How to Take better Candid Shots
Taking photographs of people have two categories.They are candid shots or portraits.
Portraits of course are the shots you take when your subject is striking a pose.While the candids are when your subject is doing things naturally.
I would like to focus on taking candid shots.With this type of photography, their is an art form, and if you follow these steps you will be real happy with your work. This is from my experience as a San Diego Photographer.
First off you don’t want to get in the way.Of course most of the candid shots will be people minding their own business, but the secret to taking a great photo is to make sure they don’t know of you taking the shot.
Because a lot of times, if they happen to notice you, the essence of capturing that unguarded shot will be gone.So be diligent in making sure they don’t know about the camera.
Another thing to think about is the environment or the setting.When you are going to take candid photos, the environment plays a big role.You want to capture your subject in their setting as naturally as you can with your candid shot. It’s that setting
whether it is their work, their house, or the street they are walking, helps tell a story of your subject’s life. This is especially important if you are going to be taking shots as a Wedding Photographer San Diego.
A third step you can do is to learn to anticipate behavior. An important part of taking candid shots of people acting naturally is to know what your subject may do next in a given situation.
This will be beneficial to you if you are trying to catch a particular moment because you will be ready rather than miss the shot. Knowing how they will react and being able to capture that is all about anticipation.
Finally, always be on the lookout for those moments when a person’s emotion will be expressed. Because after all, when taking these types of shots, that is the main thing you want to capture in these candid shots is emotion.
Look at what your subject is doing and see if it will be a moment that will express emotion.Such as impatience shown in an expression at a stoplight.Or a happy expression at an event.All moments in time give you the opportunity to truly capture an emotion. Being prepared for those moments will help you capture and tell that story in that moment of time.
Taking shots that are candid is an art form in and of itself.Especially if your goal is to tell a story with your candid shots. Following these few simple steps will help you be on the road of capturing as many storytelling moments as possible as a photographer.
