My personal notes from photography classes given by Bryon Paul McCartney in Viewfinder Center - see class description.
- Why do we photograph people?
- Capture event, vacations, birthdays.
- People's milestones: birthdays, anniversaries.
- Remembering people we meet, friends etc.
- Get prepared.
- Look at examples, it is a good source of inspiration.
- Get familiar with your camera.
- Practice!
- Carry your camera with you, don't be afraid of taking pictures.
- Use your friends, family.
- Convince them that they are worth taking picture of them - they will become more cooperative :-)
- Decide what do you want to photo an then shot.
- Asking people to take picture of them.
- Ask people if you can picture of them, do not take pictures from hiding.
- Make some small conversation with people. Get them relaxed. Tell them you are photographer. You can suggest that you will send them your picture back. Show them some of your photos.
- Do not say "you look fantastic, can I take a picture of you?". Rather "all together - light, weather, environment and you - work here perfectly" - it draw attention a bit away from the person.
- People might ask what do you want to do with the photo.
- Do not push if people say "no".
- Taking pictures of people.
- What do you want to show?
- Personality, mood or atmosphere, specific action or activity, event or location, tell some story?
- Observe people. How do they behave? What is their mood?
- Guess who they are.
- Try to put person into a proper mood, into mood that you "need"/"expect".
- Make people authentic, get them relaxed.
- Eyes are important ("the eyes are the mirror of the soul").
- Keep eyes in focus. Keep eye contact with person you are photographing.
- Action & body language.
- Push your subject to do something. It will move attentions from you and make the person more authentic, show real personality.
- Choosing the right angles.
- Avoid making straight pictures - it makes the picture very static (boring).
- 3/4 angle gives usually a good effect.
- Head tipped down with eyes looking up is more flattering than a head tipped back with lifted chin.
- Faces are not symmetric - shoot from different angles.
- Light.
- Frontal light - minimalizes texture.
- Back light - good for a silhouette.
- Flesh - avoid direct flash, might give "flat" colors.
- Exposure can express or amplify the mood.
- Shutter speed:
- <1/60 - requires flash.
- >1/125 - for motion.