Saturday, January 10, 2009

Peter 001 - Bakers



My first "strangers" are a cheat I'm afraid. Dane is the baker who supplies my Saturday morning pastry, and just before Christmas I asked if I could photograph some of his Gingerbread Houses for my Sunshine Coast Daily Photo Blog. As it turns out, his father Rob had been giving him a hand overnight and Rob proceeded to tell me with no small amount of pride, of the family's baking traditions stemming generations ago from his roots in Holland.

He asked ME to take some photos so he could send them "home", and one of this series will end up framed in the shop along with the family baking history.

I didn't ask them, but at least it got me started!

Rob and Dane
van Weegan's Bakery
Mooloolaba

5 comments:

Julie said...

Astounding, isn't it, how inadequate one feels doing this project! I felt fake fake fake to start with. I am still no good with the "3 second pickup" but I am getting a little better each time. They sure look happy to have their photo taken!

Goodo ...

bitingmidge said...

"Inadequate" is a good word... how come I can talk to anyone when I know my camera is 100 k's away?

Julie said...

Yep.

Because I feel like I am using these people - which I am. That the conversation is just because I want something from them.

That is the trepidation we are trying to overcome. How to overcome it? Chat about THEM. I have my camera in full view, I wonder if I should only bring it out when they have agreed. Should I ask them at the beginning of the conversation or try to make it appear as though it is an afterthought.

What are your thoughts?

bitingmidge said...

Today I have had the SLR in full view, chatted nonchalantly for some time with several "victims" then wandered off without popping the question!

Aaargh!

The one bloke I asked was delighted to co-operate, but I did the old "say cheese" fumble. The 100 strangers tips are spot-on!

I'm going to try for the upfront approach, that way I can't chicken out!

Julie said...

You use "victims" whereas my head says "targets" - similar negative impact, though. Yep, I have wandered off from quite a few without "popping the question". Would have seemed too calculating to have done so.

I guess the upfront approach at least means that the ethics of the exercise don't get the better of us: they know we want a photograph right from the beginning. That was how I approached the groundsman, Ray: "Excuse me, I was wondering if you would allow me to take a photograph of you and your wonderful hat."