Episode 12 - Little Things Done Well: Communication & Relationships
Audio:
Shownotes:
13 unforgettable photos by famed photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt
Actions from this episode:
Practice - Practice your communication. Your photography won’t get better without practice, and communication works the same way. You've got to practice.
Get Connected - Get to know the people you work with before the shoot. See if building a relationship beforehand changes how the shoot goes.
Vary your approach - Think about how you direct talent to get the shot you want and try different ways of communicating your vision. Each individual you work with is unique and will respond to different techniques.
Start small - If you tend to be a “silent shooter” like I was when I started, try to start giving your talent some regular feedback. Pick a word, it doesn’t even matter what it is, as it’s how you say it that is more important than the word itself. If you’re stuck on what word, start with “cool” and see how that goes.
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Episode Transcript:
Matt Korinek: I remember when I first started working with teams on set and struggling to express what I needed to be successful. And my worst trait as a photographer is that my problem solving face can sometimes look like I'm a deer in headlights, or at least thats what I'm told.
In fact, a big part of my improvement as a photographer has to do with developing my communication skills and building relationships.
Both have such a huge impact on my photos and I think they are two things that most photographers overlook.
Famed photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt once said, "It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter.”
And I agree.
This is part 2 of a 4 part series about little things done well and I’m going to talk about how communication and relationships are catalysts for great photos.
Hey, it’s Matt, and welcome to the Photo Proventure Vlogcast.
Let’s get into it.
[SONIC BRANDING & OPENING MUSIC]
Before we jump in, I want to make it clear that I’m not a communications or relationships expert and I’m still striving to become better at both.
What I do know, is that both have been incredibly fertile ground for my own growth and I see how they make a concrete difference to my photos.
For me, it starts with enrolling others in my vision.
To enrol someone is more than asking them for help. It’s inspiring and motivating them to be a part of my project.
Of course, there are times I reach out to people and get crickets.
But I’m always thinking about what I need to say and who I need to be to get people on board.
Everyone is motivated by different things, so here are some ingredients I use to enrol collaborators.
Number 1 - Passion & Enthusiasm - If I'm not excited about my project, how can I expect anyone else to be?
Number 2 - Novelty - Is the shoot offering something new? Or something they haven’t considered? How can I keep it fresh and unique to me?
Number 3 - Related-ness - This is all about creating a human connection and understanding of what makes the other person tick. Getting related will help me understand what’s important to them. Which leads to
Number 4 - Value - Potential partners should be able to see value in it for themselves. It could be growth, fun, creativity, money or whatever motivates them. So I use my understanding of what motivates them to frame the opportunity.
Number 5 - Resonance - Framing is all about creating a compelling story that invites someone else to see themselves as part of the journey.
Can I tell you exactly what I’ll write or say in these situations? No.
Because each project and individuals involved is different.
Once I have collaborators on board, I want to create an environment that fosters collaboration and success.
To do this, I need to build a relationship with the people I work with.
Often I get to meet the creative and production crew beforehand in planning meetings. But I’m not always as lucky with talent.
There are times I need to create a relationship on a compressed timeline, like when I meet talent on the day of the shoot and have to start shooting right away.
When I can, I request some face time with the talent during pre-production so that the shoot day isn’t their first time meeting me.
I find this can really help minimize any jitters and jump-start how comfortable they are on set.
When thinking about the relationships I want to build, I like to think about the two things that underpin a successful creative relationship: Connection and Trust.
For each, I have 4 ways of being that bring them to life.
For connection to be present I need to...
Number 1 - Be myself. I am, both fortunately and unfortunately, who I am. The more authentic and real I am, the more likely others will be comfortable being themselves. The magic that I am drawn to and look to create are moments of authentic self-expression.
Number 2 - Be curious. Consider that it may be more important to be interested that it is to be interesting.
I love getting to know more about people. What’s important to them and what makes them tick.
I’ll often use those things I learn and weave them into the direction I give to the talent. It helps me to bring out that authentic expression and moments of emotion.
Number 3 - Be compassionate. The default state for most human beings is some form of suffering. Knowing that everyone has their own trials and tribulations they face helps me interact with them from a place of compassion. No matter what I’m shooting, if I approach individuals from a caring, human place, then I believe the shoot has been a success even if the photos don’t turn out.
Number 4 - Be fun. I mean, Isn’t that part of the reason we all got into photography? Because it’s fun? I know I did.
For trust to be present, I need to...
Number 1 - Be Safe. Safety is always a top priority. No photo is worth injury or worse. The humans on set always come before whatever I’m shooting.
Number 2 - Be Professional. This also goes without saying. No matter what scenario I may be shooting, being professional is a key component of creating trust and having people on set put their faith in my process and vision.
Number 3 - Be collaborative. When I have full control of a set, everyone there has both a job to do and value to add to the shoot. Creativity can come from anyone, at any time, so staying open to ideas helps me get better photos. That doesn’t mean I try everything that’s suggested, but I aim to create an atmosphere where people are heard and feel like they are partners in the process.
Number 4 - Be generous/giving. I always want the people to feel like I’m on their side; That I have their best interests in mind. I want the people who work with me to achieve their goals and find success and happiness in life. So in whatever way I can, I try to contribute to those around me without any expectation of return.
And then as the day goes on, I like to check-in.
Creating a relationship isn’t a one-time event. It takes time, care and, shared experiences to build a lasting relationship.
In almost all cases, the more I work with people over time, the better the relationships get. Both because we get more connected, and because there’s a shorthand that develops that makes communication more effective.
Communication on set is one of the most important skills a photographer can develop, as each role on set works together like puzzle pieces of a greater whole.
I’m often checking in with Art Directors to make sure that I’m hitting the mark in terms of the feeling and concept. They can be great partners to problem-solve something that just isn’t working because they've been on so many sets. Sometimes, I’ll even ask them to direct talent in cases where the camera is more of a fly on the wall rather than a character in the scene.
If there’s a graphic designer on set, I’ll be checking in with them to make sure that I have enough variety in perspectives and distance so they can create the assets required. They often have a good sense of what orientation and framing we still need to cover off. They can also be great at chatting to talent to help create those in-between moments just like the AD.
Ideally, there are other creatives on set that are experts in their field. Fashion stylists, costume designers, hairstylists, make-up artists, movement coaches, gaffers, set designers, set decorators, props stylists, really almost anything you can think of, there's an expert who's great at that! Connecting with each of them, leaning on their expertise and making sure their needs are addressed is part of my job.
Of course, I can’t always have all of these individuals on set, but when I do, I love to get to understand what they’re looking for so that I can flag things proactively as I shoot.
If I’m not liking how something is looking, I’ll often ask their opinion on what I’m seeing and figure out the best way to move forward. I’ll also voice my thoughts on how the decisions they’re making will impact my ability to shoot a certain style or feeling.
It’s also good to know how they work so that the shoot can be structured in a way that both supports them and the concept. For example, hairstylists will usually want to work from the least complex hairstyle that requires the least product, to the more structured looks that require a lot of product. This isn’t always possible, but figuring out the best way to work together comes from those conversations.
The other invaluable creative collaborators and unsung heroes of a set are assistants.
A great assistant will anticipate the needs of the photographer, keep a pulse of what the mood is on set while I’m working with talent, and will flag any issues that are occurring in a calm, professional manner.
Anticipation is probably the hardest for any new assistant, as it takes getting to know the needs are quirks of a photographer.
Over time, I’ll develop a shorthand with my assistants that helps us work together effectively.
Since they’re so important to my success, I want to make sure they feel supported and set up for the day.
And finally, The most important communication is with my subject or the talent.
That’s because it’s through them, that a concept comes to life.
I need to communicate with them in order to get the moment and shots I want. Some of the approaches I take are:
Number 1 - Setting the Scenario.
Thinking about the shoot as a sequence of scenes, scenarios or even moments helps me to create real and unique moments. I’m not a fan of photos that feel posed, so I’d much rather give the talent a scenario to act through and move naturally within. It also gives a deeper motivation to their movements and emotions. These can be simple or be fleshed out into full-out characters with backstories.
Number 2 - Talking them through.
If setting the scene isn’t enough. I’ll usually follow that up by verbally directing actions they can be taking in the scene. At this point, I’d still keep things pretty general to avoid shots that feel posed. Instead, I’d focus on the actions they are taking within the scene and see how they approach that naturally. The benefit of this technique is that I can keep my camera up to my eye and keep shooting.
Number 3 - Demonstrating.
If my verbal directions aren’t clear or if I'm not getting what I want, I’m not afraid of showing an approximation of what I’m looking for with my own body. To be clear, I know that I look ridiculous. I’m no model, so when I show what I think could work, I'll get a laugh. I do find that this can help put talent at ease, as I’m willing to look silly in service of the project. The main drawback of this is that my camera is often by my side, so if it creates a moment or emotion I’m looking for, I may miss it.
Number 4 - Showing.
If my demonstrations aren’t working either, I’ll bring up the mood board with shot inspo. Movement or expression examples can be an invaluable way to show them what I’m looking for. Sometimes I use this technique extensively, while other times it can hurt the flow of a shoot, especially if other methods are working well.
Number 5 - Evoking Emotion.
If it's not the expression in their body that isn’t working, but their emotional range in their face. Then I’ll try to approach it a different way. If they’re close to where they need to be, I might just use some adjectives to either heighten or soften their facial expressions.
Sometimes the emotion I’m looking for isn’t quite right. So if the talent isn’t lining up with what I’m expecting or wanting, I’ll usually start off with a bit of banter. Just chatting with talent about a variety of subjects can give me an idea of what buttons to press. Perhaps they love dogs. Or they're really into a specific TV show. Or have a silly friend. Once I have this information, I’ll try to use it in a way that gets them to show those feelings.
Sometimes I may work them into it slowly, while other times I may surprise them by bringing something up they mentioned earlier in the day and seeing how they react.
Emotions are really a challenge. Each time I work with new talent and am struggling to get what I want, I learn something new about how I might want to approach someone in the future.
Number 6 - Specific Direction.
There are times when things are flowing nicely but could benefit from small tweaks to accentuate a feeling. In these cases, I’m happy to give specific direction.
Things like look towards the light, bring your chin down, turn slightly. Things like that.
However, if that direction starts making things look posey, then I’ll usually break and start from the top. I’m not looking for a model to be a puppet. I’m looking to collaborate with them as human beings and bring their unique personality into the shoot in some way.
All along the way, I consistently find ways to provide positive feedback on what they’re doing. Things like
Number 1 - Positive affirmations - A regular stream of words like “cool”, “beautiful”, “that’s it”
Number 2 - Excitement - if I see something I love, I’m not afraid to express it.
Number 3 - Sharing shots - Showing the talent how the shots are looking is a great way of making them feel really good about the shoot.
Now I find, the more confident the talent feels, the more comfortable they will get. And the more comfortable they get, its actually more likely I am to capture those real and unique moment that I love.
So if things aren’t going my way, or if I'm ever feeling stuck in getting the expression I want, the first place to look is communication and the relationship that I'm building.
So here are 4 things you can action between now and the next episode:
Number 1 - Practice - Practice your communication. Your photography won’t get better without practice, and communication works the same way. You've got to practice.
Number 2 - Get Connected - Get to know the people you work with before the shoot. See if building a relationship beforehand changes how the shoot goes.
Number 3 - Vary your approach - Think about how you direct talent to get the shot you want and try different ways of communicating your vision. Each individual you work with is unique and will respond to different techniques.
Number 4 - Start small - If you tend to be a “silent shooter” like I was when I started, try to start giving your talent some regular feedback. Pick a word, it doesn’t even matter what it is, as it’s how you say it that is more important than the word itself. If you’re stuck on what word, start with “cool” and see how that goes.
The next episode is a big one! That's where all of your planning, communication skills, and relationship building and they all come together. The shoot itself.
Let me know your thoughts on this series so far and if you have any questions you want me to answer on the vlogcast, head over to photoproventure.com/ask and fill out the form.
So between now and the next episode, try one new thing, and get closer to the photographer you want to be.
[CLOSING MUSIC]
