Chapter 1. Connect with your Subject

Some cultures believe that a photograph can steal your soul and they might be right since that’s the goal of a great portrait. Nothing is more important to portrait photography than connecting with the person you’re photographing—it’s the foundation of an extraordinary portrait.

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HOLY MEN OF NEPALPhotographed in Kathmandu

Establishing your subject’s trust always takes some time. Anything you can do to speed up that process will make you a better photographer. A good portrait photographer is a 15-second psychoanalyst. Why, you ask? Well, that’s generally how long you have to size up your subjects and decide how ...

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