Photographing Birthright Trip
With a tour guide who wouldn’t shut up and 25 excited 18-year-olds just released from high school, I hopped on a flight to Israel, to staff their Birthright trip. My plan was to photograph the s*** out of the experience from the mind of an 18-year-old. I was given a little training, and then I hopped on the flight with an open mind and empty memory cards.
The trip was fascinating. Not hearing about the stones from centuries ago, but rather the utter boredom on the faces of these boys and girls as they swiped through their phones, waiting for the tour guide to shut up so that they could go off and find the next souvenir, Instagram post, or bar. They wanted to drink and explore a new country and instead, they were hijacked by a tour guide who was very excited to have an audience.
Looking through the viewfinder of my camera, I watched the group looking for the most exaggerated expression. I kept wondering, who will give me something to work with? There was oh so much. It wasn’t hard to find the moments, all I had to do was be ready with my camera, an open shutter, and an open mind.
The rest was just a watching and waiting game. Having patience and staying in the discomfort of not being in control of the outcome. Waiting out the moment through the very end, even if I thought I saw it all. How much more exaggerated can the expression get?
I loved watching the navigation of cliques and making new friends. The awkwardness of the acne from the mask removal. I was taken back to a time of life I didn’t get to experience.
At their age, I had just finished being in the ultra-orthodox girl's factory where I came out having no idea what was going on in the world around me. The cultural sun exposure was burning my eyes and my mind was churning, trying to figure out how one talks to boys for the first time. How do I get them to notice and pay attention to me?
The energy shifted so drastically the day the Israeli soldiers joined the group! It was like someone turned on the jets in the hot tub. The flirting and attention-seeking were amplified, the drama and anxiety were strong.
The evenings were when the party began. I was a staff member. I was supposed to be in charge of “monitoring” their alcohol intake.
Even though I was exhausted from walking in the heat all day, sleeping on a bus, and photographing the whole process. I would NOT miss the climatic experience of 18 year olds drinking legally for their first time.
Partying and drinking were NOT part of my teenage experiences. I never went to town to go drinking and clubbing. A decade later and here I am partying with Arak liquor, my 35mm and blinding flash. I was the dancing queen, only I wasn’t 17.
Making photos of authentic life experiences and the feelings involved is the life force that keeps me going.
To truly experience another person and their reality, I need to truly SEE them. I need to accept who they are in this exact moment – not who I want them to be.
There is no stronger way of connecting with a person than seeing and witnessing them for who they are, not just what they do.
Copy Edited by: Alex Yalen
Cleaning the background of your photos.
Even with the realistic documentation of family life, there are some tips to make cleaner and clearer images that show who your family is.
Tilt your camera
By simply raising and tilting the camera, you can get rid of background clutter from your frame. Also, don’t forget to get move closer so that your frame is filled with valuable information.
Get Straight To The Point
YOU are the storyteller. It’s all in the framing that tells people what you are trying to say. If you love how the kid is crossing their feet, get straight to it. Show don’t tell.
Wide Versus Tight
When deciding whether to have a wide shot or a tight one, it all comes down to the story. What is it you are trying to say? In this example, I find it interesting how large the room is and how close Liam is standing to the T.V.
Clean The Background
By simply walking to the other side, you can remove things from the frame.
Find The Light
When photographing in contrasting light, decide if you will shoot for the highlights or shadows and then wait for the subject to pass that area.
Everything you need to know to start family documentary photography- Composition (2022)
After photographing over 50 families and making thousands of sh*t photos. I curated a list of tips I learned in Family Documentary photography.
Fill the Frame
A photo is like NYC real estate, we want to live in the center of life and every inch is valuable. When looking through our camera, look at the edges of the frame, is there too much empty space? If so, get closer. Would you like to see your furniture or your family?
Tone your Butt
The biggest mistake I see people make is photographing children from an adult perspective. Children are short. Get your knees crackin’ and your butts toned.
Rule of thirds
Imagine a tic-tac-toe board on your photo. Where do you place your subject in the frame? A frame is composed of 3 horizontal rows and 3 verticals. When you are composing a scene, placing the subject on one of the lines creates movement for our eyes to follow. It keeps the viewer’s eyes in constant circular movement rather than getting stuck in the center of the frame.
Foreground & background
A composition has 3 layers. Foreground, mid-ground, and background. Having a subject in the foreground and background creates depth. It allows the viewer to toggle back and forth from the front to the back. Imagine how much stronger a photo gets when your dog is literally climbing out of the camera to you. You can feel it inching towards your face.
Capture various angles
Get that ‘safe shot’ but then try other angles to see which one tells a better story. Let the photo speak for itself.
