Facing a human should be effortless, like sitting on a chair, or having a stroll on the streets basking in twilight.
© Tim Gallo.
That is my general thought. I learned to photograph people by walking with them on the streets, with no specific plan, just talking and occasionally taking their photographs. This is how I observe the human condition and learn to capture people in photographs.
The portrait is born through dialogue, not through posing in front of a camera. The dialogue can take various forms, whether it be through words or through the heart. But the dialogue should be there… otherwise its all pretense (not thats its a bad thing. you can be after it for some reasons).