Still photography at the shoot

Still photography is very important for the Global Lives Project, particularly because a large-format book of photography from the shoot is one of our key products that will go with the exhibition and ensure the continuity of the project.

Tips on photography:

It is essential to have a dedicated still photographer on the shoot. The person does not need to be taking pictures 100% of the time, but they should be a very experienced photographer, capable of adjusting quickly for different lighting situations and moving with the subject.

It is important that the photographer, in addition to getting shots of the subject, get shots of the production process as well as a portrait of every crew member for use on the website.

The photographer should also feel free to leave the subject and take photos of the surrounding areas, friends and family members of the subjects, buildings, landscapes, etc. On the São Paulo shoot, we ended up with more than a thousand photos by the end of the day. We brought a laptop to the shoot to be able to take photos off of the cameras during the shoot. This could have been done more easily with an iPod and the proper adapter.

At the São Paulo shoot, we had two professional photographers, Gabriela Herman and Anita Goes, shooting with a Nikon D100 and D70 respectively.

G.Herman: Working on the Global lives project for me was truly a privelege. I was able to photograph settings and subjects that I might not normally have access to and was challenged at the same time, in a good sense, having to document the event as well as produce artistic images. My advice to other photographers would be to try and use as much natural lighting as possible (ie, limit use of a flash) and not to be afraid to be in the middle of all the action.