http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4074157481455007235

This thread could not have come at a better time for me. I have been in quite the rut lately and have had a major case of the “room lockdown” recently. It is so nice to know that I’m not the only one who has this issue. Let alone someone so succesful. The responses to your query have also inspired me. Because of this thread I decided to “bite the bullet” and throw away all thoughts of fear. In fact I did something I had not previously done. I walked up to someone’s house and just asked them if I could take their picture. And it worked. Amazing! I know it won’t work everytime but its a good sign when you finally are able to overcome a fear. Thanks again for the thread and thanks to all those who responded.

–Davis Archibald

We’re in the process of moving to Santa Fe but our home is in (Carlsbad) San Diego. I guess you could say we “pre-evacuated” without any belongings since we’re in Santa Fe now, heading back to San Diego next week.

It’s a huge disaster there and I feel so badly for everyone affected. I’m feeling lucky that I was away during the fires…but then again there would have been some great photo ops! Oh well…having my house okay makes up for missed shots.

Perhaps I will put that detail into my bio. It was a strange night.

“Q: How did you overcome your fear of photographing people?

Alec Soth: I started out with kids because that was less threatening. I eventually worked my way up to every type of person. At first, I trembled every time I took a picture. My confidence grew, but it took a long time. I still get nervous today. When I shoot assignments I’m notorious amongst my assistants for sweating. It’s very embarrassing. I did a picture for the The New Yorker recently and I was drenched in sweat by the end and it was the middle of winter.”

I sincerely appreciate photographers’ honesty about this … makes me feel better, more confident, actually, to know everyone goes through this to one degree or another. If Alec Soth can move from sheer terror to nudes of newlyweds he’s met at Niagra … then I have no excuses ;))

I think quite a bit of experience, feeling one’s way goes into this superb knowledge to make flash photography work for you. What you call regurgitating.

Much grateful for your reply.

i use five flashes – 2x sb800, sunpak555, 400w/s lumedyne action pack, and a viv285… all triggered via pocket wizards..

the main thing to realize about freezing motion with flashes is that they have to be brighter than the ambient by ~2stops or more.. once you get that kind of ratio going, the 1/250 xsync no longer matters and the speed of the flash will be the effective shutter speed..
the problem with that however is the greater the output of a thrystor style flash, the slower it’s duration… for the most part, i try to keep my flash output at 1/4 or less — they are around 1/3000 sec and faster at that point.. however, at such low outputs, they aren’t bright enough to overpower bright ambient so that’s why i carry so many of them.. i often have to double or triple them up and i never use more than three actual points of light.. the lumedyne is great in that it’s fastest at its highest output but i only have enough room in the bag to carry one (all of my gear has to fit in a backpack because i skate to most of these spots – i don’t have the luxury of driving around with a trunk full of gear)..

as far as processing goes, i keep it to a minimum..(aside from the obviously overcooked ones).. simple toning and contrast via the curves dialog.. once i convert to sRGB for web display, the pictures will often take on this overly saturated look but they are more toned down when printed or viewed with their original profile on a calibrated system.. the lighting i use gives these most of their pop..

and i don’t mind giving away my methods.. afterall, they are basically my regurgitated ways of those that came before me.. maybe you can chew them up some more and spit something else out of them…

yes, the skateboard essay is impressive in an already quite impressive link. I hope it’s OK Can I ask you what kind of lighting equipment you use to stop the action as you did, while framing as if the guys were posing. Is processing also paramount in getting thi hyepr-realist “patina”?

Not sure if that is asking to give away one’s method, so pardon my curiosity if that is so.

Old Son Dima is awaiting :))))))……

for the record, i guess, i should add this too: i have 3 cameras (not counting the cool polaroid that one of my students gave me), each with 1 lens, and i almost only ever carry 1 per shoot/day/moment, etc….

in a way, i’ve always felt this: my head was (and still is) cluttered enough with thoughts and impressions and senses and words and scents and hopes and fears and loves and lusts and sounds and tails and time and worry and dreams and dust and dirt and silence, a patch of something, awaiting, to ever, ever use more than 1 camera at a time or thing about multiple lenses or settings or flash vs. noflash, or holga vs 35mm, or lomo vs medformat or, yes damnit shoot that or no damnit wait, to concern myself with too much gear….so much shit inside my head and spreading body, that i prefer only 1 bag, 1 camera, 1 lense, a few rolls of trix and await to see: that’s nerve racking enough, and oh, yes, like this:

that’s it…..bob

only alec soth knows for sure…but, knowing him, i can see that he is totally `non-threatening` in general and this is probably true when he is talking honeymoon couples into taking their clothes off…

and again, there are two ways to work…one; more or less unobtrusive (small camera, friendly, part of the scene or un-noticed) or two; big camera on tripod (not sneaky, totally declared, everybody knows what you are doing and they can take it or leave it)….the latter is alec´s way and actually my way too, even though the camera size is different…

PAUL…

you were the helmut newton page turner??? get that in your bio….that´s ok, i had to drive helmut from the airport to downtown washington once as an intern….i liked that man…i am sure you would turn his pages any time and i would have driven him anywhere..

i saw hillary not so long ago, but now i am trying to remember where…some opening or other photo function…

hillary where are you??? come out, come out…paul and i are waiting!!!

cheers, david

I’ve never been beaten up either, miraculously. Mind you, I can run very fast, even with lots of gear.

Why hasn’t Hilary uttered a word or two here, I wonder? I’m sure she’s lurking.

chiara sends you a bear hug, and a big GRAZIE

I’m a shy person. I find I can engage with people when I’m feeling comfortable and happy. Then a smile or eye contact or a few words puts people at ease. When I’m in that playful state of mind I feel like I belong.

It takes a certain amount of energy to be in this frame. When I don’t have that, a lot of the things mentioned on this page have helped make me feel like I belong there—getting into people’s personal space. Those are having a specific project, having permission to shoot from authorities (event organizers, business owners or permission from people), and also knowing I’m there to do a job—when it’s a paying gig—and I gotta deliver!

I’d really rather be the guy holding a camera and being obvious that I’m shooting than trying to be sneaky about it. Even if I get a good photo encache I find the camera takes a picture both ways and captures my state of mind too.

David, how does someone like Alec Soth get so close to people that they allow them to make the photos he does? I saw the Niagra series and it seems like wizardy. It must be nice to just hang-out with people an make photos over an extended period. I would like to try that. Grab shots can only take me so far in depth.

Great page, cheers.