How to take good snaps of people – Digital Photography Advice

July 2, 2009

The best thing about the field of photography is that it’s a beautiful amalgamation of creativity and technology. Giving real meaning to the beauty around us and making it possible for us to capture that beauty on an electronic sensor, photography is truly an art and not everyone’s an artist! I am saying that because being an professional photographer myself, I try to bring my pictures to life by applying the golden rules of photo capturing that every other manual or guide has to offer. But if it was that easy then every camera owner could be a pro snapper!

Take the example of people pictures which are basically of two types; Candid and Portrait. Both can be captured either with or without the consent of the subject. Here, your subject is not a huge valley or a cute puppy just hopping around but your object of desire is a human; full of emotions and natural instincts. So do keep in mind some basic points:

Make yourself comfortable

As much as being comfortable is necessary for the subject, it is equally important for the photographer to be at ease around the person who’s being captured. This is required for a certain level of closeness that would be essential to take the snap.

To be comfortable, you just have to introduce yourself professionally to the person, if a stranger and if possible involve them in your task. For starters, first try out with people you know. In any case, being nice and friendly to your subject would only add a happy face to your collection.

The distance

An appropriate distance is the most vital factor governing the over all quality of a picture especially when capturing a person; too far from the subject will lose the viewer’s interest and also the point of the picture. Too close a distance would sometimes fail to relate the face to its surroundings.

Choose a distance from where your subject’s expressions and actions are clear and he/ she is well oriented with the environment. For e.g. a snap showing a girl smelling a flower should portray the face expressions and the flower more clearly than the background but in the snap of a lonely man leaning to a pillar on a busy subway, people passing by and a zooming tube should be visible in the picture.

The surrounding setting

Pictures with people in them are not just random snaps; they tell a story or give information about the subject. As described above, the distance as well as the nearby settings is very important.

A snap showing a person engrossed in work would be more meaningful if the person is sitting on his office desk and a sad woman sitting on her house porch at sunset would be more close to reality.

Light and colours

For a picture to have an impact, it is highly important that the right amount of light falls on the subject and the colours are bright or subtle according to the mood. A happy playful child would look dull in low light or if the colours are not brilliant.

On the contrary, for a child in a deep slumber would look more peaceful if the illumination is understated and colours are warm and soft. It’s also important that the subject is dressed according to the setting. A playground snap can bear bright colours but a lady in an opera should be in an elegant and sober evening gown.

Going Candid

For pictures in which you want people to keep doing what they are supposed to for e.g. a crowd in a stadium cheering, a market full of vendors busy with bargaining customers or a group of youngsters laughing around, the simplest and easiest of tricks is to use a lens with a longer focal length so you can shoot from a distance without alerting the subject.

Another way is to hang around for a while so that people get familiar to your existence and then you can start your work. But in doing so, you should know what and where you have to shoot so that you are finished before any unwanted or unfriendly interference.

Focus and wait

Sometimes the picture is supposed to be candid and sometimes the subject is aware but in both cases the snap would be a waste if the timing is not right or the subject moves out of focus so first set your focus and then wait for the right moment. This is helpful in situations when the subject is unaware.

You can use a wide angle lens and set it for the person and when she/he makes a stupid face or blows the nose, you just have to click a button but be sure to do this quietly and from a distance!

Set the shutter speed and aperture

Setting the shutter speed and the aperture size beforehand will be handy for unintentional snaps. For this you should have knowledge of the type of setting you would require. For e.g. in a market place, a wider aperture and slower shutter speed would help capture a better picture of the crowded area whereas a small aperture and faster speed would enable you to shoot the valuable smile on a baby’s face when in the mood.

Don’t forget the details

The wrinkles around an old woman’s eyes, the messy clothes of a child playing in mud and the hands of a potter at work are the finer details that make your portraits more real. Try to focus them as clearly as the face of the subject because the face is just the title; these minutiae tells the actual story.

Respect the person

Don’t forget that the subject is a human; he/she may not like to be shot especially in portraits. Different cultures and for that matter, different people, may have different opinions about being so closely photographed.

Your aim is to capture the spirit or the mood and this should not in any case be offensive to others. Ask their permission before taking their pictures and avoid taking shots that may misinterpret your intensions regarding someone’s religion, culture, race or integrity.

If you make yourself clear to the subject, he/she may give their consent and let you shoot with ease. Sometimes people may agree to be your subject for a small amount of money.

The capturing of people on a film or an electronic sensor is just like painting them, only in photography your mind is the canvas and your camera is the brush. Right colours, right effects and the right camera settings will ensure a beautiful picture.

Written by admin · Filed Under Digital Camera Buying Advice