samurai photog: starting at zero

starting at zero,
originally uploaded by samuraiphotog.

OK, so I finally have time in my schedule to confront the next obstacle (both self-imposed and non-) in my photographic growth, which is the ability to get close - really close - to my subjects.

To that end, I am taking a class with Amy Arbus called The Narrative Portrait, which requires you to spend ten weeks with a subject of your choosing and shooting them every week. This appeals to me on a number of levels, not the least of which is that I just have never been able to do that before. When I make portraits for Tape Op, it's very much a wham-bam affair. I do the homework beforehand, but the actual time spent with the subject is short, and I am always left thinking: If I had more time with X, I would have thought of this and this and this to do with them.

Since the work for class is, ideally, a collaboration between subject and photographer, I have great hopes for this. I also have a lot of issues that I need to work out, both technically and personally. Then again, I'm not in class to skate by, so I expect some angst.

To make it a little less invasive to my subjects, I think I am going to give them a camera too, to photograph me as I am with them. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't.