I am my muse

I like taking pictures of people but still don't know how to do the stranger picture. I'm not even particularly comfortable with photographing friends because I don't know how to put them at ease. I don't know how to keep their attention, but keep them casual. I don't want them to pose, I just want them to be.

But I haven't figured out how to get that out of people. I figure, like anything else, it takes practice. I keep lining up friends of my so-called models. Some want professional pictures, others look to re-enter the world of online dating.

Their rationale for pictures doesn't matter to me, but I do want to provide good picture (regardless of the subject matter I'm working with). But no matter how well I use lights and angles, lenses and settings... how do I get the person to be real?

If my self-portraits are any indication, I've figured out ways to make myself look much better in photos than in person. I just want to be able to do it for others.