For many, the most interesting part of visiting another country is getting to know the people there.
Heres what it’s crucial that you know.
Basically, to shoot your subject well, you oughta know your subject.
The same is true of people.
If you want to snap a good photo of them, you may want to get to know them.
That means knowing a little bit of their language and striking up a conversation.
Make an earnest effort to communicate with them and show that you mean no harm.
But at the same time, if theyre not interested in speaking with you, dont push it.
Avoid taking part inslum or poverty tourism, or anything else that may exploit the local population.
Dont treat the socioeconomic status of other humans as a tourist attraction.
Besides, talking to them first will give you a great story to go along with your photo.
And you never know what kind of advice they might have for kind travelers.
This is very, very important.
Either way, people will appreciate the fact that you asked.
If they say no, respect it, leave them alone and move on.
Also, if in doubt, dont take the photo.
Its better to err on the side of caution than potentially upset someone.
If theyre not into it, say thank you anyway, and move along.
They are already doing you a favor by being your model, so respect their time.
You want to be able to ask them and go right into it so theres no lag time.
Remember, everything you ask of them is a favor to you.
If you keep it light and fun theyll probably have fun too.
A little money works, but it can also be a small gift of some kind.
Things like pens and pencils, notepads, small toys, and other such trinkets can be good.
Josh Haftel, the Adobe Lightroom mobile product manager,uses a small portable photo printer for his offerings.
Kids love getting photos of themselves, and its a special treat for a lot of adults too.
In some places, not a lot of people will have photos of themselves or their families.
Also, be aware of people whose job is to get their photo taken and make tips.
There were people all over Havana that did this.
That woman in the nice dress smoking a cigar in a perfect ray of sunlight?
Shell let you take her pic, but shell chase you down for payment.
Smile and say thank you in their language.
Youre a guestact like one.
This story was originally published in 2017 and updated with new information on 1/14/2020.
