Coach the perfect picture

I love feature story photography. I also dig news photography, because news photography is spontaneous, sometimes exciting and often just plain lucky. But feature photography allows you to be creative.

 

With feature photography and often soft news photography, don’t be afraid to tell your subject what to do. You must be tactful and courteous, but you can get a great photograph by gently coaching your subject. Don’t leave great photography to chance. Keep in mind - this is soft news and feature photography, not hard news photography.

 

For example, I may be doing an interview at someone’s home and feel it is time for pictures. The conversation may go like this:

 

Me: “I want to take some quick pictures while I’m here.”
The subject: “But I don’t take good pictures.”
Me: “Don’t worry. I do.” (That is my favorite comeback line)
I stand and pose where I want the subject to let them visualize what I want.

“Stand right here by your war medals you were talking about. Great.” Click “Now, look over at the big one you said was your favorite.” Clickckick “Reach over at the big one while I take a picture from this angle.” Clickclickclick “Can you do that again for me?” Clickclick “Nice. Now look at me and smile.” Clickclick

 

There. We just avoided an Al Capone shot. Miss T used to scold us for Al Capone shots where you just stand your subject against a wall and shoot them.

 

Here is an exciting shot of a cheerleader. I was leaving a locker room after an interview and saw the cheer squad working outside. I asked one if she could do that big flip again I saw her doing as I came out. Click “Fantastic! Will you do it again for me?” Clickclick. I had her flip four times while I took about six pictures to capture the perfect shot. I would have asked her to do it more but she was getting pretty darned tired.

 

One week I was scouting for an exciting cover picture and found skate boarders in a city park having fun on spring break. I hit the jackpot because I had a dull front page in the works and needed an "eye-popper" on the cover. I did the same thing I did with the cheerleader - over and over - until I had a bunch of pictures to choose from. I laid next to the skate ramp and and shot up at the guys, making sure they were facing down at me. I did fear getting bonked by a board.

I was assigned to photograph Boy Scouts doing a service project cleaning and painting a city basketball court. I wanted to get all the members in one picture but wanted to avoid an Al Capone, so I climbed up the back of the basketball goal one guy was working on and shot over the top. “Gather in closer, guys. Now closer. Even closer.” Clickclickclick. “Now closer….”

 

Fantastic news photography is sometimes just being in the right place, but fantastic feature photography takes work.

Does this make you think of great feature photos you have taken? Send them to Ninja Journalism and share your skills with others. Email here.