Lesson {THREE} People

This lesson is all about my favorite thing to photograph... people!  Photographing people and portraits is one of the greatest challenges in photography. People have a tendency to dislike photographs of themselves, so you need to make it your mission to photograph people on their best side in their best light while still showing their true personality.

1. Focus on the Eyes.

The eyes are what everyone looks at. When photographing people, be sure to focus on their eyes. That way, when people look back at the photo they will see people’s eyes as crisply as they would expect in real life.

2. Be Candid.

Candid Photography refers to photographs which are taken informally without the person knowing about them. When people have a camera in their face, they tend to put on a fake photo-smile or they act differently. By being unobtrusive you can capture the true side of a person.

3. Or Get Involved

Candid Photography isn’t always the best thing to do. Sometimes you capture a person’s true side when you interact with them and play with the camera. If you’re photographing children then getting involved is the best thing to do. Interact with them and let them play with the camera. They’ll smile, they’ll laugh and your photos will capture genuine happiness. Older people can also be immensely childish when there’s a camera in their face. Make them laugh and tease them with the camera. Every now and then you’ll come across a gem of a photo which captures the true side of a person like nothing else.

4. Stand Back and Zoom In

When you zoom in the depth of field is highly amplified. This will allow you to create photographs with astonishingly shallow depths of field. Also, standing back and zooming in will allow you to capture properly candid photographs. If they can’t see you they won’t be distracted by the camera, so you’ll capture photographs that reflect their true personality.

5. Don’t use the Standard Flash.

Just don’t do it. Standard flashes are not flattering. It’s like throwing a ball of light at someone’s face. Blemishes show up, skin can look rough and you’re often left with sharp and unnatural shadows. Furthermore due to the excessive light being thrown onto your subject, the background can be left unnaturally dark. I accept that using the standard flash is sometimes a necessity such as when you’re at a function or in a dark room. If you don’t need the flash though then don’t use it. Your subject will thank you for it.

6. Shade can be nice.

Studio photographers can spend thousands of dollars on flash equipment that casts soft even light on their subject. In the shade, nature tends to do all this for you. If you’re outdoors then you’ll find that softly shaded areas provide you with the best lighting. You may also find this to be the case indoors.

7. Backgrounds can be Subjects too.

Where a person is standing or what a person is doing can add new dimensions to the photograph. If you’re photographing the locals in a different culture, try to capture the environment around them in the photograph. Also look to capture the colors and the feel of the environment. If the background is dark and gloomy, work with the settings to capture a dark and gloomy photograph.

8. Candid-Formal Photography

This is one of my favorite things to do. If you’re at an event and you’ve got a camera, more often than not people will ask you to take a picture of them and their friends. They will then proceed to stand awkwardly and put on fake smiles. I find that some of the best photographs come from when they’re preparing for their photo. Start snapping early and you’re likely to capture them laughing and talking in their true element.

9. Don’t become Obsessed with Perfection.

Don’t discard a photo if the lighting or composition isn’t perfect. People photography is all about the smiles, the character and the relationships. If you’ve captured this, keep it.