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You are here: Home / Educational / Inspiration / An Introverts Guide to Becoming a Portrait Photographer
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An Introverts Guide to Becoming a Portrait Photographer

July 10, 2017 by Andrew Fritz

Without noticing, I’m becoming a portrait photographer. I was watching a live VLOG from Tony and Chelsea Northrup about unconventional portraiture and it got me thinking about my own work and in particular how it has changed over the years.

A Feather in the Hair - Photographing Genuine Moments - Portrait Photography
A genuine moment. A friend’s daughter found a feather and stuck it in her hair while we were picking raspberries. I love her stoic look as she patiently waited for me to make a portrait.

Introversion

I’m not a people person. Interactions with strangers and even acquaintances are often awkward for me. They drain me in a very real way. Even interactions with close friends and family are exhausting. Every social interaction feels like a chance to crash and burn and that stress tells.

Speaking to random strangers, even with an introduction, is terrifying. I don’t let that stop me when I have no choice, but it does limit what I do when I’m free to behave how I want.

It’s hard to admit that I’m terrified in any situation because I consider myself pretty fearless in general (for example, I’m an experienced technical cave diver, something that terrifies most people). But, in the social realm, I am a fish out of water. I’m far from dysfunctional, but I will never say I find social activities “fun” and I avoid them when possible.

Translating to Photography

As you might imagine, that aspect of my personality has a profound effect on my photography. I think one of the main draws of photography for me is its insulating aspect. It provides a socially acceptable reason to be alone. Suddenly the draw of landscape photography and especially astro-photography becomes clear.

Take it a step further, a camera is armor in social situations too. If I’m carrying a camera, I’m not a person. I’m a photographer. I have an assigned role and so does everyone else in the room.  We all knows the expectations, or pretend to anyway.

The net result was that I took a lot of photos of people I didn’t know and had no interest in at events.  And the resulting photos, while perfectly competent, are totally uninteresting to me. When I was free to shoot what I wanted, I headed as far away from people as I could, usually out into nature and often at night when the sensible people were asleep in their beds.

Shifting to Portraits

That VLOG got me thinking about portraiture and my portfolio. I realized that many of the images I like from the last couple of years are of people, or contain people as a part of the landscape. Apparently I turned some sort of corner without realizing it, or maybe the path doesn’t have corners just bezier curves.

I started to glance through my archive starting with images I’ve made recently working my way back. I pulled images, not that the subject liked, not that a client liked, but that I liked. The change happened about 3 years ago, and like most shifts, was slow.

Agro-Punk Urban Bee Keeper and Farmer - Editorial Portrait - Conventional Editorial Portrait - Austin Portrait Workshop
One of my first self-assigned portraits, one of my wife’s work colleages. She had an urban farm in her back yard compete with bee hives.

Break Out

One of my first “talking to strangers” triumphs was in Joshua Tree. And like so many breakthroughs in the world, it happened when my social-buffer (Josh) wasn’t around.

Joshua Tree Clumbing Landscape - Adding People to Landscape Photos - Astroportrait - Milky way photography - Austin Photography Workshops
A random climber I met in Joshua Tree National Park on a stop over. I broke out of my introvert mold and actually talked to strangers.

The story of making these images isn’t all that exciting, but it is important. I saw a group of climbers around sunset. I asked if I could photograph them and they said yes. Nothing much came of that. None of the photos were really that exiting or good. But, as they were packing up to leave, I asked them if any of them would like to stay and do some night climbing for me to use as a subject for milky way photos. All but two of them said no.

Two was more than enough. In the end, I did not make portraits, but landscapes. This was after all an incremental shift. But the landscapes featured a person as a central element. That inclusion improves the photos.

Regrets

More recently, my normal post-shoot depression (I’m not sure this is the right term and I don’t mean to diminish anyone with clinical depression’s experience, but I can’t come up with any other word that is appropriate) has been punctuated by regret for missed portrait opportunities. I get home and look at my photos and think “why didn’t I pull that person aside for a portrait.” And in many cases, I even made portraits, but NOT the portraits I know I should have.

You see, my introverted nature means I will almost always take a back seat to a more social personality when it comes to soliciting buy in from subjects or planning shoots… And of course, Josh is a classic extrovert who loves to walk right up to strangers and talk to them. That is basically my definition of torture (yes hyperbole is a thing).

The process of regretting imagined missed shots is a part of the growth cycle. The unpleasant feeling of failure is motivational at least some of the time.

Becoming a Portrait Photographer

Looking through the work I selected in my quick survey tonight, I realize something: many of the images I like the most came about because I was left in a situation without that safety blanket, without the ability to abdicate responsibility to subject bye-in to someone else. I planned the shoot, or stumbled across it, or simply took over and did what I wanted instead of following. The results are portraits I like and that say something about me.

My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph. – Richard Avedon

I’m not sure what the future holds, but I plan to spend more time making portraits I like and that speak to me. Where does that fit into my business (it is how I pay my bills after all)? I’m not sure.

One thing about shooting as a part of a team is that highlighting individual differences is difficult. It often makes the team look inconsistent. Variations of style clash when they would be fine, even spectacular, in their own portfolio.

Some of My Portraits

Here are some of my favorite portraits from the last few years. These are not necessarily the subject’s favorites or even the most technically perfect images. But they are images that speak to me.

Weed Whacker Man - Becoming a Portrait Photographer - Editorial Portrait - Strobist Portrait - Austin Photography Workshops
Weed Whacker Man. One of my best friend’s uncles and one of my friends in Taylor. He is always working and on this day he was trimming the weeds around the fence between the house and the corn fields.
Jouster Portrait - Becoming a Portrait Photographer - Environmental Headshot- Strobist Portrait
Dave Weiss, Overall winner of the 2016 Lysts on the Lake.
Soaked Engagement Photos - Portrait with Scuba Regulators and Masks - Portrait Photography
Then things got weird. This is one of my favorite portraits from a recent soaked engagement shoot we did. The couple doesn’t even scuba dive. I just liked the interest the masks and regulators added.
Available Light Portrait - #TeamBlue Member - Creative Retreat - Austin Photographers
A quick grab portrait of #TeamBlue member Stacy while waiting to start another shoot during our creative retreat.
AzulOx Visuals - Austin Wedding Photography - Wedding Videography - Austin Photorgapher
#TeamBlue Founder Josh making faces while I test a lens.
Horseshoe Bay Groom - Austin Wedding Photography - Wedding Day Photos
Joseph is a fellow photographer who’s wedding we shot. Most people focus on the bride but I really enjoy photographing grooms.
Available Light Senior Portrait - Interesting Light - Black and White Portrait - Austin Cinematic Senior Portraits
Sometimes you have amazing available light and you use it like I did here.
Beverly Hills Bridal Portrait - Destination Wedding Photographer
We don’t do “traditional” very often and Katie had a ton of character. I liked the combination of setting, light and personality.
A Candid Portrait - Travel Photography - Making Great Travel Photos
A quiet moment after a long day of play.
Seguin 4th of July Portrait - America IS Great, Full Stop - Editorial Portait
4th of July in Seguin, Tx.
Las Trancas Native - Travel Photography - Travel Portait
We visited a small village called Las Trancas for a bridal session. While there I got the chance to photograph this local while he showed us his plant nursery.
Soaked Portrait - Rain Portrait - Black and White Portrait
Meganoke soaked. Josh has been doing “soaked” portrait sessions for a while and I like to tag along when I can.
Cosplay Portrait - D&D Warrior Princess - Langtry Creative Retreat - Photography Retreat
I really love the connection with Kari even though it is from a cosplay shoot.
Austin Women's March - Born to March - Portraits on the Street
Born to March. Just one of the 50,000 thousand people at the Austin woman’s march.
Playground Portrait - Black and White Portrait - Kids Playing - Photography Workshops - Photography Inspiration
A friend’s son playing on a slide just for fun.
Groom Smoking a Pipe - Black and White Photography - Wedding Photography
Alex, another one of our grooms having a quiet moment with friends over a pipe.
Chewbacca Cosplay - Comic Con Photorgaphy - Light Testing Portrait - Portrait Workshops
A quiet moment “testing” lights before shooting a Chewbacca cosplay.
Andrew Fritz
Andrew Fritz

Andrew is a photography instructor teaching students of all skill levels in Austin, TX through Precision Camera and independently in San Diego, CA. He runs workshops around the United States.

He is a self taught experiential learner who is addicted to the possibilities that new (to him) gear open up. He loves to share the things he has worked out. Andrew started with a passion for landscape and night photography and quickly branched out to work in just about every form of photography. He is an ex-software developer with extensive experience in the IT realm.

Andrew is a full time wedding and commercial photographer in both Austin and San Diego. Andrew is a club founder and multi-time past president of North Austin Pfotographic Society.

http://azulox.com

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Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: becoming a portrait photographer, candid portraits, introvert, portrait photography, strobist portrait

Andrew Fritz

About Andrew Fritz

Andrew is a photography instructor teaching students of all skill levels in Austin, TX through Precision Camera and independently in San Diego, CA. He runs workshops around the United States.

He is a self taught experiential learner who is addicted to the possibilities that new (to him) gear open up. He loves to share the things he has worked out. Andrew started with a passion for landscape and night photography and quickly branched out to work in just about every form of photography. He is an ex-software developer with extensive experience in the IT realm.

Andrew is a full time wedding and commercial photographer in both Austin and San Diego. Andrew is a club founder and multi-time past president of North Austin Pfotographic Society.

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