Texas Schoolin'Just back from a great week teaching at the Texas School of Professional Photography, and I learned as much as the nearly 1000 students that blanketed the hotels and campus of Texas A&M.
I learned a little more about the power of passion. I learned how to see through things and cut to the core…a little better.
When I teach workshops, I often talk about “falling in love” with your clients – if only for an hour or two. I forget about any notions I may have formed about them. I try to ignore my assumptions that they are not the “expressive” types or not “romantic”. If you allow yourself to see the real person behind your lens and accept them for who they are, you can capture their inner beauty. You have to peel away the layers and expose something, whether they offer it or not.
Some shells are harder to crack than others. Some shells are there for protection. Some shells are misleading.
When we drop our egos, and see past another persons ego, we obviously cut to the real person. This is when a great photograph happens. But it’s not always easy to do.
When I photograph, and when I teach, I let down my guard. It’s cathartic for me. I can be myself – and hopefully my subjects or students will do the same. Learning happens better, and photographs happen better. It’s all about truth.
What if we let down our guard more often? What would happen? What if we said what was on our minds more often? Would we still have friends?
We would have fewer friends, but better friends.
Allow yourself to open up to your next client. Let them feel your passion, your energy, your soft side. Encourage them to do the same. Be a mirror. Love them for just a little while…it may be the only chance you get – but you’ll have the photographs to prove it :-)