Best Portrait Photography & human interest photography
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About Portrait photography
Portrait photography or portrait in photography is a photograph of a person or group of people that captures the personality of the subject through the use of lighting, backgrounds, and effective poses. A portrait can be artistic, or it can be clinical, as part of a medical study.
PEOPLE PICTURES FALL into two categories: portraits and candid. Either can be made with or without your subject's awareness and cooperation.
However near or far your subject, however intimate or distant the gaze your camera casts, you always need to keep in mind the elements of composition and the technique that will best help you communicate what you are trying to say.
Get Closer
The most common mistake made by photographers is that they are not physically close enough to their subjects. In some cases this means that the center of interest—the subject—is just a speck, too small to have any impact. Even when it is big enough to be decipherable, it usually carries little meaning. Viewers can sense when a subject is small because it was supposed to be and when it's small because the photographer was too shy to get close.
Don't be shy. If you approach people in the right way, they'll usually be happy to have their picture made. It's up to you to break the ice and get them to cooperate. Joke around with them. Tell them why you want to make the picture. Practice with people you know so that you are comfortable; people can sense when you aren't.
photo shoot
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Settings—The Other Subject
The settings in which you make pictures of people are important because they add to the viewer's understanding of your subject. The room in which a person lives or works, their house, the city street they walk, the place in which they seek relaxation—whatever it is, the setting provides information about people and tells us something about their lives. Seek balance between subject and environment. Include enough of the setting to aid your image, but not so much that the subject is lost in it.
Candids: Being Unobtrusive
You may want to make photographs of people going about their business—vendors in a market, a crowd at a sports event, the line at a theater. You don't want them to appear aware of the camera. Many times people will see you, then ignore you because they have to concentrate on what they are doing. You want the viewers of the image to feel that they are getting an unguarded, fly-on-the-wall glimpse into the scene.
There are several ways to be discreet. The first thing, of course, is to determine what you want to photograph. Perhaps you see a market stall that is particularly colorful, a park bench in a beautiful setting, whatever attracted you. Find a place to sit or stand that gives you a good view of the scene, take up residence there, and wait for the elements to come together in a way that forms your image.
If you are using a long lens and you are at some distance from the subject, it will probably be a while before people in the scene notice. You should be able to compose your image and get your shot before this happens. When they see you, smile and say hello. There is a difference between being discreet and unfriendly. Another way to be discreet is to be there long enough for people to stop paying attention to you. If you're sitting in a cafe, order a coffee and wait. As other clients focus on conversations or the newspaper, calmly raise the camera to your eye and expose. In most cases, people won't notice or care. But be wise. Don't keep shooting and become a nuisance. They will care. You can also place the camera on the table with a wide angle lens pointed at the subject and just press the remote shutter when the time is right. Modern autofocus and autoexposure cameras make this easy to do too.
Anticipate behavior ( the photographer)
An important element in photographing people is knowing your subjects well enough to be able to anticipate what they are going to do. It is the only way you can get photos. If you wait until you see it, it is too late. The key is to watch people carefully. Always have your camera ready. If you're going to shoot in a situation, set the aperture and shutter speed ahead of time so you don't have to fiddle with them while shooting. Observe people through the viewer. If you pay attention, you will feel what is about to happen.
Predict relationships within the frame
A large part of people photography is understanding human nature and being aware of how people react in certain situations. If someone is sitting in a cafe, they will generally look up when the waiter approaches. People generally smile when they see a baby or open a gift. The crowd rises when a batter hits a ball that appears to be headed for the seats. Think about the situation you are photographing and how people are likely to act in it. Then get ready for the moment.
Candids with consent
The low-key candids seek to be flying images that capture people going about their business seemingly unaware of the camera and photographer. This produces images that are more towards the objective end of the objective / subjective continuum, although of course there is no human photograph that is completely objective. Conse*n*sual candid, made when the photographer is actively involved with the subject and the subject is aware of this involvement, are very different. Photographs are records of the photographer's relationship with his subject. In conse*n*sual candids, the relationship can be obvious (the subject looks directly at the camera) or subtle: the relationship is implicit because the image feels more intimate. We felt that the photographer was physically close to the subject and that the person was aware that they were being photographed.
Engaging your subject
The first order of business is to engage your subject. This is where we all have to learn to overcome our shyness and approach people in an open and friendly way. Be honest about who you are and what you are doing. Don't just barge into a scene with the cameras on. In fact, it is usually best to leave the camera in your bag when you approach people for the first time, so as not to scare them. Take the time to have a conversation with the person, just as you would if you didn't have a camera. Remember the golden rule. Think about how you would feel if someone came up to you and wanted to take a picture. How they did it would determine how you would respond.
Approaching unknown cultures
One of the keys to success in photographing cultures other than your own is to do as much research as you can before you go. Talk to the people who have been there and get their recommendations. Find out if there are taboos about photography and, if so, what they are. Another key to success is being sensitive to local customs and the different reactions people may have towards you and your camera. Learn a few simple phrases in the local language so that you can at least greet people and ask if you can take pictures of them.
Some people have no problem with photography and you should treat them in the same courteous and respectful way that you would treat people at home, involving them and asking for their permission. Others have objections to taking pictures of certain individuals or groups. Some people object on religious grounds. Some feel that you want to make fun of them, show their poverty or some other aspect of their lives to the world. Other people believe that when you make an image of them, you are stealing their soul or in some other way taking something from them.
They are right, of course. Photographers talk about capturing the essence or spirit of a person or place. We drink something and benefit from it. You should always respect people's feelings and beliefs. There are selfish reasons for this: you don't want to be beaten up or thrown in jail. But the main point is that people are always more important than photographs. You don't want to abuse people, and doing something against a deeply held belief is abuse. And the photographs probably wouldn't be very good anyway.
You may be asked to pay to photograph certain people. My advice is to comply with such requests. You pay for a postcard when you travel, why not for a picture that you make? It's usually not a lot of money for you, but it can be a lot for the people you want to photograph. If you don't want to pay, you can always go ahead.
The casual portrait
Wherever you are with your camera, always be on the lookout for those moments when a person's character shines through. If you have a formal portrait session with someone, make some frames of him while he is fixing his tie or while she brushes his hair before the formal session. Get back in the car with her and shoot her on the street. If you are having a spring picnic with the family, look for that moment of happiness when your wife lays back, satiated, to enjoy the caress of the warm sun. If you are on the street, look for the impatient expression on a pedestrian's face as you wait for the light to change. Always be on the lookout for the revealing moment. Each person has a story and each image must tell part of that story.
Environmental portraits
Portraits are about people. Environmental portraits are about people and what they do with their lives. They are about the type of house a person lives in and how they decorate it; what kind of work they do and where they do it; about the environment they choose and the things they surround themselves with. Environmental portraits seek to convey an idea about a person by combining the portrait with a sense of place.
Group portraits
Group portraits are difficult to do well, and the larger the group, the more difficult they are. It is not easy to get a good and revealing photograph of a person, and the problems are exacerbated exponentially with groups. We have all had the experience of trying to get the family or the ball team to pose for a photo. Having them all arranged so that you can see their faces is quite difficult. So of course you want a picture where everyone looks good, no closed eyes, no grimaces. Taking group portraits requires imagination, patience, and diplomacy. Use your imagination. Find a way to relate the group to an environment that expresses something about what kind of group they are. Do it literally, humorously, dramatically, or in complete contrast. Get ideas from them.
Family issues
Members of our family are the people we photograph most often. We record momentous occasions and occasional moments. Albums filled with baby photos, first steps, minor league games, Halloweens, Thanksgiving and weddings mark our passage back in time. These photographs are our memories come true and they are probably the most important images we will ever make or have. You should apply thought and technique with the same rigor, if not more, to photographing your family as you do on any photography assignment. There is no better group to practice photography. No other will be so confident or willing to indulge his ever-present camera, his clumsiness with lights and his mistakes. When you are photographing strangers, you either get the idea or not. There is no going back to a fleeting moment. With your family, you can work toward achieving a similar moment over and over and over again.
Hands and other details
The hands of a farmer, a pianist, a baker. The feet of a ballet dancer, a long distance runner, a place kicker. The belly of a pregnant woman, the biceps of a weightlifter. Hair stroking a pillow, fingers clenched in prayer, an attentive gaze. Details of the human body make great photographic subjects, whether as expressions of ideas or emotions, as graphic shots, or as a way of saying something about an individual. Whenever you are photographing someone, try to think of details about their body or clothing that indirectly convey your message.
Are there particular parts of your body or items of your clothing that are important to what you do for a living or as a hobby? Do any of them really stand out? Can you find a way to abstract what you want to say about the person using one of these elements?
The point is to use your eyes and your imagination, whether you want to use detail and abstraction to say something about an individual or about the beauty of the human body. If you are taking detail photographs of the human body, you will be working closely with people and will have to direct them, tell them where to pose and how.
Photo shoot of a woman dancing before the Durga Idol (Indian Culture)
Photography Tips: If you are a beginner, chances are you don't have the studio or fancy lighting equipment.
Using window lights is your best bet. Turn off all the lights in the room and go to a window with a few curtains so that you can see the light spread out.
Turning off all lights also includes a pop-up flash on your camera. Make sure you focus on the eyes, make your things comfortable and give it a shot!
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