Improve Your People Photography 

Humans are the world’s oldest subject for photography. Today they are still the most popular subject. There are many different kinds of people photos, but, basically, they can be placed in two categories. 

Category #1 – Planned photos
Arranged photos where every tiny detail is meticulously planned. The subject or subjects are quite aware of being photographed. The person in this scene is not necessarily acting naturally, instead he assumes a behaviour that is in accordance with what the photographer wants.

 

An arranged scene, every detail has been planned.

  

Category # 2 – Authentic Photos

Photos that have not been arranged. The photographer is the fly on the wall documenting instances in other people’s lives without their attention being drawn to the camera. In this type of photo, people act exactly like they would have if the photographer had not been present.

 

Two kids shot in an authentic situation.

 
Many different types of people photos belong in these two categories. Portraits generally belong in the first category. However, reportage photos that are shot with the purpose of narrating incidents in other people's lives go into category 2. The traditional photos of couples shot at a family gathering go into category 1. On the other hand, your striking photo series of the kids making twist bread would, generally, belong in the second category.
 

We Are All Different

It is important for a photographer to be aware of the difference between the two aforementioned categories. Besides camera equipment, lighting, and photographic methods there are a number of other parameters you need to take into consideration when you are taking photos of people, such as, for instance, sex, age, and personality.
        Women, men, boys, and girls are by nature not alike, consequently, taking photos of them can also be very different.
Children are often quite indifferent to having their photos taken, young people, on the other hand, may be quite shy. And old people may actually loathe the camera. People with a large ego often gladly pose for photos, while other people do not believe that they will look attractive in a photo. Put differently, because we are individuals we are all unique.

 

We are all unique, and a photographer needs to have a sufficiently broad view of the situation as well as the energy necessary for choosing the right strategy for a challenging shot.
 
A photographer needs to be able to identify with the subject in order to make that person cooperate. If the shoot needs to be arranged you have to realise that the subject you want might not materialise by itself. In this kind of situation humour can be very useful. Patience is often another important element as you will often have to shoot quite many photos before you get it just right.
 
Your Focus Is Important

Eye contact plays an important role when humans communicate both consciously and subconsciously. For this reason the eyes of a subject are an important element in any portrait.
        When you prepare for a shot you should always focus on the eyes of your subject. Make quite sure that your focus is not on any other part of the face such as the nasal bridge or the cheek bone. The result would be that the eyes would appear just a bit less sharp than possible, and the photo would lose much of its intensity. The eyes alone can help you create many different moods in your people photos.  The eyes are the attention grabber of a photo.

 

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Remember that the eyes are (generally) what catches your eye in a photo and that they are, consequently, extremely important.

 
If the person in your photo looks straight into the lens you increase the chance that the attention of the viewer will be caught and held by it. If the person in the photo looks away it might, on the other hand, generate curiosity, because the viewer will wonder what the person in the photo is looking at.
        Regardless of the method you choose, it is important to realise that the eyes are going to have a huge impact on how other people will experience your photo.

20 Quick Pointers
If you want to make quick work of improving your people photos but you do not really know where to begin, we recommend that you follow the following advice.
 
Plan Ahead

You need to have a strategy for achieving what you want.

Get close

Try to get really close to the person you want to shoot.

Remember the Eyes

The eyes of a subject is one of the most important elements in a good portrait photo.

 

 

Never forget the eyes, they are extremely important in people photos

 
Make it simple

Make your photos as simple as possible and avoid any distrubing elements.

Choose your equipment with care

Choose the right equipment for a particular shot

Methods of photography

You need to have an insight into the basic methods of photography

Be prepared

Make quite sure – in advance – that everything works correctly

 

 

Focus and concentrate like an athlete before a game.

 
Perspective

Choose the perspective best suited to your subject.

Remember colurs

Colurs DO matter, give them some thought.
 
Message

Give some serious thought to what story you want your photo to tell.
 
The vertical or the horizontal format

Shoot some photos in both formats and see what works best.
 
Composition

Give some thought to the rules of composition, e.g. the rule of thirds.

 

 

Taking the basic rules of composition into consideration is always a good idea.

 
Use flash

Remember flash is not just for shooting in dim light.

Be present

You should reach out past the camera and make your presence felt by the people who are your subjects.

Use framing

If possible, try framing your subject in a natural way
 
Energy

If possible try to bring some energy to your subject.

 

Timing is one thing that can bring some energy into a photo.

 
Imagination

Compose your shot in a way that leaves something to the imagination.
 
Stay at it

Shoot really many photos. You will not regret it.
 
Be unconventional

Thinking differently will get you exciting photos.

 

Find an unconventional angle on your subject, such as, for instance, this player using hand signals in order to communicate with her team member, and you will get photos that are more interesting. 

Backup

Make sure that you always backup your photos. They are irreplaceable.
 
Ethical Issues

Generally speaking, you should always use your common sense when shooting. As long as you are only taking photos of your own family or your friends you are not likely to encounter any problems. If, however, you start taking photos of strangers or you display your photos on a webpage you need to do some serious thinking. Do not publish photos of children without obtaining the consent of their parents, regardless of the situation the children are shot in.

        Avoid making publicly available photos of couples kissing or holding hands without obtaining the consent of your subjects. There is no way of knowing if your subjects want the rest of the world to know that they are a couple. Remember, the whole world has access to your homepage.
 

In general, it is a good idea to avoid taking photos of people if you are not sure whether they actually want to participate or not.

According to Danish law you are allowed to take photos of people without obtaining their consent if they are in the public space and if you do not portray them in situations that are offensive. This may be different in other countries. If you are, however, planning to publish your photos you should do yourself the favour of asking for permission. In some cases you cannot contact the people in your photos, e.g. if you have taken their photo at a great distance using a tele lens. Still, a photographer should do everything possible to obtain permission before making photos publicly available.
 
You will find many more people photos in the TTF gallery. You may also want to read about using flash.
 
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