From the course: Narrative Portraiture: On Location in Texas with Keith Carter

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The value of the conversation

The value of the conversation

From the course: Narrative Portraiture: On Location in Texas with Keith Carter

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The value of the conversation

One of the things that I've discovered about portraiture is that it's incredibly important to connect with your subject. It's about listening, noticing those small details. It's about asking questions. In essence, it's a little bit like conversation. So often when you have a conversation with someone, sometimes the best questions, they are the hardest to ask, but they are almost always worth it. It's about crossing perhaps that awkward threshold and digging a little bit deeper. So often as photographers we're comfortable hiding behind our cameras. There is a certain comfort there that we like and enjoy. But I find it's almost always worth it to set the camera down, to look someone in the eyes and just talk, and try to make that connection. And as I talked with Keith, I realized that he is really gifted at that. He is gifted at making those connections. One of the reasons why I think his photography is so strong is because of that. My hope in reflecting upon our conversation is that it…

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