Do you make people squint?

A simple lesson in empathy from a world class photographer

Last week I serendipitously ended up at an article on Fatherly, based on an interview with acclaimed sports photographer Walter Iooss, Jr. and titled: ‘The Most Accomplished Sports Photographer Ever On Getting Your Kid Behind The Lens’. Being a creative soul and a new dad myself, I’ve often pondered this question of how to balance imparting a skill of mine on my children with letting them find their own way.

What caught my attention though, and led to this post, was the third in a series of four tips from another photographer, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, about how to take better people photos. That tip is:

Mind Their Surroundings. If you’re outside, avoid squint-inducing bright sunlight. Turn around to see what the subject is seeing and be sensitive to their view.

Be sensitive to their view. It’s so simple, yet how often do we fail to do it. And I’m not only referring to moments when we’re taking photos in the sun. How about when someone is acting in a way you don’t understand or saying something that you don’t believe?

At the root of this advice is a simple yet powerful lesson in empathy, defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Next time you find yourself jumping to conclusions or perhaps arguing over what might be a belief rather than a fact, think to yourself — Am I sensitive to their view? Could it be that I’m making them squint?