 Whatever your photographic genre of choice, there is always admiration for
candid photography. Candid photography is the art of catching people unawares in
a photo. It doesn't have to mean capturing them during a slapstick moment of
falling over in the snow or something like that, it just means capturing people
at their most natural.
There is always a place for a well composed photograph with time taken over how
the subject poses and smiles for the camera. For me, that can never beat the
capture of people falling around laughing at a joke or marveling at a sporting
event. Here are six tips for taking great candid photographs:
- Plan For Spontaneity - This may sound like a contradiction, but it is a good
idea to plan for spontaneity. What I mean is, think about the event that you are
photographing. If you are at a friends birthday party, think about where most of
the guests will be during the party and think about where you as the
photographer can stand to take photos without being noticed. A lot of people
stand in kitchens at parties to get away from the music so they can talk and
tell jokes. Think about where you could stand and capture moments of spontaneity
from the guests without drawing the dreadful posed "say cheese" kind of
photographs.
- Take Lots Of Pictures - Digital cameras with large memory cards allow you to take a large quantity of photographs at no real cost to you.
This is perfect for taking candid shots. Take as many photos as you can from
many different angles and from many different zoom settings. This will
greatly increase your chances of getting some real gems.
- Human Interaction - Some of the best candid shots I have taken have been
when people are interacting with each other. It might be an animated
conversation about politics or discussion of a book they have read. It could be
a couple of children playing with a toy. The point is, human interactions result
in some of the most incredible photographs.
- Never Leave Home Without It (your camera that is) - This is a simple tip
but probably the most important one. How many times in the past have you been
out and about and seen something and suddenly said to yourself, "I wish I
had my camera with me". I know this has happened to me so many times. You don't
have to carry a big Canon EOS Digital SLR with you all the time, just a good
quality point and shoot digital camera will suffice for some good spontaneous
shots. And don't forget to take some spare batteries along with you!
- Stealth Mode With a "Long Zoom" lens - For the ultimate in stealthy candid
photography, use a camera with a long lens and hide behind some nearby trees or
bushes. Paparazzi photographers use this technique a lot to take photos of
celebrities in candid moments. You can use this technique to capture candid
shots of friends and family also.
So there you have it!
If you truly want a rewarding experience, then I urge you to give candid
photography a try!
About the author: Dan Murray writes article about all aspects of photography,
offering great advice to photography students. For more great tips and free
photography advice, Dan invites your to visit his
Photography Blog.
|
