Top tips for taking pictures of people

[RuthieC]

Hi folks
It would be fab if you could share with me your top tips for portrait photography, and for taking photo's of people.
I keep practising but i don't like what i produce, as it looks well - naff. It does n't look natural and too formal. I want to be able to get more personal photo's of people that really show their personality and catch them off guard, as it were.

[spud]

Re: Top tips for taking pictures of people

If you post some pics, I think you'd get some great feedback. I've found people here to be honest but gentle, especially when someone is expressing an honest desire to improve. Looking forward to seeing your work.

[carregwen]

Re: Top tips for taking pictures of people

... I want to be able to get more personal photo's of people that really show their personality and catch them off guard, as it were.

What, you mean like this? http://www.eos-magazine-forum.com/showthread.php?t=508 Sorry about that.

If you tell people you are taking their shot all sorts of problems ensue. They look at the camera (which you might/might not want). They smile (which you might/might not want). Ask them not to smile and they get touchy. Eyes are the soul of a person, as they say, so if you are doing a 'direct' look then make sure the eyes are well lit and the sharpest thing in the shot. I do portraits at our club studio where we have some great lighting, but I find that although most shots I do are very high quality, they often look 'samey' and cold. Standard backdrops can get pretty boring after a while, and look like school photos!

Try taking you subject to a location, especially one that has some context to what/who they are. For example if they are a farmer, then a shot with a tractor - it helps inform the viewer and adds interest.

Don't be afraid to experiment. Use camera angles for drama. Use creative lighting, either off-camera flash, studio flash, or creative natural light. Don't be afraid to zoom in close, or crop, or use distorting lenses.

If strong colours (clothing) are an issue, try converting to B&W. Try B&W anyway. Experiment with depth of field. Try to be careful how and where you shoot, but take lots of shots. It's easy to get carried away with the emotions when shooting people, and you can easily lose sight of things like camera settings etc. Avoid background objects that intrude.

Perhaps the best 'rule' is what I do. Look through the viewfinder and say to yourself "Does this look like a family snap?" If it does, don't take it (unless you want a snap) and think of a different approach.

If you post some of your shots that you are not happy with, people can offer more assistance.