Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Supported by

Zeit bites: Asked and answered: The world’s a studio

Leaving Paris
Heather Protz
Heather Protz

Photographer Heather Protz on street shooting: “Most people are okay with it.” But not always.

Do your subjects know you’re shooting them?

Every situation is different. Many times I start by seeing something that draws my attention and, wanting to keep that moment, I do not interact with the subject. Then, if they notice me, I smile and tell them a little about myself, ask if they are having a good day. That initial smile goes a long way. If people do not want me to use their image I won’t. Most people are okay with it.

In “Leaving Paris” (1) the subjects did not know I was making this image, as they were caught up in their own world. I moved on after only snapping two frames, wondering what that moment could have been about. Did they lose everything gambling? It is a touching moment of strength and what appears to be sadness.

Sponsor Message

 

Have people become upset about being photographed?

I have had people tell me they will call the police. When people are upset I try to defuse the situation and walk away. I was chased into a Denny’s on the Strip last year. Ninety-nine percent of the time people are fine with it; they like it because you noticed them.

2. Treasures Man

Sponsor Message

In “Treasures Men” (2), the man in the big sunglasses was not happy I was photographing him. Throughout the day our paths kept crossing. He was looking for me, but I kept snapping when I walked by — his glasses were too good to pass up. Two shots after this image, it was time to move on, but this was a keeper. The man covering his eyes, the next not really caring and big-glasses guy getting ready to tell me off — you feel the tension in this image, which makes us keep looking at it.

What are your criteria for a good street image?

I look for a connection or a disconnection. In “Looking Up” (3), the man looks to be plugged in. I love the layering of meanings one could draw. First, he is connected. To what? To the power grid, to a higher being? He is happy; he is quiet. I walked away from making this image feeling good. We made a connection. I did not direct him; I let the moment evolve.

3. Looking Up

Sponsor Message

For the most part, people do not smile when they walk around. When I snap the shutter, they might look angry, but it’s just how people look. I shoot a lot to get one good image. You do not come home with a portfolio of images from one or two shoots. Turning the Tables (her street photography) is an ongoing series from the past two years.

 

it has a distinct visual quality. how did you settle on that?

I chose black-and-white to strip the emotion of color away, letting one focus on the people. I further altered the images by putting greater focus on the subject, letting a slight blur occur elsewhere.

4. Florida in Las Vegas

In “Florida in Vegas” (4), I love how Vegas is as featured as the people. The Stratosphere is a defining element in many of my images. It lets the viewers know they are in Vegas. Florida Man in the foreground knows I am taking his picture. He is looking at me and not really caring. I made 10 images, moving and snapping until I had a foreground, middle ground and background that worked to tell the story you see here.

 

See more at heatherprotz.com

Scott Dickensheets is a Las Vegas writer and editor whose trenchant observations about local culture have graced the pages of publications nationwide.
How is Las Vegas' healthcare system really doing, and what does it mean for you and your family? Desert Companion's Health Issue takes a deep dive into these questions and explores how heart-centered business leaders prove that doing good benefits the bottom line.