Show Real People
Research has shown that images with the best response by an audience are those that are not staged, but "capture the moment". They show real people doing real things and having real experiences. Note that many people also reacted negatively when they saw politicians or government officials on images....they are often perceived as staged, even if they are not. Here is an example of a staged versus a "real" image.
Staged versus Real Shots
Image Credit: Olaf Kuhlke
The first one (see above) was take on May 16, 2019, at Maguse Lake near Arviat, Nunavut. It shows Billy Ukutak, a local hunting and expedition guide, dressed up in traditional Inuk clothing, and with traditional hunting gear. This picture was intentionally staged during a workshop with local Arviat residents, to work with them on photography techniques that you will learn in this course.
Image Credit: Olaf Kuhlke
The second one (see above) was taken on the same day and in the same location, about an hour later. After we finished the staged photography session, I took a picture of our guide, as he is changing back into his modern hunting clothing. He happens to do this next to his modern hunting transportation - the snow machine - and in front of his modern hunting freezer - an old school bus parked next to his hunting cabin. So this picture contrasts the traditional with the modern hunter, and shows how this practice has changed and now involves two objects that consume fossil fuels. The second image was capture spontaneously.
Copyright © All Rights Reserved
