1. Fill the frame so the image doesn't have to be cropped into a portrait mode (frame it as a portrait [vertical] and not as a landscape [horizontal] image)
2. Find a neutral background without any distractions (e.g. reflections, limbs or power poles, people staring at you)
3. If they're wearing glasses or a hat, make sure you find the right light to minimize shadows and reflections (if they're wearing sunglasses, ask for them to take them off)
4. Make sure you have the technical aspects nailed down (proper exposure and focus on the eyes)
5. Get proper spelling on the first and last names, where they're from and their age
6. If you get 12 mugs and four of them don't quite work, shoot four more
Remember, these are just glorified driver's license photos. Nothing fancy. Get close so you fill the frame with nothing more than a head and shoulders.
This is an exercise in approaching strangers. You may have to find a way to charm your way into getting a photo. Make small talk. If they're wearing a cool hat or have a team jacket that your a fan of, bring it up in the conversation. Photojournalism is definitely a "people-person" industry and finding your way to approach people is the first step in getting photos and information.
We'll talk about approaches and overcoming stranger anxiety in class next week.
This assignment is due on Jan. 26.
Here are some examples of how the mugs shots should look:
Thanks for some good examples. This is really helpful!
ReplyDeleteJerome,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the examples. I was a bit confused as to the "exact definition of a Mug Shot" so I took 12 shots from the chest up which covers the shoulders, and 12 more from the shoulders up. The first 12 were prior to your instructions, the other 12 I wanted to make sure. Next time I will wait to obtain all the info, for I hate having to do the assignment twice.
Well you took some initiative and went out there to get it done so at least you worked on your approach with strangers. And now you have twice the experience to fall back on. We'll go over the "mugs" in class tomorrow night. I'm sure you did fine.
ReplyDelete