Taking Great Pictures is as Easy as 1-2-3!
Friday, February 8th, 2008
Hi everyone. Heather here with my 1st Photography Phriday. Being in business for myself as a photographer is extremely rewarding. I get to meet new people and do what I love. But it does have it’s challenges. I wanted to share what I believe are the 3 most important tips when photographing my subjects.
Tip 1 : Use your flash outdoors Just because you are outside, don’t be afraid to use your flash. I used to be one to snap my flash down because I didn’t think I would need it. The flash helps to lighten dark shadows under the eyes and nose, especially when the sun is overhead or behind the subject. On cloudy days, it helps to brighten up faces and make them stand out more.
Tip 2 : Get down to their level This is especially important when you are photographing young children. The best pose for a child between the ages of 1-5 is no pose at all. Seriously. Some of the best portraits are where the subjects look completely comfortable like their not looking at a camera. When people try to smile or make a certain kind of face for the camera it usually doesn’t seem very genuine. The trick is to capture the image when the subject isn’t necessarily focused on the camera.
Your main purpose is to capture the essence of the subject. Different people have different techniques for doing this, one of which is taking a picture while the subject is planning on smiling and then take another couple while they are recovering. Or another way would be to tell a funny joke where they can’t help but genuinely laugh and smile. When photographing older subjects like seniors, I usually have them bring a friend along to help make them smile. But probably the best way is just to catch them off guard by waiting for the right opportunity and snapping a picture right when they look at you not expecting a camera. My motto is ‘let the photo tell the story so you don’t have to.’
Tip 3 : Be Ready Always have your finger on the shutter button, and try to have the camera settings set correctly. Children are one of the most spontaneous and unpredictable subjects you can photograph, you NEVER know what they will do next. My tip is to look through the camera with one eye, and keep the other on the room as a whole, and try and predict when something will happen.
If you keep your finger lightly pressed on the shutter button, it will stay focusing on the subjects as they run around the room. If your camera has the AI FOCUS setting, put it on that to help get sharp pictures more consistently. If your camera has multi focus points, use just the center one.
These are the most helpful tips I received when I decided to start my business. It does take some time, practice and patience … but the results are so worth it. I hope that this was helpful for you! Now go take some pictures!
Heather
