Monday, January 11, 2010

Portrait tips and what I am taking a portrait of...

Shoot Candidly

Sometimes posed shots can look somewhat…. posed. Some people don’t look good in a posed environment and so switching to a candid type approach can work.
Photograph your subject at work, with family or doing something that they love. This will put them more at ease and you can end up getting some special shots with them reacting naturally to the situation that they are in. You might even want to grab a longer zoom lens to take you out of their immediate zone and get really paparazzi with them.
I find that this can particularly work when photographing children

Looking Away from the Camera

If your subject is looking at something other than the camera viewers will naturally want to see what it is. You then have two choices - either to show them or not hide the object of their gaze.

Looking Directly At the Camera

If your subject is looking directly at the camera it's hard not to look at them - they become the focal point.
Sometimes when a subject looks directly at the camera it can create discomfort or tension for the viewer of the image - it can be a very strong and confronting pose. This is not necessarily bad - in fact it can really make the shot quite powerful - but it is something to be aware of.

who will you shoot, where will you shoot, and what will you do to make the shot successful.

I will either take a portrait of my friend Jane or my friend Losa. I will take the portrait of them at the stake dance that is coming up on Saturday, I might also take a portrait of them at church on Sunday. I will use the tips that I have read to make my portraits good. Like making my subject look away from the camera or putting someone else in the photo. Or catching them not posing, just being themselves.

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