I meet interesting people and ask them if I can take their picture. Obviously there’s a little more to it than that…
What makes me want to take someone’s portrait?
Is it how they look? What they make me think? How they make me feel?
Yes.
Most of the time, I see someone and think “What’s their story?” As I get older, I’m getting less apprehensive of what people are going to think of the strange man with the English accent who wants to take their photograph. I just plunge in and introduce myself as a photographer, and tell them I’d like to photograph them.
Most of the time I don’t even give them a reason.
Most of the time, they don’t ask for one. Jackson Hole is strange like that. The long term residents are somewhat used to somewhat strange people with somewhat unusual requests.
Those new to the Valley aren’t used to it, but then again they weren’t used to the fact that everyone’s got a dog, and the dog goes everywhere with them, and no one minds this, and it’s expected, and when you go to the bank the teller will give you a dog biscuit with your receipt. But the newbies got used to that, and they’re realizing that this is indeed a special place, and there are a lot of artsy types in town, and so if they’re going to fit in, best to just go with the flow.
Jackson is full of fascinating people. Everyone has a story to tell, and I want to tell that story in a single portrait.
I want someone to look at one of my portraits and have a better understanding of the person I photographed.
I want someone to look at one of my portraits and want to meet the person I photographed.
I want someone to look at one of my portraits and want to be the next person I photograph.