just ask

I'm currently watching a really enjoyable documentary on Keith Carter, from Anthropy Arts. There's a lot of gems in this documentary, including his search for symbolism when shooting and how he got started, staying in New York, going through to collection at MoMA. He comes across as a genuinely pleasant and interested person, with a deep passion for photography and art.

One quote stood out for me, given my current preoccupations with portraiture. Keith is shown shooting in Mexico, working with some people playing basketball. After, he talks a bit about that process:

When I go up to people, I'm always nervous. That never goes away. I figure they are going to tell me no. I mean, why should they give me their time. So I just go and I just do it and I smile and I ask and I get right there. Sometimes they are so startled, they say 'sure' and sometimes they don't.