Talking to People

Much of my photography involves working with animals, or children. I enjoy these sessions; both animals and children can be fun and spontaneous to work with. They don’t usually have the same inhibitions that older people can do, and are consequently more natural in front of the camera. Having said that, the camera still creates a barrier between the subject and me. Towards overcoming the barrier, talking to people and animals is a key part of the job.

I spend time at the beginning of a session getting to know whoever I am working with. This is particularly important for animals and children, in building trust and rapport between us. Young children and animals tend to respond well to visual stimuli, as well as sounds. So a combination of gentle face pulling, noises, and talking, often achieves the desired result of alert inquisitive looks towards the camera. In the case of children, hopefully including a smile or two as well.

Working with adults can present a different challenge. Some people feel very natural in front of the camera, while others are less at ease. I include myself in the latter category. How does one engage with an adult who already feels they are caught in an awkward situation?

A friend advised me that when she trained as a hair dresser, she was told to avoid three particular conversation topics:

• Religion
• Relationships
• Politics

Even if a client raised any of these subjects, the advice remained to tread cautiously and not to engage in deep conversation.

A training course I attended, run by a successful UK photographer, offered a module on customer engagement. The guidance offered suggestions on topics to discuss with different customers. Examples for female customers included asking whether they had any children, and if not, whether they hoped to have any. Men’s questions included asking about their careers and hobbies outside of work. Wow! Red flag for these lines of questions! Highly inappropriate on both counts. Why single women out for such personal questions, and why assume that men will have careers to discuss? There are many things wrong with conversations like the ones we were being encouraged to have. I explained to the photographer why I felt this was dangerous territory. I suspect that he didn’t change his approach to his clients, but I hope he at least thought about my perspective.

You could argue that any conversation topic could become awkward. After all, it is unlikely that we know much of the background to the people we are photographing. Sometimes visual clues can open up lines of conversation. You don’t always have to start with a question either. A client who arrives with animal hair on their clothing might have animals at home (but try not to assume). Making a comment about one’s own inability to leave the house without taking a cloud of animal hair along for the ride offers an opportunity for the client to talk about the origin of their own coat of hair. Or not. We don’t know the situation and we’re not there to force the conversation.

Some questions might lead to longer conversations. You could praise a client for being a natural in front of the camera, tell them that they look fantastic, and ask whether studio photography is something they have much experience of. At all times, remaining respectful and genuine. Nobody wants to feel you use the same lines on every single person who visits your studio. They want to feel unique. In the time they are with you, they are the most important person in the room. They are never ‘just another’ client passing through. This is not small talk to break the silence, but real personal interest from photographer to customer.

When making the booking, the customer is likely to have revealed some detail about what the photographs are for. Perhaps a gift for somebody, or head shots for business, or maybe the photos are for a dramatic arts portfolio. Whatever the purpose, there may be another conversation opening in discussing the intended end us. Even if for no reason other than ensuring that you provide a full range of images which will suit the needs of the client.

During the shoot, show the client some of the pictures that you’ve taken. Make sure they are happy with the poses, and discuss whether there’s anything else which they would like to try in particular. Keep them involved. It’s their session, and it’s important to ensure they feel they are the central element of the session, as opposed to being a photographer’s accessory.

The key points are to be yourself, and to involve the client, whatever age or background they are. In doing so, you will be more at ease, which puts the customer at ease too. Avoid small talk for the sake of it, and never assume anything about the customer. Involve them in general talk, invite them into conversation by revealing something about yourself, and only ask open questions if you feel comfortable that the subject is suitable. You want the customer to enjoy the session and to leave feeling relaxed, upbeat, and confident that there will be a great set of images to view in due course.