I find the image below to be quite interesting for the way it illustrates a variety of approaches to photography. The man leaning on the car hood is my friend, writer Harlan Ellison. The man in the brown shirt is ace photographer Rod Searcey, one of the best portrait photographers in the business and a man I'm pleased to consider another friend. When creating his portraits, Rod takes the time to create a scene, carefully lining up the shot with the subject posing to create a complete image.
The other two individuals are close friends of Harlan. The woman to the far right is capturing her own version of the picture, standing further back, though she might be using a zoom with her point and shoot. The casual draping of her coat indicates this was probably more of an opportunistic picture and not as thoroughly considered as the image Rod is creating. Hers is more of the classic "snapshot".
The third and last approach to this scene is my own -- which in this case is a bit between the other two methods illustrated overtly here. I am essentially an opportunistic photographer in these situations. There are times when I set up shots and carefully execute them -- images such as my martini series. Those are images which I approach in a deliberate manner.
But when I'm shooting out in the world, I watch what is going on around me and wait for something to line up the way I want it to. This means that when something presents itself which grabs my attention and I think will make for a good photograph, I can grab as it happens. Sports, news and event photographers use this approach. (It's not like you can ask a linebacker to hold a pose while he tackles a receiver...)
(Rod also works in this way for some of his own editorial shots of famous people and events.)
So despite the initial reaction you might have had that there are two photographers at work in this picture, there are three.
(You can see Rod's work at Rod Searcey Photography )
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