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A Face in the Crowd
Sean Moreno uses his Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 G2 zoom lens to capture unexpected portraits on the fly.
Author: Jenn Gidman
Images: Sean Moreno
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Sean Moreno uses his Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 G2 zoom lens to capture unexpected portraits on the fly.
For Sean Moreno, photography began as a way to add another layer of excitement to his travels. After receiving his first DSLR in early 2020, the Ohio-based photographer took a trip to Dallas and quickly discovered that carrying a camera changed the way he experienced the world. “I got to see the city through a different lens, literally,” he says. “I loved being able to capture the scenes I was taking in, making me more aware of what was going on around me. It lent an adventure-like feel to my visit.”
After some explorations with animal, landscape, and architectural photography, Sean finally landed on portrait photography, which today serves as the cornerstone for his photography business. In addition to the more formal, official portraits you’ll find in his portfolio, however, are the street encounters he’s most passionate about. “For these photos, I’ll simply approach people who stand out to me during my walks and ask if I can take their picture,” he says. “I don’t usually just start photographing them right away. My interactions always begin with a conversation, and only once we’re comfortable with each other do I break out the camera.”
Helping Sean document those impromptu interactions is the Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III VXD standard zoom lens for his Sony mirrorless camera system. “If I had to get rid of all my lenses except for the Tamron 28-75mm, I’d still be OK,” he says. “I appreciate its versatility, and I love the fast maximum F2.8 aperture for the bokeh I’m able to achieve. With this lens, I can zoom in to 50mm or more to focus on a person’s face and other closeup details, with a nicely blurred background. I also like to capture wider body shots, too, or photos of people walking, which is when the wider end of that lens comes in handy.”
SEAN’S QUICK PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
Pinpoint your subjects.
When I’m on the lookout for people to take pictures of, a lot of it comes down to intuition. There are certain people I’m naturally drawn to, though it’s sometimes hard to explain exactly why. It might be their style, or the way they carry themselves, or just the overall energy they give off. At the same time, I’m paying attention to body language. If someone is wearing big headphones and staring at their phone, they may not be as open to interaction. I’m more likely to go up to people who seem approachable and engaged with their surroundings. A lot of street portrait photography is trusting those instincts when someone catches your eye.
Placement is key.
When I’m choosing a background for a portrait, I pay attention to how the person and the environment work together. I’ve noticed that people often naturally gravitate toward places that reflect who they are, so the setting already feels like an extension of their personality, like that guy dining outside in Tampa or the woman on the beach in the floral shirt.
I’m also always scanning the scene for elements that add to the image without distracting from my subject: For the photo here of the woman with arm tattoos, that colorful wall mural happened to be close by, and I felt it really clicked with her personality, so that’s where I placed her.
Find your lighting sweet spot.
I used to tell myself that I should only go out in the evening, because the lighting is “better” then, but I’m now open to shooting at any time of the day—I just adapt. If I’m working in harsh light at one o’clock in the afternoon, I’ll seek out shade or shadows so that my subjects aren’t squinting in harsh light. Because I’m in Ohio, we definitely get a lot of overcast days, which helps out a lot. In general, though, I do love shooting during golden hour. I’ll head out to, say, a local farmers market in the mornings or take a walk around town in the evenings, keeping an eye out for willing subjects.
Start with go-to poses, then let things evolve.
Each session depends on the vibe of the person I’m photographing. But to start, I have certain go-to poses in my head that I can tap into, especially if I get the sense that the person is in a rush and can’t spend all day taking pictures with me. Maybe I’ll have them lean against a wall, like the woman with the tattoos I mentioned earlier. For guys, I’ll have them do subtle movements, like looking at their watch or crossing their arms so I can capture a side profile.
For women, I’ll sometimes have them cross their feet or put their hands behind their back while they’re doing a little head tilt, to lend a more feminine feel. Sometimes I’ll do a “hero” shot and shoot up at my subject from a lower position, like the woman you see here on the stairs, to make them appear a bit larger than life. From there, we can get even more creative and spontaneous, depending on how much time we have.
Manage your nerves.
Approaching complete strangers like this can be nerve-racking. I’m an extrovert, so talking to people comes naturally to me, but I had to learn to harness that confidence with a camera in my hand. The first few times I went out to take these kinds of photos, I felt nervous and silly, especially when I had to go up to people to ask for their portrait. A lot of people told me no in those early days.
What gets you over that hump is practice. I now say that the extrovert side of me gets me in the door, but the repetition of constantly shooting continues to build my confidence. I don’t take it personally now if a potential subject declines to work with me—nobody owes you a yes.
To see more of Sean Moreno’s work, check out his website and Instagram.
