135. Looking Before Leaping – Shayla Harris
People often talk about the ability to read a room. There are subtle shifts in facial expressions and body language that words can obscure.
As a shy bookish child, my largest feature was a pair of watchful eyes. I often spent hours pouring over coffee table books on famous artists, or studying National Geographic photo essays of distant lands, or watching sitcoms on an endless loop late into the night. Instead of rushing to fill the room with my voice or impulsively performing for strangers, I preferred to suss out the situation first before jumping in and acting. Looking before leaping became a way of navigating life.
As a budding high school journalist, I soon discovered that having a camera allowed me to disappear in a room full of strangers. At first, a sturdy Pentax K-1000 gifted to me by my grandparents was my trusted companion; over the years, it would be replaced by a progression of digital video cameras. But it wasn’t until deep into my career as a journalist and filmmaker that I came to appreciate how a keen sense of observation could be a useful superpower. People often talk about the ability to read a room. There are subtle shifts in facial expressions and body language that words can obscure. Character is often revealed in these quiet moments. And, I believe that there is a real intimacy and understanding that can be developed when you're really seeing and looking at someone without judgment.
To train my journalism and documentary students in the art of observation, I have them do a day-in-the-life profile of someone they don’t know. They cannot interview the person directly, but can only be a fly on the wall, watching and listening intently to their subjects as they go about their business. They have to look—taking in every nuance, noting each detail—rather than making leaps.
– Shayla Harris
