Shooting strangers
Hannah Rooke explains how to approach random people on the street
When I first started taking portrait photographs, the idea of walking up to someone in the street and asking to take their photo was incredibly daunting.
I always have my photographer’s head switched on, so when I see someone with impeccable style or who has a particularly strong haircut, I can’t help wanting to capture it. This doesn’t mean I have always been able to do so, though. Finding the courage to stop someone and ask if I can photograph them is not something that comes naturally to me; I had to really push myself to get to a point where I wouldn’t shy away. I had nothing but good intentions, yet all I could think about was possible negative outcomes.
In order to push me past this barrier, I began shooting more street photography. First, I started off with candid photos, trying to make myself as small and invisible as possible, but still able to capture people. I also continued to shoot friends, models and musicians who weren’t strangers so that my composition and technique improved.
As I developed in both of these areas, I felt more able to take an off-the-cuff portrait in the street that someone would look at and be grateful for. I always try to picture myself in a potential subject’s situation, and imagine how I would feel if someone walked up and asked me the same question. I would feel flattered, and in my experience that’s the same as most people’s reactions. The more people you stop and ask, the easier it gets – I don’t feel that it has become second nature yet, but it’s definitely something I feel more confident doing.