I am a Hampshire (UK) based photographer, working in a range of styles and genres. This includes street, social documentary, portrait, product and events. 

 

Over the past 10 years or so I've been studying and trying to understand people, I did this first through studying psychology, after a period as weight loss coach, I went on to study mental health science, counselling and now health research. While these might seem an odd selection for someone who takes photos, for me they were paramount in developing my style. It started with my own work on the other side of the camera, understanding the emotional aspects of working in front of the camera, the way self-esteem issues can come up, how hard it can be to pose when you don't feel comfortable, etc. 

I went on to apply the skills I learnt in these areas to taking photos myself. 

 

With street photography I try to blend into the background a little, to avoid impacting on the behaviour of those I'm watching, much as you do as a researcher wanting the most genuine, honest reaction you can get (within reason). With portrait I follow a slightly different tactic, obviously if you're comfortable posing then I will give direction and we'll work together on the project. If you're not comfortable having your photo taken, or posing, then I will take a different approach, focusing less on the photos, focusing nore on the conversation, getting to know you, helping you to express yourself and get past those nerves that might otherwise stop you from having relaxed photos. Many of my portraits were taken during conversations where the focus was on getting natural relaxed images of people who would otherwise not be willing to be photographed.

It's easy to forget how stressful being photographed can be for people, I want to help people get past that. 

Photo Copyright - Colin Webster aka Zaki - taken 2014