Week 5
Assignment
Photographing People People photography falls into two main categories:
Intro to Photography with Denni Russel
Any comments about last week's assignment?
Digital PHOTO I - Photographing People - Deconstructing the Photograph
Posed & Candids
both require very different sets of skills and equipment both are a lot of fun to shoot
an analytical look at how images are created
Quick Portraiture Tips
Interact with your Subjects
Portraiture There are times when you will need to pose your subjects for a portrait. It's hard to make these sessions feel natural, so the best thing you can do is to practice as much as possible. Portrait Photography by Mark Kleghorn is a great place to start for specific poses and lighting suggestions. * Let people photograph you, and remember how it makes you feel... A relationship exists between you and the subject. The fruits of that relationship will be recorded in the photo.
Using Music
Say CHEESE!
Say CHEESE!
Music can help set the tone for any shoot. A fun beat can enliven the room. Sombre classical music can set a different mood...
Why the heck do we get people to say "cheese"? (well, hopefully you don't...)
"EE" Please, freeze, trees, etc...
Humour
Group Shots with a Twist Candids
Know your subjects and use appropriate humour.
Ask young kids if they're turning 16 on their next birthday...
A group shot doesn't need to be a stagnant affair...
A Candid Approach Candid means that you've made the photograph without your subject knowing. You're shooting the world as it unfolds. This is sometimes called a photo journalistic approach. Think of it like you are stalking an animal and you don't want to spook them.
A Candid Approach Most people don't like to pose for photographs. When asked they will become nervous and awkward They'll give you a lot of fake smiles and nasty looks :)
A Candid Approach BUT when you photograph someone who is smiling naturally, or really laughing, then you can capture someone's truer personality.
Candids
Candids
To capture great candids you have to become a student of people you have to know how they act, how they react...
I've developed a list of steps that I think help with the creation of good candids.
If someone laughs, they'll probably laugh again it's up to you to prepare for it.
1 - Pr-set your exposure when you're dealing with a new and consistent lighting source. 2 - Look for the right moment.
If someone reaches into their purse, then get ready are they reapplying make-up; looking fort a Kleenex... ? Study the flow of the room or scene and your photographs will improve.
Full Length
Positioning your Subjects within the Frame
3 - Compose to maximize impact of moment. 4 - Pay attention to the background. Will it interfere with the shot?
3/4 Length
Head Shots
Includes the entire height of the subject. Often includes shoulders. This gives the photo a nice weight to the image.
Usually place more space on top, than on bottom.
You can make head-shots from many different angles.
Often shot vertically. 3/4 length portraits are often cut off on the upper thigh. They allow us to see more detail because we can get closer.
Shooting UP
Shooting Down
This photo asks us to Look Up to this subject...
We look down on them...
Angles for Effect
Eye Contact
Stillness in Movement Going Farther...
The eyes lead to a connection... A long shutter speed and a tripod can isolate unique situations.
Pattern Breakers
Foreground Elements
The barbed wire is between us and him. A long lens helps to flatten the scene. Notice the subject is at a rule of thirds intersection point...
Are we inside or outside the fence?
Silhouettes
A portrait can be about a person's job. It doesn't have to reflect the individual.
Silhouettes
Who is Your Subject?
Research pays off...
Pay Attention
Pay attention to the little details in how a person acts and you might find an opening for a different kind of photo...
Capturing the Essence
Contextualize the Subject
Contextualize the Subject
A good portrait captures the essence of the subject. This shot by Yusef Karsh helped change the boxing portrait.
Including the background can tell a wider story.
This shot is about the People's struggles more than it is about these two individuals...
Be Intrepid
Go Beind the Scenes
Find the 'Real' Mood
Sometimes the best shots come from the other side of the fence...
There's more to the story than what most people get to see...
Shooting a lot of photos, or at least taking your time with uncomfortable subjects can help to relax them...
Strangers & You
Break with Expectations
Different Scenes
Often more difficult to shoot strangers in North America than in other parts of the world.
You can tell a more complicated story by photographing things beyond normal expectations.
Smile a lot! Make jokes. Be aware of local customs and taboos!!!!!
Complex people require complex story telling
Shoot Lots!
Telling a Story
Telling a Story
While a single photograph might not be lying, it might not be telling the entire story. Your assignment is going to include a beginning, middle, and an end.
Shooting a lot of photos of an interesting scene can lead to the shot you were looking for...
A collection of photos has a better chance to highlight the complex nature of a person, a place or a thing.
I want there to be a real flow to the photos.
A good photographic essay consists of a series of images that all work together to explain a narrative - to tell a story.
Every photo should have value in and of itself, but together they should all help to tell the same story.
There can be a begging, a middle and an end example: A Day in the Life... or you might be telling the story of a city without following a time line...