A walk in the park
One of the best places for photo ops is in a well known park in a well known city on a weekend. That’s when all the musicians, entertainers, food vendors, artists, and really strange people come out to peddle their wares….or wear weird clothes and talk to themselves.
What one can almost always find is at least one artist that will capture your soul forever on a plain white piece of paper, and who wouldn’t want their precious kiddos (or older family members) to be remembered as the sweet innocent child they are? If they are willing to hold still long enough.
This artist/subject relationship makes for a great photo, and I’ve taken this photo in a few countries; usually with great results. The key is to have your POV where both the artist and the subject are in the same composition. It’s also great if you can get the kid’s parents somewhere in your composition as well.
There’s something about this temporary bond between artist and subject that’s so different to the bond that’s created when I take photos of people. Perhaps it’s the choice of the medium. The camera is a colder approach, perhaps it’s because it’s a machine where the pencil, crayon, or pastel is more organic and less threatening.
My background in art comes from years of studying painting, drawing, and design., and I can say that the feeling between holding a camera and a piece of charcoal is very close.
I took the above photo during my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshop I conducted in New York City. Several people had taken my online class with the BPSOP so they had seen some of my examples of shooting in a park, and were excited that I had chosen this location in Central Park to shoot in.
Shot in the main plaza in Madrid.
So my fellow photographers the next time you’re going to be traveling to a well known city, try to arrange it so you have free time on the weekend to go to a park. You’ll be glad you did.
Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me some time. Next February in conjunction with the Santa Fe Workshops, I’ll be returning to Cuba for the fourth time. My next springtime workshop will Berlin next May; an incredibly beautiful city.
Send me a photo and question to: AskJoeB@gmail.com, and I’ll create a video critique for you.
JoeB
