By Kayla Cerda
Bursting your shy bubble might not be the easiest thing to do nowadays. NYC Salt not only taught me to better myself as a photographer, but also allowed me to gain confidence in myself and my work. I learned how to approach strangers on the streets and ask them for their portrait, aware that rejection is okay. Photography shouldn't always be about capturing still objects because what's the fun in that? Once you get on the streets, see someone interesting, you just have to go for it.
The first time I approached a stranger to ask if I may take their portrait was during comic-con week. I remember feeling so jittery and becoming hopeless that I'll never be able to ace the easiest task we received... take a strangers portrait. As I approached a few people, I thought to myself, that wasn't so hard after all. The key in taking a stranger's portrait is to also make them feel comfortable. If the vibe is awkward, then the stranger might not be interested. Sometimes it might just be all mental. If you worry about rejection or that you’ll blank out while introducing yourself, then you’ll never be able to unveil the shyness in you.
After a while I became confident enough to approach strangers for their portrait without having my friends or teachers by my side. I tried not to seem so reluctant and worked at just being myself. In the long run shooting people wearing comic-con costumes was more than successful because I ended up winning a Scholastic Silver-Key Award this year on one of my portraits!
