I’ll be honest with you. It IS difficult for me for me to go up to a complete stranger. I’m NOT at all an extrovert…but I’m FORCING myself be be more social by actively and deliberately putting myself in front of more people. (6 weeks ago I presented a talk in front of about 100 people — THAT was scary too)
At the end of the day though, it’s been my experience that most people will allow you to photograph them. For the couple in the picture above, I told them I would publish the image on the Net and they could download it — and that was exciting enough for them to say yes.

and if you don’t take the shot — you’ll play it over in your head again and again and beat yourself up for being too shy.

I know a photographer that spent a full day talking with the great master photographer Andre Kertesz http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Kert%C3%A9sz
To THIS day that photographer beats himself up for not photographing the master. He was too shy to ask if he could take some shots (or wanted to be extra cool).

That will NOT happen to me because I’ve decided to be bolder.

Hope that helps,

Best!
Marko

Thank you for this great picture and for having captured the feelings that we have for one another.

This is our first picture together and it will be a great souvenir of a wonderfull and lovely evening at the Lafontaine’s Park!

The hammock lovers.

xx