“Time for Photo” struggles
I often wonder about why it is so difficult to get people to photograph for free. There is a discussion about nothing should be for free, and nothing should be asked for free, so quickly clear this out. Yes. This is true. However, some things need practicing, and when you self educate there is no school in which you could have done all these practices to get your certification or whatever. Nonetheless things you should practice even as a newbie. If this is the case I believe the following reasoning is acceptable: My time has value, their time has value. What I do during the shooting has value, what they do as well. I do benefit from the results, I believe they do too, we both gain experience of some sort. Therefore until there is no financial benefit from it, I believe we can call it a fair exchange of time and skills. This is what TFP - Time for Photo stands for. Plus, I will pay everyone when I get there, I promise.
So how come it seems this hard to find people to give some free photos to?
Let’s start with the self-doubting part first. Perhaps it is because my photos suck, therefore nobody gets enthusiastic about the idea of having a free session with me. Alright. Could be. However, the people I do get the chance to take pictures of usually give me positive feedback about the results. I don’t want to get into doubting whether they tell the truth or not, I take what I get. So although this is a very logical idea, I would like to put it aside for now. Better, please go through my pictures here and leave me a comment of whether they suck or no.
Could it be because people are shy? Well. This is interesting. Everyone has a shit tone of pictures about themselves absolutely public on their socials, so most people for a certain level must be used to posing and being photographed. They even photograph themselves. I remember writing to a girl on instagram who was posting full body selfies in front of a mirror with all kinds of different outfits, winter-summer-beach, who very politely refused to come and be photographed by me.
So, I suppose it has to be about being photographed by someone else. I think I can relate to this. But, people could also cut their hair, yet they usually go to a hairdresser instead. I assume they want to look good, they assume the hairdresser can do something they don’t. Yes, yes, you can’t see the back your head, or you can’t reach it everywhere the same…but isn’t it the same with pictures? Taking a self portrait is hard as well. You should be aware of all kind of things at once, you have to be model and photographer at the same time. You are just as limited as when you are cutting your own hair. Actually I do cut my own hair, but I also look always the same cause I only know how to shave the whole thing. Selfies and selfie faces are mostly the same or very similar as well. So why not to take a chance and accept a free hairstyling from a hairdresser and get something cool instead of wasting our own time and effort for doing our best and get something acceptable. -I just got an amazing business idea: photo and haircut! You could choose in which order of course-
My analogy was stupid but perhaps it points out that logically probably we all could understand that someone else probably can do some things better for us than ourselves. What else can hold people back then? They still must fear of something. Is it just the sadly standard social anxiety, like “omg, what if it’s gonna be weird?!” Well, probably. For 2 minutes. I am anxious when someone is coming up the stairs, because I feel it’s all on me! Not only I shall make decent pictures and do the craft part the best I am able to, but I shall somehow make the poor soul beat all this anxiety they might have about me being stranger and whatever else they immagine about someone who takes pictures of others. So, yess, it can be weird at first, but we don’t have to stuck in it. I think, perhaps there is a presumption in people about an expectation of them having to perform immediately whenever they get into a performative situation. Like “alright, I just entered, I just drop down my jacket, and I’m gonna have to be ready and perfect, and the best version of me”… well no. We gotta meet. We’ll gonna need a few minutes to realize that we are just two humans, and not so very different from each other. Vulnerables just the same. I know nowadays we all want to look the most professionals, and most experts and the most prepared in everything we do, and it feels like the biggest failure in our lives if we turn out not the be, or even worse when we get confused or slide off our high hourses for a second in front of someone else. Actually, I think this can actually help in these situations. Happened to me several times that I had to stop and figure out something about lighting, or modifiers, or whatever, and I felt so very goofy and lame and I just wanted the floor to open under me and get swallowed. In the end I found that it helped to relax to the person I photographed because for a few minutes they could stop being worried about “what they were supposed to do”. Obviously I prefer not to waste anyones’ time by being not prepared enough, but shit happens. And it’s a two ways road. Neither the person who comes has to be perfect and be like this was their full time job and their carrier since always. We are together in this, and we are here to help each other out.
Talking to my girlfriend, she pointed out that I am a man. -We are almost two years in, it sounded a bit weird at this point-. So what if people, especially women feel unsafe going to a man’s place to get photographed? I am aware of how fucked up the world we are living in is. And unfortunately I am aware also of the threats that women have to face more often than I would have thought. I might be privileged as a guy not to have to experience any of it, hence being somewhat also ignorant. Nonetheless if this is also one of the reasons some women hold back from coming or accepting an invitation is very frustrating. Rightful is the question “why on earth do you have to do this at your place?” . Well, the same reason I am not hiring pro models, stylists, makeup artists and you name it who. I can’t afford it yet. But again, I promise, shall I ever get there to have an external studio, I will. Would it render all suddenly safe though? I am not saying this is ideal, but having a home studio, or a semi home studio, is an existing thing. So what to do about this? I was thinking, if this was a reason, sharing pictures I had the chance to take of others could prove somehow that I am “alright”. Does it not? I would be curious to hear thoughts about this, what one could do to get “safe-proof” nowadays.
Another self-reflecting idea to close this text is that I am simply not “cool” enough. What if it’s not about being careful about strangers, or photographers, or men, or home studios, it’s just that I am not convincingly a “cool guy”. Or I don’t strike as one. This would be a tough one. I wouldn’t know what to do about it. I am not very good at faking.
Someone who knows all the answers, please hit me up. Or just leave a comment, give me an idea.