The One Question You Should Ask Yourself Before Taking Any Picture
While teaching photography I am often asked, “What do you think about when you take a picture?” This can be a hard question to answer. I’m not bragging when I say I’ve been shooting for 20 years and the art of creating images has become more reflex than quantifiable thought process. I don’t think a whole lot when shooting.
But one questions that does run through my mind, and is the closest I come to thinking before shooting, over and over again before pressing the shutter release is a question I deliver to those looking to improve their photography. That question is simply:
Why am I taking this picture?
The answer to this question often reveals a lot about not only what I’m looking at, but also whether or not I should take up the megabytes and time editing this scene later. Taking a look at some of the likely answers to this question, I want to stress that there is no ‘right or wrong’ in this method. It’s simply a technique to help you figure out what’s going on in your head. It is not a law, just a suggestion.
Because It Is Pretty
This is the most common reason for most images to be taken. The scene in front of us is pretty and we want to capture it, preserve it or share it. The problem here is not every pretty scene makes a great or even good photo. So often the scene in front of us is maybe out of the dynamic range of our camera (a problem solved by using HDR techniques and the march of progress in sensor development). Or maybe it’s a tremendous sunset partially covered by trees. The problem is our mind often interprets the scene in front of us in a way the camera never can.
These types of shots will often remain on your harddrive and not even make it to Facebook to be shared. You get home and look and sigh. “Meh” is often heard when looking at these shots on a computer screen when the magic of the moment has long passed.
It’s my assertion that a scene being labeled as ‘pretty’ alone is not sufficient reason to take a picture. It surely is reason enough to stop for a moment and enjoy the beauty of life. Just don’t forget that ‘beautiful scene’ doesn’t always equal ‘beautiful picture’.
Because It Evokes Emotion
Here now is a great reason to take a photo. If you feel stirred inside with any emotion, chances are the viewers of your image will be too. Emotion is something that connects us as humans and crosses language barriers. If the scene is emotion evoking, I would not hesitate to take a photo at the appropriate moment to try to convey that feeling on a computer screen later. It’s important to note you may not like the emotion being displayed, but that does not mean it won’t be a good photo.
Because It Tells A Story
Sometimes the space inside a frame has a whole story coming to life. Action, suspense, a life well lived. Any theme is fair game and the greatest photojournalists of our time have been masters at finding those stories. When they know just one image is going to be used in a newspaper article, it is important to make that image tell as much as it can. Look for these types of images especially while traveling.
Because It Is Instructional
Photography is a wonderful way to teach. Some of the ugliest photos teach the most important subjects. And not every Pulitzer Prize winning photo is perfectly lined up according to the Rule Of Thirds or with a histogram that is not a pixel overexposed. In fact, taking a photo of something that shows a technique or a different way of doing something will not make the cover of National Geographic, but it will serve a purpose and explain things 1000 times faster than writing about it can.
Because I Want To Remember This Moment
The beach. Hawaii. Umbrella drinks in hand. The love of your life beside you. Toes in the sand. A setting sun.
We’ve all seen this image shared by friends at one time or another. It’s a boring picture. The sun, looking Hawaiian orange, just before it sinks into the bluest ocean you have ever seen. And the sun is centered. So is the horizon. It’s boring for most of us.
But it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take that shot. It is a great memory for you and every time you look at that sunset image you will be instantly transported back to the warm beach. It also doesn’t mean you need to share the image. That’s the key for images like this. Blow it up and put it on the wall in your office, but don’t force your friends to look at a ho-hum image, because they don’t have that memory come to life when they see it. Share the spectacular images when the lava rolls into the sea while saving for yourself the special, private moments that make you smile.
Conclusion
There are any number of reasons to take a photo. I’m not here to say “Never take a picture because it is just pretty!” But I do think it helps one improve their technique and artistic eye if conscience thought is given as to why an image is taken.
I should also note that about a quarter of the time I simply shoot from a gut feeling and that gut feeling in any photographer should never be ignored.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
The One Question You Should Ask Yourself Before Taking Any Picture
A Fresh Look at Depth of Field: Using foreground to achieve creative depth of field
The following post on depth of field was written by Hawaii photographer Natalie Norton, of natalienortonphoto.com.
We talk a lot around here at Digital Photography School about Depth of Field. I’m writing this based on the assumption that we all understand that in layman terms, “depth of field” is the portion of an image that is in sharp focus. To illustrate: in landscape photography, generally you’re working to achieve a very large depth of field. You want EVERYTHING in the scene to be in sharp focus. With portraits, photographers are often shooting for (lame pun intended) a more shallow depth of field, focusing in on their subjects and working towards fall off or blur in the background. Why do you think this is the case? Clearly to draw focus to the story being told. Well what if you want to tell a different story OR what if you want to tell the same story in a different way? Today let’s talk about depth of field and some ways you can use foreground in a different way to draw a different kind of attention to the story you’re trying to tell. Here are 3 ways to create “story telling images” using foreground to achieve creative depth of field.
1. Framing with foreground:
I wanted to find the most straight forward illustration I could to get the point across clearly. This shot (left) is from a recent senior portrait session. I wanted to draw attention to the senior, particularly I wanted him to seem strong and capable: READY to take on the world.
The frame of the foliage around him draws attention right to him… it focuses the story of the image. I recognize that foreground used in this way can also be distracting, this image is borderline distracting, I recognize that. You need to be aware of that and be sure to make foreground work for you, not against you.
How to get a shot like this: well I was shooting with a 50mm lens. I got right up close to the foliage that separated Melvin and I. First I tried with auto focus, but because of my proximity to the leaves, I had to switch over and focus manually.
2. Don’t be afraid to throw your subject out of focus:
When you’re doing portraiture, you’re generally trying to establish some kind of mood through imagery: happy, solemn, lovesick, sexy. . . Generally the mood is created through posing etc. For the next shots I let the foreground tell a few different kinds of love stories for me.
Back in March, I was shooting on Balboa Island in California. We were out on this dock shooting the typical, fun, happy, “we can’t wait to get married” stuff and I was getting bored. I had them take their shoes off and put their feet in the water. Better, but still pretty typical. So I waded out into the water, hitched my skirt up around my waist, nearly dropped my camera into the ocean, and created these. First I focused on the couple and threw the water out of focus. It’s a nice shot. It looks like they’re sitting on the dock watching the sun set. Nice. Then I focused on the water throwing my subject out of focus. A little sexier huh? Like, we’re sneaking up on some steamy make-out sesh. . . ha ha! But really, both images are good, while neither image is going up for any awards any time soon, they’re both good images. The second just speaks to you a little differently, tells their sexy love story a little more clearly.
Here’s another image where I decided NOT to focus on my subject, again to tell his story better. Back to Melvin’s senior session. Here he is walking into his future. I wanted to show where he was going, but also to illustrate that he’s on his way there because of where he’s been. . . I think this image is a powerful one that illustrates hope for the future and grounding in the past.
Don’t be afraid to throw your subject out of focus!
3. Same shot+different focus=different story:
This next series is a favorite of mine. Essentially the same shot, but different focus makes it tell a different tale. Both images were taken within seconds of each other. But they each tell a different person’s love story. First, the love of a father for his daughter and the second the love of a little girl for her daddy. Framed side by side. . . ahh. I get all warm and cozy just thinking about it.
Depth of field is a simple concept, but the ways it can be arranged to create powerful images are endless. Go get fresh with depth of field! Feel free to report back! We’d love to hear/see how you did!
Happy Shooting!
Natalie Norton lives and shoots on the North Shore of Oahu, HI with her husband Richie and her 3 crazy boys. See more of her work at natalienortonphoto.com.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
A Fresh Look at Depth of Field: Using foreground to achieve creative depth of field
5 Steps to Better Composition
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A Guest Post by Andrew S Gibson – author of the brand new eBook – Beyond Thirds.
Here are five tips for improving your composition. You may be surprised to learn that none of them involve the rule of thirds. There’s a good reason; it’s one of the first things photographers learn, so most of you are aware of this ‘rule’ (I prefer to think of it as a guideline) already.
Learning the rule of thirds is a bit like taking driving lessons and being told that you press the gas pedal to accelerate and the brake pedal to stop the car (and nothing more). It covers the basics, but you know that there’s a lot more to driving than that. It’s the same with composition.
1. Stop Composing According to the Rule of Thirds
The thing is with the rule of thirds is that sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. The thirds are not always the best place to position the subject. The above photo is a good example – the symmetrical shape of the hood ornament demanded a central composition. How do you know when to ‘break’ the rule of thirds? Read on to find out.
2. Be aware of Balance
One of the questions I ask myself when I take a photo is what is the relationship between the subject and the rest of the image? How do the two balance out? This is something that I judge by feel more than anything else. A balanced image has a peaceful, harmonious feel. The photo above is balanced – the three monkeys and the chinese chess pieces have an equal ‘weight’ within the composition. The warm colours are also quite harmonious and in balance with each other.
You may wish to create a more dynamic image – in which case see tip 4.
3. Simplify
Make you compositions as simple as possible. You can do this by excluding anything that isn’t necessary. Often this just means moving closer to your subject so that there is less stuff in the background. You could also use a longer focal length, as the narrower field of view excludes more of the background.
Another technique is to use a wide aperture to throw the background out of focus. The idea is to try and eliminate anything that distracts from the main subject of your photo. That’s what I did with the above photo, to concentrate attention on the flower.
4. Use Lines to Create Dynamic Tension
Lines are a powerful element of composition, and the viewer’s eye naturally follows any lines in your images.
One use of line is to create a sense of depth. You can do this with lines that travel from the front of the image to the back. Diagonal lines are more dynamic than straight ones. Horizontal lines are least dynamic of all. The line of the altar in the above photo, taken in a temple in Shanghai, creates a strong sense of movement and depth.
5. Work the Subject
If you find a good subject, sometimes it’s a good idea to take lots of photos. The key is to think about what you are doing, rather than ‘machine gunning’ away. Ask yourself how you can improve the composition. Try taking photos from different angles, or with a different focal length. This is called working the subject, and you’ll often find that it helps you take stronger images.
Beyond Thirds
You can learn more about composition by buying my latest eBook, Beyond Thirds, from Craft & Vision today – it’s only $5!
Andrew S Gibson is a freelance writer based in Auckland, New Zealand. He is the Technical Editor of EOS magazine and writes photography eBooks for Craft And Vision. including The Evocative Image and Beyond Thirds. Follow Andrew on Facebook here.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
The ‘Odd Rule’ of Composition
Image by Garry
“Odd numbers are better than Even ones in photography.”
I heard about this ‘odd rule’ years ago in a magazine and laughed it off as the author having some sort of obsessive compulsive disorder – but ever since I heard it I’ve noticed that in the shots I take it is true.
I’m not exactly sure why it works – but it does. Perhaps it’s about the balance that odd numbers create (there’s always one thing in the centre to give balance)?
I find that three objects in a shot are particularly good. Five, Seven or more can work but you run the risk of clutter.
Give it a try – it works!
Tip submitted by one of our readers – ‘Rachel’. If you’ve got a digital photography tip to share with the DPS community contact us with Your Tip.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
Sometimes People Love The Subject, Not Your Photo
"It's not me, it's the subject"
I admit to feeling like a fraud sometimes.
A fraud because I have people “ohhhh”ing and “ahhhh”ing over a photo of mine and when I sit back and look at it, I realize it’s not my photo skills they are astounded by, it’s the subject of the shot.
Yes, I was there and composed the shot, picked the subject matter and made sure the exposure was solid. I probably made a minor adjustment or two in Lightroom back in the office. I did have an influence on the outcome, that is for sure.
Yet, once in a while I honestly have to state, “It was Mother Nature (one of my favorite subjects) that really did all the work to make it that beautiful.” I do this because I feel like a fraud pawning off the sheer natural beauty of the scene as it was in front of me for something I created. Especially when I used no more skill than a well trained monkey would.
I bring this up to explain a phenomena novices sometimes have towards their work and their newly acquired adoring fans. One student of mine showed me a shot of a geyser in Yellowstone. He asked me, a bit baffled, “People keep telling me they really like this shot, but it seems fairly normal to me. Why is that?” I did my best to explain my take on his shot, which was that it was well exposed and had good saturation and wasn’t astounding. Just not solid use of technique.
What was astounding to his viewers were the colors in the geyser mound; burnt reds and smeared alga filled oranges streaming down glistening, dirty white surfaces with a sky that could easily apply for a copyright on the color “sky blue”. A line of emerald evergreens divided the scene.
And I had stood in nearly that exact spot just 20 feet from the parking lot and taken the same shot (on a cloudy day).
I wasn’t trying to put him down and he took it constructively. I wanted him to understand what I’m hoping might help you, and it’s that sometimes it’s the subject that people are raving about and not your photographic ability.
This next point is very important to those starting out: That need not be a bad thing. Taking a photo of something beautiful in its own right and snapping a quality shot to share with others is a noble endeavor. But it is important to understand as a gauge to know if your skills are improving.
Another example is this image by Jessica Spiegel, who runs WhyGo Italy Travel Guide. The shot is taken in Ravenna, Italy.
Copyright Jessica Spiegel
A comment on my blog post featuring her photo and a subsequent discussion on Twitter showed many people liking the photo, a lot. And Jessica will be one of the first to admit it’s not her skills, but the mosaic itself that draws people.
I can go on and on with examples and likely you know of some in your own catalogs. Photos that people love that are just “so-so” to you. Not a great photo, but a great subject. My own example is up top with a shot of Fes in Morocco that took no special talent or thought. Just a zoom lens.
Be thankful people like the photo because it brought a bit of beauty or understanding or knowledge into their life and they are happy for that. On the quest to improve your technique, make sure you don’t get caught up in the accolades of beautiful subjects and start ignoring your technique and unique view of the world.
Post from: Digital Photography School’s Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.
Sometimes People Love The Subject, Not Your Photo
4 Rules of Composition for Landscape Photography
While I’m not always a fan of sticking strictly to the ‘rules’ or ‘guidelines’ of photography I think they can be well worth knowing and keeping in the back of your mind as you shoot (whether it’s so you can follow them or break them for effect). Here’s four ‘rules’ for landscape photography that might be helpful for those just starting out (ie they’re not meant as a definitive guide but rather a starting point) :
1. Diagonal Lines
Using diagonal lines can be a very effective way of drawing the eye of those viewing an image into it and to the main focal point.
The ‘lines’ need not be actual lines – they could be the shape of a path, a line of trees, a fence, river or any other feature in an image.
Converging lines (two or more lines coming from different parts of an image to a single point) can be all the more effective.
Read more about using Diagonal Lines in your digital photography.
2. Geometric Shapes
By positioning key aspects of a landscape on points of a geometric shape you can help create a balanced composition. Perhaps the most common and easiest way to do this is to use a ‘triangle’ shape between objects in an image with three objects in a frame positioned with one to each side and one more central.
Using Geometric Shapes in this way isn’t something that I’ve done a lot of – but it is one technique to get balance in a shot and if you’re clever, to lead the eye into it (in a similar way to the diagonal lines rule above).
You can see this illustrated (to a point) in the photomontage image to the right.
3. The Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds gets trotted out more often than any other in all types of photography and is one of the first rules of composition taught to most photography students. While sometimes it can feel a little cliche it can also be a very effective technique in landscapes (although keep in mind that breaking this (and other rules) can also produce dramatic and interesting shots).
Position key points of interest in a landscape on the intersecting point between imaginary ‘third’ points in an image and you’ll help give your image balance and help those focal points to really capture attention.
Read more about using the Rule of Thirds in composing your shots.
4. Framing Images
While adding points of interest to a foreground is an important technique for adding interest to landscape shots – a similar technique is to ‘frame’ the shot by adding interest to other parts of the edges of an image.
Perhaps the most common way of framing a landscape shot is to include an overhanging branch in the upper section of a shot. Similarly framing a shot with a bridge might work.
Read more about Framing Images
Rules are Made to Be Broken?
Of course while knowing the rules can be important – knowing when to use them and when to break them is a talent that great photographers generally have.
Practice these techniques – but don’t get so worked up about them that they kill the creativity that you have.
Let me finish with a quote about Rules of Photography from Photographer Edward Weston to help give us a little balance on the topic:
“To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk. Such rules and laws are deduced from the accomplished fact; they are the products of reflection.”
Further Reading: 11 Surefire Tips for Improving Your Landscape Photography.
Post from: Digital Photography School’s Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.
4 Rules of Composition for Landscape Photography
How to Use Converging Lines to Enhance Your Photography
When framing a landscape shot one of the types of environmental features that many photographers look for and like to incorporate in their shots is converging lines.
We’ve talked previously about how lines have the potential to add interest to an image – but multiple lines that converge together (or come close to one another) can be a great technique to lead your viewers eye into a shot.
Perhaps the classic example (and one that’s probably been overdone) of converging lines are railway tracks.
Position yourself in the middle of two tracks (after taking a look at what might be coming from behind) and you’ll see the two tracks on either side of you appear to get closer and closer together as they go into the distance.
Take this shot and the natural reaction for those looking at the scene will be for them to follow the lines off into the distance. In a sense the two lines act like a funnel which directs the gaze of those entering them in a certain direction.
The same effect can be achieved with roads or pathways, converging fence lines, a set of stairs, power lines or virtually any other lines that run parallel into the distance or that actually converge at some point.
4 Tips Regarding Converging Lines
1. Experiment with Positioning – the classic railway line shot described above has many possibilities. One is to position the tracks dead center and symmetrically in the shot.
Another positioning would be to step to one side of the tracks and let them run diagonally through your frame from a lower corner to the opposite upper corner. The beauty of this is that you’ll end up with a more dynamic shot. Symmetrical and vertical placement of the lines can be powerful but diagonal lines tend to convey movement.
Alternatively stepping away from the start of the lines can give another perspective – as can holding your camera on an angle to give another diagonal framing of the lines.
2. Wide Angle Lenses – different lenses can totally change the impact of a shot with converging lines. I find that a wide angle lens can be particularly useful – especially when positioning yourself between the two lines.
This will help to give the perception that the distance between the lines at the starting point of the image is wider than it is. This exaggeration of the width of your lines can have a powerful impact upon your shot.
3. Positioning the ‘convergence’ - one thing to consider when you have converging lines in an image is that they draw the eye into a shot – towards the point that they converge – this becomes one of the most important parts of this image – a focal point.
As you’re framing your shot ask yourself – ‘where is the most effective position to frame this?”
Keep in mind rules like the Rule of Thirds that says that the intersecting points of imaginary lines a third of the way into an image are key points for positioning points of interest.
Also know that if the point of convergence is outside the frame of the shot that you are leading the eye out of your shot. This could leave a shot unbalanced and with tension – alternatively it could enhance the shot and leave your viewers wondering about the place that they converge.
4. Adding Interest at the Point of Convergence – Sometimes it is worth enhancing the point of convergence with something of interest (for example waiting until a train appears in the distance on the tracks – or positioning a person at the top of stairs) – on other occasions the composition of the shot is strong enough without adding an extra subject.
If you’ve got some examples of converging lines in images that you’ve taken I’d love to see them over at the DPS forums – either in the How I took It or Critique My Shot sections.
Here are a few more Converging Lines shots to illustrate the point and hopefully give a little inspiration.
Image by MarkyBon
Image by Loving Earth
Image by vividiti
Image by Lush.i.ous
Image by Aeloux
Post from: Digital Photography School’s Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.
How to Use Converging Lines to Enhance Your Photography
Using Water to Lighten Landscape Photos
Most Pro landscape photographers recommend shooting either at (or around) dawn or dusk in order to capture their scene in the ‘golden hours’ when the light is at it’s best (in fact some will rarely shoot at any other time of day).
However, one of the problems associated with shooting at this time of day is that while the sky will often have enough light in it the foreground of your images can sometimes end up being a little underexposed and featureless.
One way to get around underexposed foregrounds is to include water in that area of your shot and to get it reflecting light from the sky.
This is a particularly effective technique at sunrise or sunset when there’s color and interesting cloud formations in the sky (and reflections in the water).
It may take a little experimentation with different positions to shoot from in order to get the right part of the sky in the reflections but with a little trial and error the effect can be quite stunning and a much brighter and more balanced image.
Even if you don’t get perfect reflections the light coming from the water can help balance the shot and help you overcome underexposed foregrounds.
Post from: Digital Photography School’s Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.
Using Water to Lighten Landscape Photos
Anchoring Your Photography
If you’ve ever taken a photograph and felt like it was “floating” or missing an element that connected the subject to the environment around it, you might be forgetting to anchor your photography. Anchoring, completing, connecting, sitting and a dozen other words to describe it simply mean to show the connection of a subject and it’s supporting limbs or structure to the rest of the photograph.
It’s why you’ve always heard to never cut off a person at the ankles in a photograph. When you show the ground they’re standing on, you anchor them to the environment and give them the visual support they need in an image. Here are a few to watch out for and think about the next time you’re framing up a subject.
Give Items a Place to Rest
If you’re photographing a mug of beer on a table top, a bowl of soup, or a perfume container for a product catalog, always make sure you show where that product hits the ground. On a textured background this can be pretty obvious. On a white background it’s usually accomplished by creating a slight shadow. That little shadow gives the ground below on a white surface some tone and grounds your object. The exception here is if you are asked to shoot for white seamless, meaning you want to eliminate any shadows so that your subject/object can easily be floated and placed onto any white background.
If you’re shooting for a company and they ask for images “on white” be sure you know first if they want that shadow or not. Many smaller companies or individuals don’t know industry lingo and they could say one thing but really mean another.
Complete Limbs and Stand Your Subjects
If you’re wondering why some of the family photos you have taken just “don’t seem quite right” it might be because you’re cropping your photo at the shins or ankles. Essentially, you’ve forgotten to give your subject a leg to stand on! At a certain point down your legs your mind wants to mentally complete a person. It subconsciously knows there’s more to that appendage, and if you’re chopping it off in a photo your mind rejects it as incomplete. That point is generally at or below the knees. The very same principle applies to arms. Arms cut off at ¾ length or at the wrists feel incomplete. Try watching what you’re framing up while composing a shot. Make sure you’re completing all your limbs, or at least cropping at the appropriate places.
Watch for Building Tops
All this translates to objects and buildings as well. How many tourist photos have you seen of the Eiffel Tower, and they’re missing the top of the tower! Your mind instantly wants to reject this image because it’s also seen so many images of the building complete. Be careful where you chop the top off of any building, or if you decide not to capture the ground below it and anchor it. The ¾ rule for limbs works well here too. If you’ve got most of a structure in there, be sure to finish it or crop even shorter on some details.
Are there exceptions to this rule? Of course there are! And many people have been able to break it to great effect. However, before you start breaking the rules you really need to know them and why for the majority of your images they’ll hold fast and true. So be sure in the next set of images you’re taking to anchor your subject and visually complete it.
Post from: Digital Photography School’s Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.
6 Tips for Photographing Large People
The first thing to acknowledge here is that large people know that they’re large. As with any body type (skinny included) their body image may cause them to believe that their either larger or smaller than they are. You can tastefully discuss body image with them clients which is something I may be inclined to do with any type of person. Understanding how a client feels about their body is always a great thing to know. And if they’ve scheduled a photo session, they’re probably already pretty confident people.
As a society, we try to find ways to make people look smaller and we think that smaller = more attractive, but this doesn’t need to be our primary focus when shooting large people. Making them appear comfortable? Now that’s important. And I agree, laying on the ground is usually a no-go. Here are a few tips I’ve found helpful:
- Use a telephoto lens or the longest zoom that you have. This will compress the shot and keep it from suffering from widening distortion. Experiment with the distortion correction in Photoshop to see if there’s any barreling that you don’t notice on first inspection.
- Don’t shoot from a low angle.
- You can shoot from higher up looking down, but beware that this is a way overused tactic for photographing larger people so throw in lots of other types of framing, not just this one.
- You can use one subject’s body to shield another (if one is lighter than the other)
- Obviously, you have the option of not photographing their whole body. Try different varieties of head-and-shoulders shots, but beware that they may feel that you’re saying that they’re unattractive if you don’t also provide them with body shots. Your job is to photograph them like you would anyone else so don’t think you’re doing them a favour by completely ignoring their entire body.
- In a post of mine this week on posing families, try the ‘huddle’ and ’squeeze in’ poses which eliminates full body shots.
Thanks so much for reading and share your tips below!
Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.
6 Tips for Photographing Large People