I live outside of my comfort zone. People think I am an extrovert because I take pictures of strangers. I'm not. I'm driven by my love of that candid image. In order to get it, I have to push through "uncomfortable".
But there are varying levels of "uncomfortable". Some photos are fairly easy to take. People walking by. People not noticing that I'm standing there with a camera.
Then, some photos step up the "uncomfortable" level. I'm close enough that they might notice me.
And then there are the photos that are in the middle of "uncomfortable". I am close enough and in front enough that there is no way they won't see me. And I never know how they will respond.
Then I hear - "Hey, did you just take a picture of me?" And I don't know where this conversation is going...
But I'm trying to teach myself to stay beyond "uncomfortable". Because beyond "uncomfortable" is where the photos get good.
When I get close enough to force an interaction, I have the best experiences. People are flattered. I learn a little about their life. And to be honest, I have never had anyone get mad at me. Ever. They might ask me to stop (very rarely) or ask me to delete the photo (only once that I can remember), but they always say it nicely. So, why not stand in "uncomfortable"? Because the odds are it will turn out better than I expect.
