How-to Brooklyn
by The EditorsPage 20 of 27
How to Pose for a Party Photographer
1. Be prepared: If you go to a party, chances are some asshole like me is going to try to take your picture. Having a go-to party photo face is a good move if you don’t want to end up looking like an idiot on the internet. If you aren’t photogenic, pick a funny face—that way people will assume you’re just being funny and are not horribly disfigured.
2. Fill the frame: If you are in a photo with more than one person, chances are I am going to take your photo horizontally. Girls especially have the tendency to smoosh their faces together with their friends for some weird reason. Not only does it look awkward but it makes for way too much negative space.
3. Dress to distress: If you want to get your photo taken at a party, the best way to go about doing so is to dress like an insane person. As much as I like shooting hot girls and super hip-looking people, I would much rather shoot colorful drag queens and people wearing inflatable balloon heads.
4. You are not in a gang: If you are going to throw up a peace sign or a metal sign or a gang sign in a picture, don’t throw that shit up in front of your face and keep it close to your body. If you stick it way out it’s going to either block your face, look out-of-focus or be way overexposed because it’s too near my flash. Keeping it close to your body will keep it in focus and properly exposed. But on second thought, just don’t be a douchebag and leave the gang signs to the Bloods.
5. Don’t be a dick: I am more than happy to take your photo, but asking me to take 10 photos is fucking annoying. Don’t ask to see every photo, because it makes me want to stab you. If you don’t want your photo taken just ask nicely—I photograph 200 people a day, I promise I don’t need your photo enough to paparazzi you. I know party photographers are annoying but for at least some of us it’s our job. And never, ever touch my fucking camera unless you want to get punched.
Nate “Igor” Smith runs drivenbyboredom.com and takes photos of drunk and/or naked people for a living.
Illustration Mike Force
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