You Gonna Take My Picture?
February 25, 2009 | Filed Under New Yorkers, Portraits
In one of the comment sections below, a reader asked about the reaction of people around me when I take photos. I replied that some clearly don’t want their photo taken and glare at me. Others are polite and careful not to walk into my shot. Instead, they walk behind me. Or they stop and wait for me to take my photo before they move in front of me. Many times, people around me are in their own world and pay no attention to me.
Yet, once in a while, I’ll hear someone ask, "Are you going to take my photo?
When that happens, I usually answer, "Next time."
Since we both know that there won’t be a ‘Next time’, we laugh and continue on our merry way.
As I took a photo of a building detail, the gentleman in the photo above came out of the building and as he passed by me, he asked if I was going to take his picture. I looked at him and was about to give my standard response when something about him stopped me.
Instead, I asked, "You really want me to take your picture?"
"Sure!" He posed for me.
I shrugged. Why not, I thought and snapped away.
During that time. his friend and co-worker (they wore the same uniform) who stood on the side seemed to get a kick out of the whole episode. He laughed as I took photos of his friend. Well, I didn’t want to leave him out of the fun, so I took his photo, too.
Paz
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17 Responses to “You Gonna Take My Picture?”
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I think you made those guys day Paz & this is a great new york portrait and story, very authentic!
I love this Paz! The two gentlemen look very friendly and happy. Maybe they thought they’d be in a newspaper story?
I asked another blogger who takes a lot of NYC photos how she got so many people to stop and pose for her. She said she tells them she has a blog about NYC and hands them her card that has the blog URL on it so they can see their photo later. I guess if a person isn’t shy that is what makes it fun!
I like very much portraits. As you say, it’s often a bit complicate to carry them out, because we don’t know if people want to pose or to be photographed!
Great portraits!
Cheers,
Rosa
I bet they never dreamed their photos would end up on a blog online! Great photos, very genuine.
I have such anxiety about people’s reactions that it usually stops me from trying…
Paz, You are such a sweet person that people WANT to be photo’d by you just to have that bit of contact! There’s something special about you, even when you don’t speak – and people feel it. We who come to your blogs also feel it! Have a wonderful and relaxing weekend, friend!!!
That’s awesome, Paz. People really are happy to have their pictures taken sometimes. It puzzles me as to why, but I certainly am willing to take them. I’ll always regret some of those whom I’ve told that I couldn’t understand them, when they were asking me to take their pictures. They had such thick Scots accents, and I was too new to the whole country, that when they said, “gie uz a pitcher then” I didn’t get it. Now … every time, I’ll take them. If nothing else it’s good practice, trying to get the eye to be in focus, and to get a good laugh.
Splendid idea. Excellent way to take portraits. I like all three of them.
Abraham Lincoln said, “Hello,” all the way from Brookville, Ohio in the U.S.A. And his wife of 53 years said hello too.
Pat and Abe Lincoln
Brookville, Ohio
Nice guys! I hate being in front of the camera, I always wonder about the ones who like to get their pictures taken, how could anyone (above the age of 5) think that to be a good idea, beats me…;)
Those are splendid portraits Paz, I admire youfor that, I’m usually too shy myself!
It looks like you helped a couple of people’s day be a little less dull. I liked this post!
That’s such a New York story!
I like this post very much and the photos that you posted. I think it is really interesting taking photos of people around but I always hesitate doing that. I am somehow feeling embarrassed and I am sorry for that. You don’t care about it and that is why I admire you.
I love when this happens.
I loved reading that, Paz!
Oh the people that you meet