Travel portrait masterclass
Steve is a professional travel photographer and writer. You might recognize him from his BBC-published book Unforgettable Places to See Before You Die. www.stevedavey.com
Photographing the local people that you meet on the road is one of the most rewarding, yet challenging, things you can do when travelling. Much of the world is a fascinating mix of cultures, interesting people and incredible faces, yet many photographers struggle to approach people, and end up just sneaking pictures that manage to be both intrusive and visually unsatisfying.
Although some of the time I will take pictures without the subject knowing, I much prefer to approach people and seek some sort of permission. Some photographers assert that you get a more natural picture if you take candids: I maintain that you get a more natural picture with time. Spend the time, whether it is a few minutes, or even a few hours, that will allow you to engage with someone, and then the picture will be more empathetic. The power of photography is that you are able to transport the viewer of your picture into a moment that you shot; in some way they will experience the emotion that you experienced when you took the photo. If you feel engagement with your subject, they will too.
Engaging with people can also give you the chance to find out their backstory, and even establish a link with them in some way. I find this more rewarding than surreptitiously snapping from afar. It also means that, in some small way, you can be a part of their life, and them a part of yours. Thirteen years ago I shot some portraits of an old priest at Asheton Maryam Monastery in Ethiopia on a commission for the BBC. I was back at the monastery a few weeks ago, and
