Ultimate Antarctica January 5–February 1, 2008

After the second shot I knew I had to get out. There’d be another shot coming at any moment and every second counted. At the first chance I had, I grabbed my camera and flash and scooted out of the room. Shouts of disappointment followed my exit, as I returned to the main hall of the enormous wedding reception.

The "shots" I was referring to were vodkas, enthusiastically thrust upon me by one happy group at a "small" 500-guest wedding reception in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. I’m not much of a drinker, and certainly not one for straight shots, but I found the irony of worrying about "shots" appropriate. Before the trip I

	After spending some time watching two chess players, I started snapping, eventually dropping down to table-level to include the chess pieces in the image. His gruff look was his intimidating frown of concentration.

had a bit of anxiety about visiting a Muslim country that had recently received some negative US press coverage. Uzbekistan is one of five "stans" that were once part of the Soviet Union and has, of late, played a role in the war in Iraq. Prior to the trip I had fretted about encountering possible anti-Americanism, and in my wilder moments I even envisioned a hostage situation with extremists wielding guns and kidnapping me. But all my worries were for naught—the people were intoxicatingly friendly, and I do mean that literally.

Uzbekistan is in central Asia, north of Afghanistan, south of Russia, one country removed from western China. I was visiting as part of a scientific delegation, where my role was to present a few lectures on biodiversity and ecotourism. I was hoping to see the wilder side of central Asia as well, and we had planned several days in the high country around Chilkut where snow leopards are occasionally seen.

Had I been successful in my quest to see or photograph snow leopards, I’d be writing another article right now. Our snow leopard expedition was unsuccessful—wrong time of year, wrong time of day, and ultimately not enough time. We did get up into some very wild country, riding horseback for 8 hours on poorly-adjusted local saddles, but late in the Asiatic summer even the birds were scarce and I saw little but insects.

With the exception of the snow leopard expedition, I knew that I wouldn’t be in the field, but rather in cities and towns for most of my trip . I always have some misgivings about doing that since I am, first and foremost, a wildlife and nature photographer. I rarely photograph people, although when I do it is usually in exotic locations where the subject matter practically demands attention. I was hoping that would be the case here.

	An old man in Kyrgyzstan was delighted to pose with an old cheroot, a welcome break from a day tending sheep.

But doing so would require switching gears, changing my shooting style from one which is usually rather slow and patient—I’m willing to wait hours for something to happen—to one that would require working without the luxury of time. When shooting wildlife, ideally one observes and photographs without interacting. But when photographing people, the exact opposite is the norm.

Virtually every nature photographer who travels will eventually have an opportunity to photograph exotic people and cultures. Otavalo Indians on a sidetrip from the Galápagos, Maasai warriors in Kenya, gauchos in Patagonia, sherpas in Nepal...the list of interesting subjects is as varied as the tribes, customs and cultures of the planet.

My foremost rule when working with people is remembering that I am, in fact, doing just that—working with people. And, not to sound trite, but people are people around the world, meaning that they’re generally kind and friendly and curious and helpful and will exhibit these traits if approached in exactly the same manner. No one likes to be or to feel exploited, and sneaking around, covertly snapping candids, can make anyone feel suspicious, uncomfortable or hostile.

	At 300mm I could simplify my background while still providing some space for this young girl carrying fodder for her cows in the highlands of Bali.

Of course, some of the best shots can be candids when people are acting naturally and not posing or hamming up for a camera, and I’ll shoot these whenever I can. But if I’m noticed I’ll stop, smile, gesture to my camera and often make an OK sign, nonverbally conveying the idea that what just occurred was special and rewarding.

Sometimes, a candid moment can be extended into a semi-posed event. The general reaction most folks have when confronted with a camera is to give eye contact and to stop what they’re doing. If someone is working, I’ll indicate they should keep working, and sometimes, by pointing at my eyes and then their’s, and then pointing at whatever he or she was working on, I can direct their attention back to their work. An interpreter certainly helps here, if you have one, but a digital camera works perhaps even more effectively in "shaping" your subject’s behavior.

Most people in Third World countries rarely, if ever, have their picture taken and when they do, it’s often a formal portrait. I’ve found most folks get a real kick out of seeing themselves at work and as others see them, doing what they normally do. With a digital display, I can snap a few images and then share these with my subject before shooting a few more. Often, on this second round, my subjects have an idea of what I’m trying to do and work even harder at their task.

	I used a 17–35mm wide-angle and worked in close so that I’d have both a large image size while still incorporating some background. Too often, when using a wide-angle, photographers hang back and the subject loses its impact.

Don’t be afraid to get involved, either. I’ve climbed coconut palm trees, ridden camels, sipped mate and drunk fermented horse milk, to name just a few of the little adventures I’ve experienced as I’ve established a rapport with the local people. I’ve often switched places with whomever I’m photographing, mimicking their behavior and adopting the pose or position I’d like them to take. And I’m talking constantly, even if my subject doesn’t understand a word I’m saying. I think the basic idea of interaction, of sharing, is still being conveyed—in contrast to working silently where your subject could rightly get the impression that they are only a model.

In short, I try to have fun with my subjects. To help that along, a real "ice-breaker" can be one of those collapsible diffusers or reflectors used to control light. These round or rectangular reflectors can be a real challenge to collapse and fold correctly, requiring a twisting of the wrists in opposite directions to collapse the reflector into a smaller unit. If a small crowd gathers while I’m shooting, and I need a reflector for light, I often pull one out of my pack, snap it open, and then, as quickly and effortlessly as I can, I twist and tuck the reflector back to its smaller shape. Then, I snap it open again, and hand the opened reflector to one of the by-standers and I motion for them to the repeat the trick.

	I used a 70–200mm f2.8 lens to isolate this gaucho, while adjusting the aperture to insure a soft background. The gaucho was drinking mate, a type of southern South American tea, which we shared, enjoyed, and which helped build a rapport.

Seeing it done, and actually doing it, are quite different, and the crowd, and the volunteer, generally enjoy the antics involved. After a couple of tries, I demonstrate the technique more slowly, helping if necessary, until the action is mastered. Next, I demonstrate how the reflector adds light, or how a diffuser softens shadows, and then I have someone give me a hand—usually the volunteer I started with.

Candid people photography generally precludes using a tripod, which goes against everything I ever teach, but the potential crowds, the time and the space often leaves no alternative. Accordingly, I’m a huge fan of Image-Stabilization or Vibration Reduction lenses to maintain sharpness.

This helps, of course, but even with IS or VR lenses, the faster the shutter speed you can use, the better off you’ll be. The old rule for hand holding a camera, using a shutter speed that is no slower than 1/focal-length, is a bit less important with an IS or VR lens, but the general principle still applies. Use good camera handling techniques, by supporting both the lens and the camera body and, if

	The rugged mountains of this falconer’s home in Kyrgyzstan were important in this picture, which I incorporated by sitting on the ground and shooting up. I filled in the very contrasty shadows with a fill-flash dialed in to a –1 compensation.

you can, prop your elbows into your belly for extra support. Remember, with a digital camera you can raise the ISO as needed, so if I’m shooting in low light I raise the ISO to 400 or even higher if I need the shutter speed.

Flash can be useful, too, and not just when the light levels are low. Flash is useful for filling in contrast and shadows—especially when photographing people outdoors. Generally I dial down the TTL flash compensation to a –1 or more, although exactly how much compensation I use depends upon the situation and what my histogram and LCD monitor displays. On my Uzbekistan trip I often used the built-in plastic bounce card on my 580EZ flash to soften the effect of the flash, but I regretted not having a LumiQuest Promax pocket bouncer, which would have directed the light more efficiently. Remember, bouncing a flash shortens its effective distance, since light not only travels farther but is also absorbed by the reflecting surface, so a bounced flash works best either close or when you’re using a faster ISO.

	A small plastic diffuser on my hotshoe flash created a more natural soft light as this woman weaved a rug in Tashkent, Uzbekestan.

My favorite lens for this fast-breaking people photography is a 28–300 zoom, which allows me to switch from a close-working distance wide-angle to a tight portrait in seconds. Switching lenses can also break the spontaneity of the moment and, with digital SLRs, can introduce the risk of getting dust on the sensor. The aperture on this Canon lens is rather slow, f/4.5 to f/5.6, depending upon the focal length, so if I know I’m going to be shooting in low light I’ll carry two fast zooms instead—a 17–35mm f2.8 and a 70–200mm f/2.8. Most of the time I’ll use the longer zoom, which increases my working distance and simplifies my compositions, but if I need to incorporate my subject’s surroundings, I’ll switch to the short zoom.

All of the compositional techniques one might use for a nature image, apply to photographing people in-the-field as well. Backgrounds are always important, regardless of whether or not you want to include one in your image, and your choice of lenses will either emphasize or minimize the background. Long lenses offer a restricted angle of view and, if I can make a generalization, a shallower depth of field, so the telephoto end of a zoom can be great for portraits. Wide-angle lenses include more background, which can provide a sense of

	A woman in Rwanda walks to market. She was carrying an umbrella, which served as a great diffuser. The year after I took this picture we returned to Rwanda with a print, which we gave to some locals who knew her. Later that day we learned she had the picture in hand.

place or be distracting. Generally, if I include a background I make sure to use my depth-of-field preview button to control the overall look, adjusting the aperture for the amount of depth and detail that I require.

Perspective is important as well, and I’m careful to get to, or below, my subject's level can to create an intimate look or a fresher perspective. Shooting up from a low angle can also be very effective in simplifying a background, regardless of the lens in use.

The bottom line in photographing people, however, is not the equipment you’re using or your polished camera-handling techniques. Successful people photography requires empathy, establishing a relationship and having fun with your subjects. We must remember, too, that we are not only photographers, but we’re also ambassadors for whatever our country. With a great attitude and a sense of creating new friends, I can only hope my photography helps break cultural barriers and promotes a better understanding between peoples. To me, that’s the most important point...the images are a secondary bonus.

All images Copyright © Joe and Mary Ann McDonald