MINI COURSE TOPIC 6: Tips for Photographing people
Photographing people is a skill that is marketable all on its own. While you will be taking many other types of pictures as a travel photographer, you will also be taking pictures of people. Photographing people is more difficult because youíre not totally in charge when another person is involved. What you need to do depends on the situation.
Prepare and Work Your Subject
Have the subject show up groomed and dressed for a good appearance. Avoid T-shirts with a lot of writing or torn jeans unless thatís what youíre trying to convey. Try to get your subject to relax and feel confident.
Talk to your subject while you shoot.Be reassuring and let them know the session is going well. If you know any good, tasteful jokes try them to crack a more natural smile. Be assertive in directing them to pose. Theyíre likely not professional models, and that last thing you want to take away from the shoot is awkward-looking pictures.
For Portraits, Use the Lens Best for Field Depth
Never photograph people with a wide-angle lens for portraits. A lens with a focal length of 75 to 105 mm is suitable. Using longer lenses makes a more thinning look to the subject. Also, a longer lens will blur the background more for depth of field. Using any telephoto lens at the longer end of its zoom range gives you the most background blur. Wide-angle lenses are useful for incorporating other scenery around your subjects. Such lenses will be 24mm, 35mm or 50mm.
Shoot from Angles That Flatter Your Subject
Try to photograph from an angle just above eye level to impart a slimming effect and make your subject thrilled with how they look. Taking photos slightly from the side will give a thinner appearance too. Make sure the subject looks into the camera and smiles. Happy-looking people photograph better and tend to look better in the picture.
Work Aperture Setting for Shooting
Use the portrait scene mode from your mode dial to quickly have the camera ready to shoot if there is a time constraint. Otherwise, go with the A setting on the mode dial to select aperture priority mode. That way you can quickly change the depth of field to soften the background and bring out your subject to your liking.
The camera will handle the shutter speed for the exposure for you. If shooting groups of people, you will need to lengthen the depth of field to have a crisp focus of the entire group.
An aperture of f-4 to f-8 should suffice in getting all members in focus.
When you really think about your subject and try to get the best shot, you have to work together with the subject. Make them feel good and get the right angles with proper lighting, and youíll do great.
