Thread: Stand still, dammit!

Originally Posted by boid

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If that doesn't work, i recite this poem to them -

"oh freddled gruntbuggly/thy micturations are to me/as plurdled gabbleblotchits on a lurgid bee.
Groop i implore thee, my foonting turlingdromes. And hooptiously drangle me with crinkly bindlewurdles,
or i will rend thee in the gobberwarts with my blurglecruncheon, see if i don't!"

it works i tell ya.

muaaahahahaha!!!!

Ask her NOT to pose. talk to her while you're shooting. Tell her what a beautiful smile she has NATURALLY. The best smile people have is when they are relaxed and just about to laugh. That first one is GREAT. Her guard is down....the camera LOVES her. Let her know that you want to capture her the way she really is because that's the woman you love (and it may sound corny, but it's true.....and it will make her smile one of those REAL smiles that make all of us men crumble).

oh yeah......also that X-E1 is spectacular even at ISO6400. So use it when she's twirling for the camera and you'll freeze the action instead of it being blurry.

I would also add: don't use the eye-level viewfinder. It puts an unnecessary barrier between photographer and subject.

Love the blurry photo more. Doesn't matter if it's not sharp, you've captured the moment in that one.

Thanks all for listening and responding to my frustrations! I have tried many of the techniques recommended (except Vogon poetry, I confess, even though I do know where my towel is...) but the one I think I need to pursue is the shoot until she is sick of me approach. Part of my problem is that Becky is herself fairly new to photography and finding her feet, her style and her confidence so I don't want to put her off or make her self-conscious when she is composing a shot of her own by having me breathing down her neck with my own camera...! I shall simply have to persevere

Love the first pic, extreme blurriness and all !
How do I get them to relax ?? Simple... I outlast them ! I just stick around with the camera, and pretend to fiddle with it, making imaginary setting changes, and chatting my mouth off the whole time. Sometimes in working environment (where I have permission to shoot, of course), I'll just use the opposite technique and follow them silently until I become part of the place and they forget about me. After a while the guard comes down. An articulated screen and silent shutter sure helps !

Originally Posted by Boid

I ask them to read what's written in small type around the camera's lens. That's the start of course, it distracts them from being too conscious. Then I ask them to turn three quarters of a way towards the camera, and shift their weight onto their back leg (conversely, I make the blokes lean in). If it still doesn't work, I hand them the camera and ask them to take pictures of me first. After they're ok with doing what I would be doing, then I take their pictures.

If that doesn't work, I recite this poem to them -

"Oh freddled gruntbuggly/thy micturations are to me/As plurdled gabbleblotchits on a lurgid bee.
Groop I implore thee, my foonting turlingdromes. And hooptiously drangle me with crinkly bindlewurdles,
Or I will rend thee in the gobberwarts with my blurglecruncheon, see if I don't!"

It works I tell ya.

I tried reciting that and subsequently had my poetic license revoked.\

Cheers, Jock

A bit easier to memorize than the (admittedly wonderful) poem: tell them you want one shot where they look serious or angry, and when they do, tell them to look even more serious or angry ('you can do better than that!') - right untill they can't help but laugh