Portrait #2, Devaja Market – Mysore, India

As I walked the periphery of the central square of the Devaja Fruit market, I came upon this gentleman. I gestured for a photo. He agreed, and I captured this image. This is one of my favorite portraits I made in India. Some of my friends give me entirely too much credit for my portraiture. Many photos, like this one, are made with a bit of luck. Luck that I got a wonderful lighting effect on the umbrella that creates a halo effect. Luck that I got a genuine smile.

The Olympus PEN-F with a simple 50mm equivalent lens helps too. The small able camera, which I set to a contrasty black and white, represents the scene the way I like it. It helps me to pre-visualize. All I have to do is to compose, and the camera does everything else. While I developed this image from a RAW, I mostly emulate the black and white JPEG that this camera produces.

If anything, the only skill that I’m improving on is not photographic. It’s about projecting confidence when shooting out in the public. That’s what you need for street photography and street portraiture. People can sense nervousness. Having calm confidence and a good smile is key. Despite many years of practice, it’s not always easy.

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