11 Tips for Better Candid Photography
Candid styles of photography are increasingly becoming popular both in general day to day photography but also in formal photographic situations. Last time I was asked to photograph a wedding the couple actually hired me purely to take paparazzi style shows of them and their guests throughout the day. They had another photographer for the formal shots and gave me the brief of getting a behind the scenes look of the day.
The results, when they put together my shots with the formal ones were a wonderful blend of photos that told a fuller story than if they’d gone for one or the other.
Below are a number of tips to help photographers improve their ‘candid’ photography. Please note that these tips are not about taking sneaky, voyeuristic or true paparazzi shots (ie photographing people without their permission) but rather about how to add a more candid feel to the shots you take of people that you know.
1. Take your Camera Everywhere
Probably the best way to take spontaneous photographs is to always be ready to do so. I have a DSLR which I take out when I’m on a shoot but between shoots like to cary with a quality point and shoot camera that I can whip out at a moments notice to capture the many opportunities for a good photo that life presents us with. Taking your camera with you everywhere also helps people to be more at ease with you taking their photo. I find that my friends and family just expect me to have my camera out so when I do fire it up it’s not a signal to them to pose but it’s a normal part of our interaction - this means that they are relaxed and the photos are natural.
2. Use a Long Zoom
Obviously the further you are away from your subject the less likely they will be to know that you’re photographing them and the more natural and relaxed they’ll act. Using a telephoto lens or long zoom enables you to shoot from outside their personal space but keep the feeling of intimacy in the shot you’re taking.
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3. Kill the Flash
Perhaps the most obvious way that you can signal to another person that you’re photographing them is to use a flash. There’s nothing like a blinding flash of light in the eyes to kill a moment. If possible (and it’s not always) attempt to photograph without the flash if you’re aiming for candid shots. When in lower light situations increase your ISO setting, use a faster lens, open up your aperture or if your camera has a ‘natural light mode’ turn it on. Hopefully one or a combination of these approaches will help you blend into the background a little more.
4. Shoot lots
I’ve written about this before on this site but when you shoot multiple images quickly of a person you can sometimes get some surprising and spontaneous shots that you’d have never gotten if you shot just one. Switch your camera to continuous shooting mode and shoot in bursts of images and in doing so you’ll increase your chances of that perfect shot.
5. Position Yourself strategically
While Candid Photography is about capturing the spontaneity of a moment and getting that perfect shot at the right split second of time I find that if you think ahead and anticipate what is about to unfold in front of you that you can greatly increase the chances of getting some great shots. So at a wedding get to the church early (or even go to the rehearsal) and think about what will happen during the ceremony and where will be best for you to stand to capture each moment. Which way will people be facing? What will they be doing? What will the light be like? Thinking through these issues will save you having to run around repositioning yourself when you should be shooting images - it’ll also mean you take a whole heap less shots of the back of people’s heads!
6. Photograph People Doing things
Images of people doing things tend to be much more interesting than people sitting passively doing nothing. For one your subject will be focussed upon something which adds energy to a photo (and takes their focus off you) but it also puts them in context and adds an element of story to your image. Timing is everything in Candid shots so wait until they are distracted from you and fully focussed upon what they are doing or who they are with and you’ll inject a feeling into your shots of them being unaware and that the viewer of your image is looking on unseen.
7. Photograph People with People
Something very interesting happens when you photograph more than one person in an image at a time - it introduces relationship into the shot. Even if the two (or more) people are not really interacting in the shot it can add depth and a sense of story into the viewing of the image. Of course ideally in candid shots you’d like some interaction between your subjects as that will add emotion into the shot also as we the viewer observe how the people are acting.
8. Shoot from the Hip
If your subject is aware that you’re there and that you have your camera out they might tense up or act a little unnaturally as they see you raising your camera to the eye. The beauty of digital cameras is that it doesn’t cost you anything to take lots of shots and it can be well worth shooting without raising your camera. To do this most effectively you might want to set your lens to a wider angle setting to make up for any aiming problems you might have.
9. Mix up your Perspective
The other beauty of shooting from the hip is that it gives you a slightly different perspective to take the shot from (ie shooting from 3 feet height instead of 6). This adds to the candid nature of the shots. In fact sometimes it’s the slightly crooked, slightly out of focus or poorly composed shots taken from this type of angle that ends up looking the best because they come across as quite random. Of course you can add all these new perspectives to your shots without shooting from the hip. Crouch down, get up high, frame your shots on an angle, zoom in close and then quickly zoom out to a wide angle, break the rules of composition etc and you will add a new perspective to your shots that can mean they look fresh and surprising.
10. Frame Images with Foreground Elements
A trick that I often use in candid shots is to purposely include something in the foreground of the shot to make it look as though I’m hiding behind it. You might do this with by shooting over someone’s shoulder, by including a little of a tree branch or the frame of a doorway.
11. Take Posed Shots into Candid Territory
One of my favorite times to shoot candid shots is when other people are taking formal ones. This is because everyone in the shot is focused on the one element (the other photographer) - but it’s not you. If the main photographer has posed the happy couple of the day or their bridal partly look for a different angle to them to take a shot of the same subject. Often if you take a few steps to the side and shoot from almost a profile position you can get great shots. Also zooming in to take shots of just one or two of the people in a larger group at these times can work well. Also try zooming right out to take a shot of the photographer and their subject all in one. If you’re the only photographer and you’re taking formal shots a great technique is to take your posed shot and then continue to shoot after everyone thinks you’ve finished. It’s often the shots just after the posed one that are the best as people relax and look at each other.
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Good points all, and to complement 2 and add to point 8, I’d suggest getting an ultra-wide lens to make street shots. My street photography is almost all shot with a Sigma 10-20 lens. It captures a whole lot more and I love the warped perspective at the edges of the frame.
Quite often that adds an extra dimension to an otherwise drab street scene!
Agree with Donncha’s comment - telephoto is for weedy scaredy cats when it comes to candid photography
I disagree. Telephoto can produce great candids by those who aren’t scared, but smart. The only reason to be scared in photography is if you are taking picture of something you shouldn’t be photographing.
Candid: A photograph that is not posed. Generally taken without the subject’s awareness.
With a wide angle you get the first part but usually ditch the second part.
With telephoto you get the best of both worlds. But I did enjoy the wide angle candids!
Great Article…keep um coming!
Agreed - for street photography a wide angle lens is great - however this post isn’t necessarily about street photography or shooting strangers - but I was thinking more of shooting parties, weddings etc and trying to get those shots of people where they seem totally oblivious to being photographed.
While I love the wide angle shot (it gives such a unique perspective) if you want to get a tightly framed shot of a person with a wide angle lens you do need to be reasonably close to them - and as a result they’ll definitely be aware of you taking the shot.
Don’t hear me as knocking wide angles - I use the wider end of my zooms mostly - however I just think that a longer zoom can put some distance between you and your subject and this can put them at ease and give you a little distance to hide behind.
On #11, Most wedding professionals will get pretty ticked (and rightly so) if you start snapping away at their set up poses. They’re working hard getting things set up right, and risk losing some print sales if a skilled amateur makes a “stolen” shot available to the couple.
I’ve gotten dirty looks, and been asked to stop by pros when they thought I was going to do this.
This list is excellent. You’ve made some very good points and many of these are essential to getting good shots. Especially the no flash one. Thank you for that! I’m sick of pasty white photos of people blinded by the flash while everything around them is black. It’s so unflattering.
One thing I find interesting or appealing is to take pictures of other photographers just as they’re taking a shot of something, especially when I can include backround of either the subject being photographed or just behind the photographer. But that’s just me.
I especially like tip #11. I’m going to try that.
Great writing. My buddy Minh, who has a lot of his photography at http://www.minhternet.com (link here) basically told me to use every one of those techniques, except for 7 and 11. You guys are just amazing.
What I like to do is to first take a posed shot. For that, the subject tenses up quite a bit. Then, just after the shutter clacks, they relax, and genuinely smile — and before they know it, I’m already back on the shutter for one or two exposures of the the more candid expressions and body language.
Nice list, I’d like to see pictures from each point.
I do disagree with shooting while an official photographer is trying to take posed shots. It distracts the subjects which impacts the paid photog… and I’ve rarely seen posed style pictures where the subject is not looking at the camera to be very good.
Any suggestions on what Point and Shoot to carry?
If you have a digital camera, turn off the shutter sound. People are less conscious of the camera if they can’t tell when exactly you’re taking the pictures.
Great tips here and I will save them. Now if if only I have a speedier camera. :)
I am making this as my “Post of the Day” for my “Post Awards” blog.
http://postawards.blogspot.com/
Great tips - I think Ikve already integrated all these things into my shooting already, thought #6 was a good reminder to be conscious of it. And yeah, flash is probably the most annoying thing. I ended up getting a 1.8/50 for my Nikon D70 so I could get better no flash shots. I would love a 1.4 or a 1.2…maybe someday.
Another superb article from DPS - keep up the good work.
- http://www.photographyvoter.com
I much prefer not to use full wide angle for shots of people of animals as I don’t generally like the distortion. It’s different if I deliberately want a distorted image but mostly I don’t. I like your tips, they give sound simple advice. More please :-)
Thank you, there are some great tips, i am definitely going to try some next time i am out and about.
Great article!
It’s hard to come up with a long lens and decent high ISO performer in a camera you can have with you at all times, but I keep looking…
Some good points there, I should definitely take note as I’ve got a load of social / candid shooting to do at a music festival next weekend and normally I’m a band photographer, not so much a ‘people’ photographer, if you get the difference..
About comment 3.
I was given great advice on how to take better photos without flash. You can put the camera in burst mode (if your camera has one) and take a couple of photos. The chances for a good picture are higher.
I find that with a higher iso setting the photos are too grainy.
I like telling people that a just love taking pictures. I then like to take lots of shots from one or two meters distance from the subject. They get used to it after the first 10 minutes and most of them like being photographed (especially girls- when they get that confident/playfull look). Most people know that they have very few good pictures of themselves and want the memories and. You can promise them that you will delete the pictures if they don’t look good (it’s cheaper than a telephoto lens…:) )
A lot of good tips given here! I’d like to comment on the “use a long zoom” tip: Although it is true that if you’re far away you obviously need a good zoom, preferrably with IS I think it would be good to point out two facts about zooming:
1) It’ll increase the risk of your images being blurry. Especially indoors where the camera needs longer exposures
2) Your feet is always the best zoom! In my opinion, using wideangle and get close to, or even in the middle of, the action is always neater than some paparazzi shots from across the room!
As for the 4th tip, “shoot lots”: I couldn’t agree more. I once read in National Geographic that the photographer had taken something along the line of 16 000 shots for that one article (positive film!!) There were about 10 images included in the article :P So that’s how it goes!
I liked this article because just recently i did this type of shoot at a friends wedding using most of the methods you mentioned. It was fun, and had really good results. I am proud to say that after i presented them with the album of the candids they liked it better than the professional shots. It was great fun for me too.
Very good article with lots of good advice and ideas.
Good one!
#7 is very true! I never thought of it till now. 2 people in a picture is very emotionally connecting, and adds to the sensationality of the shot.
And #10… Wow! Great tip! That example picture there, without the shoulder, would have looked a lot less candid! Thanks for a great tip!
good tips. have fun with filters too. polarizing filters can add a lot to the artistic value of your shots. additionally if you dont have a program like photoshop, download picasa from google, it provides some subtle effects that can make average pics look amazing.
I’m in the same boat as Lee above.. what are some suggestions for a good p&s camera? I just got a new one, but I’m not sure I like it a whole ton..
Great article, thanks for sharing! :)
But carrying a DSLR with big zoom lens (i.e Nikon 70-200 VR f2.8 or Canon 70-200 IS f4) will somehow attract some attention
Great post, nice tips… I use most of this, sometimes with good result, sometimes not. I always carry my 30D (my shoulder hates me!).. and generally take a whole lot of pictures (like christmas, D) to hopefully get a shot that I like.. big fan of shooting from the hip!
I reckon a wedding photographer has to expect people to take “his” photos… monkey see, monkey do.
Sime http://www.gtvone.com
Very refreshing article. Many of these are very true. I like the concept of #6 adding energy and emotion to the photo. I also agree with #7 in terms of creating depth, however, I usually try to focus in on a person’s action, but I see how I could add depth by including someone else nearby. Thanks! #10 is great. On #11 I don’t always find that shots would come out better this way, but sometimes I do.
the advice to set your camera to continuous is really great.
You might get some great dynamic shots, especially if your flash is set to slow-synchro (but if you’re not using a flash, you might just get blur :( )
I was taking some pictures of my roommate dressed up in a campy costume, and some of the best shots came when my friend and I told him to just pose various ways and I switched on continuous drive.
Trying to hold a pose is hard, and to be totally honest, I don’t think a lot of people know how to pose. I’m really amateur with photography, but as a person, *I* can’t pose. I think I’m looking cool, but I just look weird like someone sat me down on a stick, or like I’m staring at the camera or into space.
If someone’s going to pose, snap pictures of them getting into it and getting out of it, and milling around waiting for you to photograph them. Even if someone goes to check their phone messages or something, you might get an awesome photograph. It may not be what *you* want, but hey. It’s better than getting crummy shots that were what you ‘wanted’.
Definitely, definitely, definitely get a camera that can snap pix in most conditions without a flash. That’s one of the reasons I’m upgrading my camera… low light = horrible on mine.
These are great tips! I have used several of the tips at weddings and family reunions. Some follow-up on “Photograph People with People” (Tip 7) and “Take Posed Shots into Candid Territory” (Tip 11).
“People with People” should be foremost in a your thoughts when taking candid pictures. Especially at rehearsal dinners, weddings, receptions, reunions, graduation, etc. These are the functions where generations of family and friends interact. These functions maybe the only time a given set of people will interact or see each other. This is especially true for family members such as great-grandparents, grandparents, and family living far apart.
“Take Posed Shots into Candid Territory” is an area where you should respect the “formal” photographer. You should always ask if you can take candids. Let the “formal” photographer know you are not trying to compete with them but to supplement this “once-in-a-lifetime” experience. Also, the “formal” photographer has priority; wait to take your candid until a fraction of a second after the “formal” photographer has taken their picture. Additionally, don’t try to occupy the same space as the “formal” photographer. Occupying the same space is equivalent to two cooks stirring the same pot: it does not work, the product suffers, and the cooks may clash.
Shot between the professionals shots are interesting.
http://www.clifford.ac/photo/2005/RachelStephen.September/tn/p9101609.jpg.index.html
And as for taking away business, my photos were available on the website the followind day; the professional took 3 weeks. So guess which website was passed around by the mother-of-the-bride.
Good tips. I would add another one: stick around well after you think you’ve got all you need. This applies both to the event as a whole, as well as “mini events” like the groom drinking beer with his buddies beforehand.
Also, as far as professionals being offended when they’re shooting posed images, I would say: get over it. Your clients are paying you to shoot those posed pictures, and assuming you’re good at what you do they’re going to want (and pay for) THOSE pictures, not the ones the guests take on the sidelines. And if someone else does get a good shot, good for them. If you’re upset about it - hire a second shooter to shoot candids while you’re shooting the posed ones. If you’re going to get bent out of shape about it, outline in your contract that you (and your assistant) are to be the only ones photographing. But don’t be an a** about it - it’s their wedding day, their guests should be able to enjoy the day. You’re just there to document it, not run the show.
….and I just realised I referred to the wedding photographer as a bloke… apologies!
Sime™ Quotes: I reckon a wedding photographer has to expect people to take “his” photos… monkey see, monkey do.
his or her!…
(My wedding photographer didn’t get us our photos back for over a year!!!… Would have loved to have more candids really, but everyone is different, anyway - off topic, apologies)
It’s a bit ironic that the photo you use in #3 (’Kill the flash’) actually had a flash used in the photo. If you click through and go to the properties for that photo on flickr (http://flickr.com/photo_exif.gne?id=26231570) you’ll see that the flash was fired. If you look closely, that photos was used with a flash bounced off of the ceiling. This is probably better advice than killing the flash completely.
I’m not sure that photo was specifically for point #3. I think it was just a few candid photos taken at weddings and placed strategically on the page, rather that specific examples of particular points. For example, the two kids with the book are a good example of point #6, but the photo is better placed on the page further down. Not that any of that matters anyway. They’re great tips however they’re laid out.
I’ve used Tip #11 a lot. It’s my favorite at weddings or graduations. I’ve never had a professional chase me off his set-up, maybe because I’m a wedding guest.
While he’s setting up and gathers the wedding party together and they are interacting is a good time to shoot. He might be less upset.
Also, when someone else at the reception gathers up a group for a photo I find those are great candid shots as well - they don’t notice you.
One of the techniques I use when taking photos of large groups is literally put the camera “down” and get them to do silly facial exercises. Stick their tongues out, tilt their heads forward-n-back, screw up their eyes as tight as they can, puff their cheeks out, etc, but with the camera obviously not pointed at them, so they relax.
This will get most of them smiling naturally, so that when I say “OK - now look at me, two, three…” I usually get relaxed natural expressions. But it also gets them to trust me, so if I say “no picture, but everyone look really stern” they’ll do it, then relax and smile. And then, as was already mentioned, after the intentional photo, just keep firing another dozen shots. Back when it was film, there was always a pause between shots while winding, but that actually helped. Usually by the 4th or 5th, the one frozen-face hold out would usually resume their actual natural expression.
Great tips here! However, how long can a long zoom be? Will an 85mm f1.8 be enough? :)
I like to use a 100mm lens for these situations. This allows you to stand just far enough away so as not to draw too much attention. A longer lens suffers from the combined drawbacks of a smaller aperture and the need for a faster shutter speed to avoid blurriness, both of which work against suggestion #3 (kill the flash), which I strongly agree with. If you have sufficient freedom to move about consider a fixed length lens because they are usually sharper than a zoom lens because the optics are simpler.
For tip #1, “Take your Camera Everywhere,” how do you all carry a point-and-shoot camera everywhere?
With my [Jack Bauer] messenger bag, it’s fine. Without that, it’s cumbersome with keys, cell phone, and wallet.
Perhaps I should always wear cargos or pants with a dedicated cell phone pocket? :)
First let me say I am by no means a professional photographer and with that out of the way, I am truly a shoot from the hip photographer. Having been the family historian/photographer for most family outtings shooting from the hip has become more fashionable with digital photograpy because of the cost factor. I agree with many of the tips presented and have used many in my shoots. I make it a point to get down at the level of small children instead of shooting down at them and lay on my stomach to shot family pets and have given my camera (point & shoot - P&S) to the kids to let them take photos of other children and adults just to get their perspective on the day’s event. With the only limit being my storage device and the resolution (always high) being my only restrictions, I’ll shoot over 500 shots or more as long as I’ve got extra battery power. If you have not checked out Blurb.com and you are a photographer - please do, you’ll love what’s happening there. Again, all the tips are great and candid is the way to go - it captures who we are - as we are - living life to the fullest, laughing, loving, and crying and just having fun. I think the worst thing you can do is have kids pose for a picture - its stops their free spirit and freezes it as something they’re not - lifeless! As the photographer it’s your job to - catch’em! Thanks, I truly enjoyed everyone’s comments. Shoot’em it don’t hurt’em.
Great tips there :)
I am a bit new to the prptography world, I like to take photos of almost anything, these tips will definitely help me take nicer pics. :)
From experience, professional event photogs are not necessarily concerned so much about losing posed shot sales to event guests with cameras – unless we’re talking about a guest who shows up with a 1Ds or a Hasselblad and is clearly also a pro or serious amateur.
The largest concern seems to be with you as a guest getting in the way of the professional doing her job. If you are standing around taking shots you may be distracting the subjects (bride, groom, bar mitzvah boy, honoree) and screwing up the professional’s shots.
E.g., “Which camera should we look at?” I’ve seen several instances when the professional photographer, at an amateur-shooter-heavy event, finally had to insist that at a minimum the guest shooters stand behind her or right next to her, shooting over her shoulder, because it was the only way to keep the subjects looking more or less at the professional’s camera.
It’s all understandable: everyone wants to have a good time and for many (most!) people taking pictures and having friends take pictures is a big part of that good time. But the advice to be cautious and respectful of the professional’s tasks is good. Above all, if you can shoot without being a distraction (say, with that 12x-zoom Lumix FZ-5 or your DSLR and 200mm tele), that’s the best of both worlds. And the pro won’t even know… :-)
must say ive. been taking photo of wedding for 20 years and the biggest problem is people getting in the way.most professional are paid in advance,half of what they recieve.and the remainder when pic. are recieved.which is a set ahead of time for a set amount of photo”s and anything else is a plus. so people shoot on. By the way thats how i started .
Great tips. Thank you!
i just wanted to know a cheap camera that produces great shots i tend to like Kodak but it not a rule for me
Excellent reference. Candids are always tough, and this is a good starting point for new portrait photographers.
Camera Shamera. I’m a pro and I challange anyone to look at a picture and tell what the camera was used, with perhaps the exception of large formats. It really doesn’t matter as much as you think. When asked what to buy I generally tell people to buy from a camera company and not someone who makes printers or TV’s.
For those who are asking about point-and-shoot cameras: I’ve had two Sony point-and-shoots and have had pretty good success with both. Both are easy to handle, and the newer one (8.1 megapixel) has virtually no “lag time” between shots.
Thanks for the info. I’m attending a special out-of-town wedding this summer and will use most of the tips (and a large memory card) as I shoot candids, starting at the rehearsal dinner through the wedding day and the brunch on the day after. I’ll download my “good” shots onto a disc to leave for the bride and her family.
Thanks for the valuable information. The only thing I would add is that, when you are taking action photos with a digital camera (example: you hear someone telling a humorous story with a punchline coming and you want to capture the laughter that follows), you’ve got to begin to take the shot a few seconds before the anticipated moment happens, even if it means, as the author indicated, a burst of photos before you get what you want. I’ve lost many good pictures by trying to snap the photo dead on the moment. You wind up pressing the button, only to find that in the second or two it takes to complete the photo, the moment has happened (the laugh is gone and the person is now either walking away, turning head away from camera, making an undesirable face). This is the one thing I’ve had to practice the hardest with digital photography, and continue to work on.
Great article. Thanks, cruise
Very interesting article. I always thought that candids were a strong point of mine. As it turns out, I have been always using all of these tips. I used these at a wedding, this past weekend. Some of the technical stuff, I am learning to apply to my new digital camera. In my search, I got one with a 12X optical zoom. I can either use this a point and shoot or fine tune in other modes. I switch between candid stills and candid mpegs. I always hated flash photos. I usually use 400ASA or higher on my film cameras. I always like catch people in natural mode rather than in poses. As far as dealing with professionals, I stay out of there way. I am not exactly getting the same shot that they are and without flash, there is no chance to ruin their shot.
just wanted to know a cheap camera that produces great shots
Jodi and Bob,
If there was such a thing, it would put all the pros out of business.
Above a certain minimal investment (which it appears that neither of you are willing or able to make) it doesn’t really matter. Instead, the skill of the photographer will predominate.
If you really want a cheap camera that takes good pictures, get a 35mm compact film camera. They have the advantage of having excellent optics, a ‘full-frame’ sensor, and wide exposure latitude, especially when shooting negative print film. $100 will get you one with all the bells and whistles, like an Olympus Stylus.
Most digicams are crap, with a few notable exceptions, which are only a little less crap. See http://theonlinephotographer.blogspot.com/search?q=crap
Otherwise, plan on spending about $1000 total for a DSLR body and a good fast lens or two. Or you can save on the DSLR body and get a nice film one for a lot less. Don’t scrimp on the lenses, though.
Here’s a few shots from a wedding that you might be interested in - several of your points illustrated here!
The above article is really interesting. I’ve been asked to shoot a family portrait of a mum and 2 boys aged 3 & 5. I really like the candid shots and am now having difficulty on creative thinking.. how best can I capture a candid family portrait. Any ideas ?
Great article. I was asked to shoot my first wedding and did most of it with a candid style. The couple was thrilled with the different perspective. Here is a link to the pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/karkspace/sets/72157594227051984/show/
I only do reportage /candid style weddings, as I find the old fashioned line-them-up-and-shoot-them style very boring.
My couples are always really happy with this style, as they get to see images of things that happened during the day, that they didn’t see.
Guests are happy too, as they didn’t get ordered about for hours, and could enjoy the fun.
Paul
http://www.photographers-united.com/
Great tips, just one more thing, practice, practice, and practice. Enjoy.
Tips and techniques from HP Digital Photography to improve your digital photos and make them stand out in your photo album.
http://www.hp.com/united-states/consumer/digital_photography/take_better_photos/index.html
Very nice article. Ever since my wedding, and watching our photographer at work (and resulting in beautiful work), I’ve been very excited about photography. Hopefully I can learn to take such wonderful pictures myself someday.
yes, nice article indeed.
I take my candid shots from a small “prosumer” camera with a power, fast zoom (12x).
I go where other people are photographing and I capture my prey before she realizes…
I love this non-violent hunting.
the women are the preys; the fetish is the frame.
here, some gallery of images:
http://flipflop.altervista.org/doc/visual%20map/visual_map.html#safari
well, I believe the tele is the best for the humans…
take care bros,
spino.
Hello,
As a professional wedding photographer, I have never really thought of what makes a candid photographer. This page puts everything what I have been trying to preach to my friends is on this one page!
Thanks,
Lawrence
Los Angeles Wedding Photographer
Thanks for tips they are very helpful, especially the one about turning off the flash.
Flash does kill the atmosphere.
Michael
http://www.photographers-in-oxford.co.uk/
Really great tips esspecially tip 8 that says shooting from the hip and that of killing the flash.
would like to ask if taking candid shots must it only be of people and must it be out doors only.
some one do reply to this.
Great article. I especially liked #7, and the idea of ‘giving a story’ to the image. Thanks for the tips.
Greg
Number 6 is a great technique, I use it often at weddings. Any task a person is doing can result in a great shot if you are patient enough.
I always take candid shots.I have hardly ever take pose shots look so unatural, I also have found you dont ever take pictures with a big giant lens especially the white ones people get very offensive by them. I use a 28-135 or 85 or 135 prime move around a lot lens, Depend on light condition for most of my candid shots. I prefer prime lenses more because I can open the shutter way open so I can take fast pictures and no barrel moving in and out, plus it makes me move around a lot that eventually people will think I’m not there anymore. And always have a very large MB card and spare battery and take tons of pictures that people would actually relax a lot more because they wont even notice the typing sound from your camera when you take multiple shots from your camera…And eventually people will turn into hams that they want you to take pictures of them…
Candid wedding photography is straight up my alley since I have been a wedding photographer for about three years. Nice tutorials ;D
I occasionally do event photography, and often there are other photographers present. If possible I at least introduce myself to the photographer, maybe try to get his business card.
I was at one wedding reception where I knew the photographer from other events. He had his nice camera shooting away, his wife had a second camera taking group shots at the tables, he had a third camera on a tripod set near the dance floor with a remote in his pocket, so he could shoot pics from the other side of the room of people dancing. On top of that he grabbed a microphone and M.C.’d the reception. With all that going on, he still had an eye out and would tap me on the shoulder and suggest shots of the guests that he didn’t have time to get to, running in a tux with a heavy camera is hard.
Another event, what they call a “Rave”, there were multiple photographers from different companies as well as us hobbyists . Maybe the party atmosphere got to us, because we all got along, even with the music too loud to think. One would see me taking some shots, and shoot the same subject from another angel, then we would compare shots then off to the next seen. 2000+ people ensures there’s enough subjects to go around.
So the idea of professionals getting angry with hobbyists is foreign to me. But then again I never ran in front of the camera during a posed shot and yell “CHEESE”.
Someone mentioned taking photos of the photographers, I do that all the time. You can see thousands of photos, but you never see the person taking the photos, or if you do they are shaky self shots, or they pass the camera off to a by standard to take the pics. Photographers appreciate when someone can get a good image of them at work.
i agree totally, candid shots are always good for gatherings. Ive been taking candid shots for years and it an art to get the best shots at the right time, you have to read the crowd and keep a ear out for sudden changes. They help bring back fond memories and start longer conversations than posed shots.
However it is true because I usually take a most of the pictures at family gatherings and around friends or sometimes people hire me for an event, I have very few pictures of myself. All the Photos and no Photographer, its something that we have to get used to as photographers i guess.
Responding to Author: lilnassau comments.
Ref: All the Photos and no Photographer,
I’ve taken a lesson from a couple movie directors and writers like Alfred Hitchcock, Spike Lee and Stephen King and have put myself in a lot of events I’ve shot by shooting myself. That’s why I like my small Fuji E900 because I can hold it in one hand and photograph myself. I’ve also shot my wife and I together holding the camera far away as I possible could and snapped - four or five times and usually one of those shots is perfect! I’ve held the camera behind my head to make it look like someone else is shooting me from behind or from the side as my wife and walk through the park capturing both of us. Sometimes I look into the camera and other times I look away but I always try to include myself in scene. The more people around the beter the shot. Some of my best shot of me have been taken by me! So try it and you’ll be surprised of the effect you get.
Shooting from the hip - especially when your ammo is almost unlimited.
CJAYJR
Love the last tip. I HATE boring, predictable “formals” and always try to funk it out a bit, play with poses, juxtapositions, etc. Try to make something that is rather boring into something fun and candid.