Think about it. What is the single most popular photo subject shot by the average photographer? If you answered people, you’re right. The main reason most of us purchase a camera is to photograph people. Even if you don’t have children of your own your images likely include other family members, friends, or strangers you come across at the park or on your vacation. It could be the fisherman pulling in that 115-pound marlin off the coast of Mexico or the juggler on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. Regardless, photographing people comes with unique challenges. The following are two skills I’ve been experimenting with recently:
EYE CONTACT. A picture that features your subject making eye contact with the camera speaks volumes about the moment. Not only does it help draw in a viewer, it also sets the tone of the shot. My main photo subject is my 3-year-old daughter who at moment refuses to make eye contact with my camera. She’ll give me a huge grin, but 9 times out of 10 she is looking in another direction. There are times when it’s more effective to not have your subject make eye contact with the camera, but most parents want at least a few pictures of our kids looking at the lens. I’ve recently resorted to shooting with one hand to get my child to make eye contact with my camera. I use my other hand to form letters just to the side of the lens and cajole her to name the letter while I snap away.
The topic of eye contact also comes into play when you travel to countries where it is culturally prohibited to look directly into a camera. In some parts of the world there is a belief that if a photograph is made of a person, part of their soul is taken away. This makes establishing eye contact very difficult. I would suggest respecting the person’s belief and finding another subject to shoot.
CLOSE UPS. For the past several months I have been experimenting with close ups. Which is not to say that I have a bin full of tight shots of people’s faces. You can choose from a variety of subjects to zoom in on. For example, a person’s hands are easy subjects to shoot and they often help capture the character of the individual you are documenting. This is especially true in the case of elderly subjects whose hands show character lines or with subjects who sport ornate pieces of jewelry on their hands. Take a trip to your local park and you’ll find numerous subjects you can practice taking close ups of. For example, the man whose hand is clutching a cane or a toddler whose hand is clutching his mom’s. Look beyond the face and don’t overlook the obvious such as the man with the unique hairdo, a large dangling earring hanging from a teen’s earlobe, or a fabulous hat on the woman who is trying to protect her lily-white skin from the sun.
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