Street Portraits of Strangers — I am Guatemala No. 8

One of the things that I share during the Photo Walks I lead is how to approach our subjects with respect and engage with honest interest. As I often say, you get out of the streets what you put in. In that respect, I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to make portraits of countless people from all walks of life in the nearly 12 years I have been publishing and maintaining Antigua Daily Photo.

Also, I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity so far to share my photography techniques and tips with other enthusiasts from all over the world and to have many of them reach out to me years later to give me feedback and to share their accomplishments and new portraits. Here I share with you what Adrian Whittle posted on his blog:

However I like to try new things and about 18 months ago I decided it was time to face my fears of photographing humans. I read various articles about photographing people in different countries and cultures, articles which were often contradictory and which left me still unsure. I had planned to visit Guatemala in early 2017 and when doing research for my trip found a website for Antigua Photo Walks, run by Rudy Giron, a local photographer. Rudy provides opportunities for different kinds of photography in and around Antigua and advises on technique. The walk I took with him changed everything for me as we met many Mayan people who were happy to be photographed despite the cultural issues I had read about. Of course it wasn’t just a case of walking up to someone and snapping them, I learned the need to engage a little first, greet them and show interest in what they are doing in order to put them at ease. I liked my results… —Adrian Whittle, U.K.

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