Photo by Austin Dowd
People want to see pictures of themselves. Photo by Tim Lytvinenko Then they’ll look for pictures of their friends and BY BRADLEY WILSON acquaintances. North Carolina State University Student Media wilsonbrad@aol.com The more people we include in a TIPS • Photographers are observers of the action, not participants in it. Let the publication, people get comfortable with you being there. Let them go about their business. Then start documenting. As Bob Krist, a free-lance photographer the more and frequent contributor to National Geographic Traveler and Smithsonian readers we’ll magazines, said,“Relax! Your subject will pick up non-verbal cues from your have. Focusing demeanor. [Y]ou’ve got to be comfortable behind the camera. [F]or some people, being photographed is a very nerve-wracking experience.” on including • Capture emotion. Getting pictures of people is more than just shooting people in your party pics or mug shots. Tell their story. College life is full of emotional mophotos is a ments. It’s those moments your photographers should record. formula for • Capture action. We’ve all seen enough pictures of people talking on the phone or starting at a computer screen. Look for action. And, as (or more) success. importantly, reaction. BASIC TIPS • Move up close and fill the frame. But don’t crop out relevant stuff in the background that might add meaning to the photo. But keep the background clean. A clean background will focus attention on the people. • Get the person out of the center of the frame. Follow the Rule of Thirds. This gives your pictures a less formal look and helps to accomplish such goals as giving the subject room to look/move into. • Play with the light. Photography is painting with light. Be creative. Avoid backlighting. Sidelighting gives texture.
To set the scene or to provide context, some “building” pictures might help. But really, did you pay $85 for your yearbook or 50¢ for your newspaper to see another picture of the bell tower?