The Beauty Of Unposed MF Photographic Portraits.

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

I know this is a stupid way of making portraits and it's not something I've been able to do in over 1000 professional portrait assignments.... But man, it seems to be the way to me. I hope I managed to get that across in the video. It's such a strange feeling. I guess if you've ever taken a street portrait of a stranger and it's just been perfect you'll get what I'm banging on about! Thanks for watching

[@ohtatenda]

These are beautiful, thank you for sharing.

[@jamesburk3959]

People in their natural environment, just simply being themselves tell stories that make your pictures unique and engaging. Much more interesting than something staged, even if the poses aren't "clinically" perfect. I love this stuff!

[@RostykMakushak]

Oh my goodness! Wonderful work, Edward! Loved the photographs! Really nice images, I like this type of documentary photography very much. Congratulations on the book! Well done •

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

thank you, thats very kind of you to say. 🤩

[@davidg5898]

Wonderful work. A well framed candid shot tells so much more of a story than posed pictures. It captures something genuine. Your photo of the frisbee girl is the type of thing I bring up whenever someone says photography isn't art: the art is how the photographer controls the narrative. That single frame, out of context and with your framing/exposure choices, turns a fun game of frisbee into a pensive walk to nowhere in particular. Similarly, I have a picture from a funeral memorial service that, in isolation, looks like a well dressed trio having the time of their lives at a black tie ball (smiling/laughing over glasses of wine while sharing memories of the decedent).

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

@@davidg5898 yes it's very bizarre isn't it. To think there was such a long period where people treated cameras like tools and they were thought to be entirely objective. That everyone who used it would get the same photograph.

[@elmegade3]

Such great work Ed! Inspirational.

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

@@elmegade3 thank you! 🤠

[@KAUSTUBH447]

Beautiful work. Just gorgeous.

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

@@KAUSTUBH447 that's very kind of you to say, made my day, thank you!

[@lukemerrill1272]

Beautiful work. Thank you for sharing!

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

Thank you! that's very kind of you to say!

[@CollectedLight1]

Wonderful portraits and very insightful analysis. Best line: "I didn't make Dave fish that day." Classic. Thank you.

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

@@CollectedLight1 ha! Indeed... Sounds like something Jason Statham would say!

[@marcripper]

The best kind of portraits. Some of these reminded me of Mark Steinmetz work (but color). Sub'd and followed on Insta. Fantastic work!

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

@@marcripper thank you that's high praise!

[@marcripper]

@@PicturesOnMyMind Like the blend of portraiture, landscape and tableau

[@jonbuscall8901]

Just fabulous. I’m on a break during an environmental portrait shoot for a client. I should show them your video !

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

@@jonbuscall8901 thanks Jon! As I said though it's not something that most clients want to hear 🤣 they want it shot as soon as possible, right? Although it'd be nice to get paid a day rate for a portrait right? 👍

[@jonbuscall8901]

@@PicturesOnMyMind Precisely! Although one of the subjects told me I was “hard to refuse”. At least people are moving away from pure headshots on business websites. Social media has started to change that.

[@andrewgifford7740]

Really enjoyed seeing this! There's a sense of fond appreciation for the people and place that comes through well I thought. Great stuff!

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

thank you Andrew, well I could see the nuclear power stations from my bedroom window as a kid. I grew up only 10 miles away as the crow flies. So its weird, but to me its also home.

[@andrewgifford7740]

Well, the kid-you would be well proud I reckon. Congrats on completing the project and making it to book form, that's really cool.

[@DanScott1]

Best way to get those shots and give them that special something. Love that place, shot there lots in the early nineties. You worked hard on that book project, some very interesting results and yes, 'something about the unposed moment'. Appreciated.

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

@@DanScott1 thanks Dan. Yes, all the work was made in 2011 so probably not that dissimilar to when you photographed there in the nineties! My negatives have just kind of sat around since then! Ha! The work was in The Guardian in 2011, but then that's in the trash in a week's time! I think that's why I love photo books so much. If something / someone isn't popular it gives the work time to find its audience. Thanks for the kind words.

[@danienelphoto]

That is a strong body of work, man!

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

@@danienelphoto thank you. Yeah I kept just shooting projects hoping that somehow someone might notice them and it just never happened. 🤣 So in 2022 I started putting out my own photo books. I wish I done it sooner but it was hard to work out how to do it. That's why I shared all of the videos on KZbin to hopefully help other people who are struggling with self-publishing.

[@danienelphoto]

@PicturesOnMyMind Very inspiring, man.

[@tomhopkins3431]

I loved this and love to work like this with my own photography although it's incredibly difficult. I did a documentary project very much in this style for the Emmaus charity some years ago and it was one of the hardest challenges I have ever done. I've grown so much as a photographer since then and looking back at those photos i'm sure i could've done it far better today but it could be me being far too critical of my own work.

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

@@tomhopkins3431 well that sounds amazing is it online anywhere? I don't stop people from sharing links on my KZbin channel so if you want to share a link?

[@jbentosimoes]

Hope your chicken portrait won awards, it's great!

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

It didn't. I didn't actually win any photo awards for 19 years of being a photographer! It'll probably be another 19 years till the next one as I don't really enter them anymore!

[@jamesgreen6885]

Seagull was defo posing!

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

@@jamesgreen6885 🤣

[@KAUSTUBH447]

Did you use waist level finder or eye level prism?

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

@@KAUSTUBH447 waist level the whole time. I've got very good at just throwing it round but it did take a few years to get that down. Best thing to do is just do it, work with whatever you have. I also find the waist level better for portraits and communication with the person I'm protographing.

[@jbentosimoes]

I call them observed portraits :)

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

yeah that too!

[@masonpittenger5491]

real

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

Really McReal Face!

[@jbentosimoes]

Where's the lizard king!?

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

@@jbentosimoes this was recorded before I had the tapestry. It might come as a shock but I literally film three of these in 1 hour... 🤣 So yes filmed in batches. The power of not having scripts, that means I can record them really quickly

[@ihateunicorns867]

To get into the Taylor Wessing prize, your photo needs to be one of the following: Identical Twins Mother with baby looking like a religious depiction Old famous person small in a large setting Amputee showing prosthetics and looking proud Person doing their job looking wistful and sad Black youth/youths with hoods up in an urban setting Young child bathed in golden hour sunlight Very dark, low key lighting shot with a sliver of light illuminating a small part of someone. Someone in bed Muslim woman with headscarf with looking forlorn Trans person stood looking proud Pre-pubescent girl dressed in adult clothes and makeup Girl with a horse Incredibly old and frail person Very ginger person with wild hair and freckles Young person laid on sofa looking apathetic The Prime Minister I'd say yours fit the _Young child bathed in golden hour sunlight_ category, but obviously not enough golden light to qualify.

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

🤣🤣🤣🤣👍

[@yingying-pw2cg]

how do you not bruise the scene by raising a camera to these people? I find people tense up when they see me with a camera around

[@PicturesOnMyMind]

@@yingying-pw2cg spend time with them, that's the idea of the video. It's not a hit and run, they let you in.