A Photography Article
Candid Photography - Tips For Capturing
Great Candid Photos |
A lot of us take cameras with us when we go visit family; when we go
to various events like weddings, anniversaries, and other parties. We
all hope to capture great shots of our families and friends (not that
the ones of them in the middle of eating are not great. . . .). Candid
photography gives you a chance to take photos of the action that happens
at family events. You capture friends and family in their true form,
with genuine smiles on their faces.
What follows are some tips for taking candid photographs.
Prepare the camera.
Preset your camera for the environment you are in. Are you in a dim
setting? Then set your ISO to at least 400. If you have a point and
shoot camera, then set the setting to dim indoor lighting. This way
your camera will be ready to capture the events with the present lighting.
If the setting is in a bright environment with lots of light, then set
your ISO to below 400 or choose the setting for bright light. If you
can, take a few test shots to see how the photos turn out with your
current settings. Once you get to the setting that produces the best
shot, keep that setting until your environment changes (i.e. the sun
starts to set, indoor lights are dimmed, any kind of change).
Think outside the portrait.
We are all very familiar with the posed head on portraits. But for candid
shots, try different angles and different perspectives, try shooting
between people. You might surprise yourself with how the shots come
out. Try shooting from a distance. Tilt the camera diagonally so that
the frame is a diamond shape instead of a rectangle. That makes for
some interesting shots as well. If you see someone over another’s
shoulder, try getting that shot as well including the shoulder. That
makes for an interesting perspective. Experiment with your candid shots.
Wait for the right moment.
When it comes to taking photos of people when they’re eating or
conversing, wait for the right moment. To photograph someone who is
eating or conversing without getting a weird face in the process as
well as some threats to destroy your camera, observe and listen to what
is happening. For someone who is eating, wait until they have swallowed
before taking the shot. For those in conversation, listen to their conversation
and wait until there is a pause in the conversation before taking the
shot. If they are cracking jokes, wait until they’re done telling
the joke, and shoot when they are laughing at the joke. Be patient when
taking candid eating and conversing photos.
Shoot in series.
Try taking bursts of photos if your camera allows it to capture a sequence
of events. Like someone opening gifts. Set your camera to burst mode
and let it shoot away as the person is opening gifts. You will end up
with shots of them opening the gift, the anticipation, and the expression
of surprise or something else when they see what the gift is. Putting
these photos side by side gives the photos action almost.
The above are the candid photography tips that I have found most useful
to me. I hope you will find these helpful as well.
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