2 Capture people at work
Take portraits that tell a story about their subject
Stuck for something to photograph? Look no further than local businesses. You can get some great shots of people at work, particularly in the manufacturing sector – an approach also followed by Martin Parr in his ‘Black Country Stories’ project. But you don’t need Martin’s status or level of access to get memorable, and sometimes profile-raising, shots.
Terry Livesey took some images of people at work that got shortlisted in Make it Britain, a major competition organised by UK manufacturers’ association EEF. (Visit www. bit.ly/dc161make for details.) “Manufacturing offers endless opportunities for creative, dramatic and eye-catching images, but the tricky part is really capturing its essence,” Terry explains.
“I’ve never entered the EEF competition before, but felt I should take part, as I work quite a lot with British manufacturing companies. They have so much history, which is fantastic, as it gives you so much subject matter to choose from. I would recommend starting by looking at companies on your doorstep and keeping it local: they will be pleased to work with you and you will be supporting your local heritage.”
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* There are many approaches to work portraits, but it’s important to capture a sense of context and place – so be sure to include tools and machinery. * Try using a wide aperture and single AF point with portraits so you can keep the subject sharp and establish the context, without sharply focused elements in the background becoming a distraction. * Try capturing the concentration of somebody working hard; full eye contact can also be powerful and atmospheric. * Black-and-white conversion works well, as does subtly desaturating colours for an ‘industrial’ feel.