I'm on the lookout for frames. All sorts of frames. Old, new, with or without backs/glass/etc.
On Sunday I went to a woman's moving sale and the only thing I found was an empty, thin, wooden frame. I knew I wanted to pose in it. Or have other people pose in it. But had nothing specific in mind.
Last night, as I was getting ready to head out to Amit Gupta's House 2.0 potluck dinner (where I would only know him) I began scheming.
I need a photo project for the party, I thought. Something that'll break the ice, give me something to talk about, give me an excuse to interact with everyone.
I decided to bring the frame. Then I decided bunny ears would also be fun. Then, after that had been decided, I realized it was like Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Bing!
Off I went. It worked like a charm.
Amit Gupta:
Noel Hidalgo, who I'd emailed, but never met until we arrived at the party at the same time (he is the one who told Bre about ChipIn and helped influence the birth of my camera fund!):
Kate McKean:
Darrell Silver:
Some put up a tiny fight, but most were curious and interested in what was going on. "Did YOU do it?" they'd often ask whoever was standing next to them. "Yes" was generally the answer. :)
Several people asked if I had done it. Yes. One of the party-goers took some of me. It's important not to ask other people to do something that you wouldn't do yourself, don't you think?
The whe whole night, only one person refused to put on the ears. You shouldn't let that get to you. People might be uncomfortable for a number of reasons - don't push too hard...let them know that if they change their mind, you'd really love for them to take part in the project. Don't do what *I* did and respond by saying "You're dead to me".
Although I'm pretty sure he was kidding (and he let me take his photo), one guy said he wasn't sure he wanted to participate because of his plan to eventually run for president. That's a funny thing to say. Use it sometime when someone asks to take YOUR photo. Then smile and let 'em do it. ;)
Everyone is different. I think I'm pretty good at reading peoples' comfort levels and pushing them accordingly... "Yes" people will do what you say, do some extra stuff they think up on their own, and let you do a little experimentation.
Heath is a good example:
As I took pictures of one...victim...I heard from behind me "People need direction". I don't find that's true most of the time, but it is good to come up with a few things to say to get 'em in the mood.
I used my fauxtobooth idea. I said "I'm going to take four pictures of you. Pretend you're in a photobooth!" This usually loosens people up, as no one ever expects to look fantastic in a photobooth. In fact, they expect to look silly...make fools of themselves.
In this case, I didn't plan on creating fauxtobooths of the people, but just choosing my favorite shot to post. I did create one for Danielle, though...too cute not to include all the photos, don't you think?
So next time you go to a party where you won't know anyone, think up some fun photo project that will give you a role and get people interacting with you! You'll meet a lot more people, have an excuse to move around the room, and provide some fun memories for all!
See the full set of "Who framed..." photos here:
http://flickr.com/photos/hilabean/sets/72157594557266696/
