent form. They get it and sign (go to #31) They hand the unsigned consent form back to you and walk off into the sunset. (go to #1)
30. Give the teenager or child without the parent the model consent form in a self addressed stamped envelope, make eye contact and tell them to be sure to get their parents to sign it and mail it back, otherwise the picture will be destroyed. (go to #31).
31. Congratulate yourself briefly for making a photograph. (go to #1)
