You may have noticed
over the last couple of posts that I keep banging on about not being home next
week. That’s because I will be dog-sitting at my father’s house while the
oldies are off visiting my sister and her boys. And while I’m down there I am
hoping to get the rest of the leg work done for my photo story on Queenstown’s
Q-West Gallery.
So far I have got
some images presenting the styles of art commonly on display at the gallery,
the opening event of the galleries latest exhibition and some shots of artists
at work. To complete the project I still need to get interviews with some of
the artists that regularly exhibit at the gallery, images of those artists at
work and some portraits. I also still
want to get some shots situating the gallery in the town but, to be honest, I
cannot for the life of me figure out how! You have to see the problem to
understand.
For today’s post I
thought I’d give you a run down on my preparations for the tasks ahead. I’ll
tell you about the gear I’ll be using, my preparations for the interviews, and
the challenges I expect to be facing.
Okay, let’s start
with...
The Interview
I may not know much
about photography but I am pretty good at conducting a research interview. And what
I have found that I always need to conduct an effective interview is the right
recording equipment. For me, that equipment is:
·
Rode Smartlav+ - a low-cost, high quality lapel
microphone designed specifically to work with smart phones or tablets.
-
iPhone 5S – The smart phone I happen to own at the
moment. Any smart phone or tablet will do the job, so long as it has a 3.5mm
jack.
·
A free Dictaphone app. The iPhone comes with a voice
memo app, but I want to be sure I record everything, so an app developed
specifically for this kind of use is essential. And its free, so who cares?
Put these three
together and you have a rugged, dependable, go-anywhere voice recording device
in a small package that will meet your interview-recording needs. Slip the
phone into your subject’s pocket, clip the microphone to their lapel and away
you go.
There a lot of
different opinions on how to conduct an interview. The way I’m going to
describe is just the one that works for me. It is an incredibly simple
technique, but it does require the interviewer to be flexible and adaptable.
Step one is to
decide what you want to learn during the course of your interview. For example,
I am interviewing artists so I have decided there are four main topics I would
like to cover with every artist and then I want to find some special or unique
feature of each artist that I want to highlight. That is what I want.
Here’s the thing,
though. Regardless of what you want,
in a good interview the interviewer goes where the answers take him or her. Yes
you have the points you want to establish, but if you allow yourself to be
guided by the interviewee, you may find a far more fascinating tale to tell
than your questions would ever have revealed. And, as a bonus, you will find
your subject becoming far more relaxed and willing to open up. At the start of
the interview your subject is going to be tense or nervous or on the defensive.
Letting them be your guide through the process is an empowering gesture that
helps them achieve that relaxation and a more open approach.
There is one thing you
should note with my method, though. Ordinarily I would only use this as a
preliminary interview in order to find topics to drill deeper into during
subsequent interviews. But in this case, considering the final use to which I
will be putting the information I receive, I don’t think I will need any
secondary interviews. We’ll see whether I’m right, I guess.
Next:
The Artist at Work
This will be a fun,
and challenging, part of my week in Queenstown. Fun because I will be
photographing something new and different with every artist, in new and
different environments and a range of different lighting conditions. Fun right?
The challenge comes
from the fact that I will have absolutely no idea what kind of environment I
will be shooting in. This is where gear choices become important. For maximum
flexibility I will be taking my 70-300mm telly lens just in case I have to
shoot from a distance; my 18-55mm kit lens because it is the widest piece of
glass I have and I may find myself in a tight situation; my nifty fifty f1.8
for best results in low light; and my 50mm macro just in case there are some
detail shots on offer. Thinking about it, I might take my extension tubes to
use with the telly. You never know!
Finally:
The Portrait
This one worries me.
As I think I have mentioned, I am a nature photographer. I shoot landscapes,
wildlife, macro and dogs (just ‘cos’ I like dogs, you know?). I have never shot
a single portrait in my life! I have taken some candid people shots, but I have
never sat and posed a subject in a formal portrait-type situation. I mean, look
at my gear! I have just listed every lens I own for you, and none of them seem
really suited to portraiture.
But here’s what I’m
thinking (and if you have a better idea, please
let me know!); my best options are the 50mm f1.8 or the 70-300mm. Mounted on my
D3200 the 50mm becomes a 75mm (1.5x crop) giving me that little bit of compression
and, with a fast aperture, it gives me a bit more flexibility with light. On
the other hand, the 70-300mm gives me more compression but, with its variable
aperture, it makes finding correct exposure for the lighting (whatever that may
be) a little more interesting. And just to add a bit more complication, the kit
lens might be the best choice because, to get the artist with their work, I’m
looking at something more like an environmental portrait, meaning I’ll want fit
more in the frame. Gee I love not knowing what I’m doing! And let’s just crank up
the complication a little further, shall we? I don’t have flashes, nor does
anyone I know, nor would I know what to do with one if I did, so it’s
available-light portraiture for me. Oi!
So that’s where I am
with my photo story. If anyone has experience with portrait shoots please,
please, pleeaassee give me some tips.
And, as always, if anyone has questions, comments or suggestions, or just wants
to share their own experiences, there is a comments section just down there ↓ so go for it!
As always, I hope you enjoyed the read!
Please check out my
portfolio at:
You can also
find me at:
And I am
@BobCartPhoto on Twitter
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