Shy gymnast peeks while waiting to
perform during Lowell, Ma. Recreation Department gymnastics competition (©
Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).
The Photo:
When I
photographed a youth gymnastics competition, I first shot competitors in action
on the balance beam, parallel bars, etc. However, since these were very young kids, it
was unlikely they would provide spectacular action or difficult feats. I shifted my attention to other gymnasts
watching, in case I could find expressions of emotion after a friend or
teammate had a stellar performance. When
I pointed my camera at one girl sitting on the floor among the others, she hid
her face behind her knees. If I put my
camera down or pointed elsewhere, she looked up again with face fully visible. This went back-and-forth until she peered her
eyes over the top of her knees and stared at me. It was a charming photo for it conveyed her
personality and shyness. I often prefer
the subject not look at me in a picture, but it’s perfectly acceptable in a
personality photo because it expresses the person’s character more strongly when
they are looking at the camera, rather than if they were merely looking away.
3 Tips:
1) Shyness can create a charming trait for a photo.
2) Shyness often requires repeated effort to capture.
3) Personality photos are often much stronger when the subject looks at the camera.
