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Help me with a college project please!


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I posted it here because I thought this is where most people would see it, feel free to move it.

 

Basically I need you guys to help me. For college we've been asked to get a series of Deadpan photographs of people we don't know, problem is I don't have the confidence to ask people I've never met to take their picture, so I've come up with an ingenious idea but it's only going to work if you guys help me out a little. Deadpan is basically a photograph of someone looking at the camera with no expression on their face, it usually involves a plain and simple background and is actually a very common form of photography. Deadpan can relate to landscapes and other subjects, not only people, but we've been asked to take portraits.

 

What I would love for you to do is go outside (I don't want it to look like I was in your house) and get you or someone you know to take a picture of you with no expression against a simple background. Once you've done that it would be great if you can PM me your pictures. They will only be used to complete the project and I won't post them anywhere.

 

Feel free to ask if you want me to explain more about the project or deadpan photography

 

Thanks guys, would appreciate it a lot.

 

Example of a deadpan photograph

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Here is my concern, are you going to claim that you took the pictures? Because that doesn't seem right...

 

Come on Tom, you are an awesome and super talented guy!!!! You could take these pictures yourself easily and better than any of us!

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ACTUALLY my friend did an assignment like this. He had the same problem you had, and actually created the assignment himself (50 snapshots, I think), as a way to push him out of his bubble a bit, and be able to talk to others, make them at ease, etc. Which is important for photographers. After he submitted his proposal he FREAKED OUT about it. Since I'm outgoing I suggested a few things which I will recommend to you now:

 

- Start with people near your school. Classmates, instructors, people who work around campus, etc. They're a bit more used to those kinds of things. :P

 

- Take an outgoing friend along. Sometimes one of us would just go with him somewhere public... downtown, a park, wherever and grab coffee or run around. And we'd just kind of find people out and about who looked friendly and ask them. Because it never hurts to ask. Especially if you go to a school people recognize. "Oh hey, I am a photography student at ___, can I take your photo for an assignment?" That will put people at ease. Oh! And let them see their photo! Give them your card and ask them to email you and you can follow up. Etc.

 

It really is a brilliant project. I wish my friend still had his online, because it was such a good experience. He got great shots, met cool people, and it really did seem to help with his ability to approach people. :)

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While it's something of a sad commentary...Living in the United States the whole Mantei Te'o scandal has been HUGE news here the past week.

 

As such I would be hesitant to let a stranger take my photo, knowing that an unsuspecting person's photo was used to perpetrate a huge scam that turned into a nation wide scandal. Therefore I can understand reservations both in taking photos and in giving them. Which is not to say either that people could not easily obtain photos on line to perpetrate any kind of scam if that were their intent.

 

Is there anything to stop classmates from taking photos of one another? To me that would be the most obvious source. At least they are familiar with the project and therefore fully understanding of everything encorporated with it. I think that family, friends and classmates are the people I'd turn to first Tom (oh nvm.... I see it should be people you don't know... well, I don't know how "don't know" is defined either by virtue of the request). I know you're not up to any kind of "Catfish" type scandal or anything, I just think that those are probably the easiest people to ask. If it MUST be strangers, then I think that Carlyn made a good suggestion.

 

I also like the suggestion that many made here to use this as an opportunity to become more comfortable around others. I am really impressed with the mature answers/responses that many gave. Good Luck with your college project Tom! :yesyes:

 

On Edit: Seeing that it is supposed to be of people you do not know I would go with Carlyn's suggestion. It is important to find a group of people who are comfortable being photographed with such a request. I would also make the people aware of how there photos will be used and who has the right to those photos once the project is complete. The more information you give up front, the more people might be comfortable with meeting your request.

Edited by Mr. Pumpkinhead
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