When you read an article about someone, it may be accompanied by a picture of the person who is often at work A picture of someone at work says more to a viewer than an ordinary head-and-shoulders identification ever can, because it immediately places the person in a particular setting.

The secret to making good working pictures is to capture the atmosphere of the place and show the subject actually working. The use of a wide-angle lens lets you show a large work area from close in. This conveys a better idea of the working conditions. Try to bring out the atmosphere of the worker and the workplace; for example, if your subject does hard manual labor, try a low camera angle to create an impression of power. Although it is usually better to photograph a worker as though he were unaware of your presence, this is not always possible. Warn people when you are going to use the flash, so you do not startle them. When shooting at a slow shutter speed, you can even ask the worker to hold a pose.

Most people who are working are involved with something that can provide a prop: books, scale models, equipment, and so forth. Use these props to create a stage and put the people into it-really into it.

TWO-SHOTS

So far, the discussion has been based on shooting pictures of only one person. Another assignment facing the photographer is handling the two-shot, a picture showing two people.

People can be pretty awkward when told to "just be natural" or "just talk to each other." It is better to give them something to talk about. Have them talk about what they are doing. Tell them you are listening to what they say so you can have information with which to write your captions. Better yet, give them something they can actually handle, talk about, and concentrate on. This makes the situation more realistic to them, and it results in better quality pictures.

Try the frame approach for your two-shots. It is very effective. Even people can be used to frame other people.