Bertien van Manen: Let’s sit down before we go - wayneford's posterous

Photographer Bertien van Manen in wayneford's posterous:

I have to like the people I photograph. I need to feel an attraction, a fascination.

I feel the same way. Luckily, I've had a connection with most of the people I've photographed over the years, but there have been a few occasions when we just didn't click. I don't know what it is or why it happens, but if that attraction and fascination are not there, the resulting photographs show it. There's something missing.

This attraction is not necessarily physical. It's relatively easy to find a pretty person and really not that hard to get them to agree to pose for a photograph. Most people are flattered that you want to shoot them. The pretty ones tend to like it.

No, it's more than just looks. It's a connection that goes beyond that. It's an admiration for the other person, who they are, what they do, what they believe in.