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Candid Shots with Digital Camera
by Jay Dougherty
Most people start out in digital photography taking
'candid shots' - pictures of people in their environment when they are not
posing.
Unfortunately, most of those pictures end up being rejects - unflattering or
just plain uninteresting.
The good news about digital photography, though, is that there's no penalty
for trying. It costs nothing to download the pictures on to your PC and view
your results, and you don't feel compelled to print out anything that's not
worthy.
The trick, though, is to come to the practice of shooting candid shots with
a bit of knowledge about what techniques give you a better chance at getting
a higher percentage of keepers.
With your digital camera in hand, you'll no doubt be tempted before long to
take pictures of people while they're eating. Casual get-togethers, company
events, sporting events, and other situations in which candid shots are
commonly shot often involve food - and new photographers are tempted to snap
those pictures when their subjects are chomping down on something tasty.
Avoid that temptation. The reason is simple: people are often in
unflattering positions when they're eating, and they're generally not in a
mood to be photographed then.
They'll be concerned that they have food on their chin or hanging out of
their mouths - and in the worst cases, they actually will. Unless you're
photographing a bride and groom sharing a ceremonial piece of wedding cake,
let people eat without the flash bulbs going off.
When you're shooting people in unposed situations, it's easy to get tunnel
vision, concentrating solely on your subject. But an interesting picture
consists of more than just your subject.
It's a combination of subject and context - and that context includes what's
behind and around your subject. If in your photograph you unintentionally
capture distracting or unattractive poles, concrete, or people engaged in
distracting activities, the impact of your photo will be diminished.
Try for uncluttered, natural backgrounds, if possible, or make sure that any
people behind or around your subject are part of the story that your picture
is telling.
Sure, posing goes altogether against the idea of candid shots. But the fact
is that getting people in the mood to be photographed and in the right
environment for a compelling shot often results in photographs that we end
up keeping around - and that, after all, is usually the point of taking
pictures in the first place.
Saying something like, "hey, would you mind moving over here so that I can
take your picture" is not that hard, and people often respond favorably,
giving you the type of shot that you want.
To make any candid pictures of people more interesting, try shooting them
from unusual angles. Instead of shooting people always at eye level, see
what happens in your viewfinder when you move to the left or right, crouch
down, or stand on a stool.
Try to get your subjects looking up at you a bit rather than straight on.
This is especially effective for older people. With children, on the other
hand, get down on their level rather than shooting them from above.
Taking a picture of a toddler amid a sea of adult legs can be effective -
and draw out an expression from the toddler that's special.
Even if you're a very experienced photographer, you won't gain any friends
if you show them candid shots of themselves that aren't flattering. So don't
spare the delete key.
Lighting is critical to any good photograph, and that includes candid shots.
Try to get your subjects in light that is flattering to them. Harsh sunlight
that makes your subjects squint isn't the best, nor is taking a picture of
someone when the sun is at that person's back, since your camera will be
overwhelmed by the light from the back and your subject will end up looking
dark.
To compensate for difficult lighting situations, consider using your
camera's built in flash - or an accessory flash - even when you're outdoors.
Flash will fill in any shadows in an unevenly lit scene, and it will enable
your camera to better adjust the colors in a scene, which will result in
more pleasing skin tones.
A rule of thumb in all people photography is always to focus on the
subject's eyes, since that is the natural focal point of the viewer. If your
subject's eyes are out of focus, the entire photograph will be perceived as
"off".
So use the focus point selector on your digital camera to ensure that the
main subject's eyes are where you focus. The only exception to this rule
would be if you're intentionally trying to achieve a special effect through
a less conventional method of focus.
June 14, 2008
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