RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘People’

4 Tips to Help You Overcome the Fear of Photographing People

13 Jul

Are you someone who shies away from photographing people?

I this article, I want to share with you some of my journey and four tips to help you become more confident photographing people. I went from being fearful of photographing people to absolutely loving it.

Portrait of an Asian woman with a Nikkormat FTN film camera - 4 Tips to Help You Overcome the Fear of Photographing People

She’s holding the same camera and lens I used to take the next photo in this article.

The fear is real

Many photographers who join our workshops tell us they find it a real challenge to photograph people. Whether it’s people they know or complete strangers, so many people struggle to photograph others. I think this my be one reason selfies have become so popular.

When I bought my first camera I was 19 years old and very shy. I had a small group of friends and a few places I enjoyed socializing. But beyond that, I preferred not to interact with others. I loved taking photos – landscapes, flowers, still life, but not people. I could not bring myself to do it.

My sister encouraged me. She said she loved my photos, but they would be better if there were people in them. So I started photographing her.

girl on the beach in the morning - 4 Tips to Help You Overcome the Fear of Photographing People

One of my favorite photographs of my sister when we were on a camping trip in 1986. Shot with the Nikkormat camera above.

Build your courage and confidence

She was a reluctant subject, which gave me more of a challenge. We used to hang out a lot together with a few other friends, and I started photographing them as well. Slowly my confidence built.

Sometimes I would sneak candid photos of strangers. I had bought a zoom lens which made this easier. Being separated by the distance the long lens gave me, I was not as uncomfortable.

After a while I packed my camera and bag and headed off. When I traveled overseas I found it easier. Somehow being a tourist changed things. I became more confident. Even so, there were many people I connected with along the way that I did not photograph and now regret that I was not bold enough.

Asian woman with a camera - 4 Tips to Help You Overcome the Fear of Photographing People

The story continues

I returned to New Zealand after only six months. My sister had died suddenly so I went back. Thankfully, I have a number of lovely portraits of her.

Not long after I landed a job at a daily newspaper in the Illustrations Department. No, I wasn’t doing drawings, this was where the editorial photographers worked. The task of an editorial photographer is to illustrate the story. Hence the department name.

man holding a photo of himself - 4 Tips to Help You Overcome the Fear of Photographing People

There I learned many things very quickly. The most challenging thing I learned was that most photos published in newspaper stories include at least one person in the image. If I was going to make the most of this lucky break I needed to overcome my fear, quickly. I knew I would not keep my job long if I returned from an assignment with no photos of people and an excuse that I was too shy.

It has not been easy and it has taken a long time to really be confident photographing people, most of the time. But not all the time. Sometimes I can’t do it, as I am still essentially a shy person.

Young Thai woman in traditional costume - 4 Tips to Help You Overcome the Fear of Photographing People

4 Tips for Overcoming the Fear of Photographing People

1. Find someone who will let you photograph them.

This might be a spouse or sibling, or maybe a good friend. If you can find someone who enjoys being photographed then you have already overcome the biggest hurdle.

Photograph them whenever you can. Build a photographer/model relationship. Be aware of times you and your model have the most fun and replicate the circumstances again in future.

If things work out well, invite some other people to join you. Sharing your photos with them and asking them to post to their social media accounts will help boost your confidence.

young woman lying on the grass - 4 Tips to Help You Overcome the Fear of Photographing People

2. Join a club or group and volunteer to be their photographer.

Maybe you are already a member of an organization you could offer your services to. You might be the official photographer for your church picnic. Or perhaps you could start making a series of portraits of gardeners in their element for the local gardening club.

Think of other ways you can offer your services which will give you a valid reason to take people’s photographs. I found this a great confidence boost when I started at the newspaper.

Studio portrait of a mud covered woman holding clay - 4 Tips to Help You Overcome the Fear of Photographing People

3. Offer to cover events for your local newspaper or community website.

Put yourself on the spot. Commit yourself to a task. Make a reason that you have to come up with pictures. You can’t offer to cover an event and then only supply photos with no people in them.

Woman being kissed by an elephant - 4 Tips to Help You Overcome the Fear of Photographing People

4. Practice being bold enough without appearing to be rude or pushy.

Practice this without being self-effacing. Having your camera in your hand will help.

People will respond to you very differently if you display confidence when you ask them to take their photo. If you come across apprehensive they may doubt your ability as a photographer and respond with reluctance.

So much of creating a good portrait is in how you present yourself. If your subject is comfortable when they are being photographed you will get better pictures of them. They are also more likely to appreciate the portrait you have made.

Portrait of a rice vendor at Muang Mai Market - 4 Tips to Help You Overcome the Fear of Photographing People

Start Today

If you have been wanting to start photographing people and have not – today is the day to start. You never know how much you might truly bless someone by taking their photo.

Here’s a video story of how I was able to share a special portrait I had initially been reluctant to make.

?

The post 4 Tips to Help You Overcome the Fear of Photographing People appeared first on Digital Photography School.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on 4 Tips to Help You Overcome the Fear of Photographing People

Posted in Photography

 

How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer

25 May

You know the feeling; shyness around strangers, dreading new situations, sleepless nights worrying, completely self-conscious in a crowd, thinking that everyone is judging you. In short, a fear of people.

Your fear and inhibition are like having “stage fright” in everyday life. All of this leads to you suppressing your personality, your creativity, and any chance to share your gift of photography with your culture and the world. All of this fear is dangerous because it blocks your creativity, making you become miserable and anxious.

But there is hope for you because many folks have overcome their fear of people and gone on to thrive as photographers. Below are five exercises that will help you to conquer your fear of people too.

Climbing child on playground equipment - How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer

My son used to be afraid of heights at the playground. But I knew he could overcome it. So every time we were at the playground I would encourage him to try something with heights. He’d go just a little bit higher each time until he had completely overcome his fear.

How to Overcome Self-Consciousness and Fear

“If you want to conquer fear, don’t sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” – Dale Carnegie

The way to overcome self-consciousness, fear, and shyness is to practice the healthy opposite.

What is the healthy opposite of fear and inhibition? Having a healthy confidence, the ability to enjoy other people, and the courage to try your best and accept constructive criticism. Here’s how you can work toward that.

Window light portrait. - How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer

It used to be extremely intimidating to ask friends if I could take a portrait of them. At a favorite coffee shop of ours, I asked my friend if I could snap a few photos while we were talking. I was really intimidated by this, but it becomes much easier once you do it a few times, trust me.

1. Begin with a Healthy Goal

Without healthy goals to aspire to, your life will be stagnant. You need a goal or you have nothing to move toward. Here’s a good goal for you if you’re a fearful photographer. Aim to become a creative photographer who is comfortable and confident with people.

Setting a goal doesn’t help you much unless you’ve got some steps to achieve it. Let’s see how to practice the healthy opposite of fear so that you can become “a creative photographer who is comfortable and confident with people.”

Begin with the smallest steps possible, and gradually improve from there.

Walking the dog. How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer

When I was a kid I was afraid of dogs. I didn’t want my kids to be afraid of dogs so I made sure that they were around dogs from the time they were infants. Whenever they showed fear I helped them to be brave and get comfortable with the dog.

2. Use Your Voice

If you’re afraid of people, you probably don’t speak much. You’re likely afraid of having your ideas rejected, giving damaging advice, or being locked in a heated debate. But as long as you’re a kind and thoughtful person, these things aren’t likely to happen often.

The worst part about speaking up is the nervousness you feel just before saying something. Ignore that “stage fright.” Overcome it by saying something small. Don’t go big, just practice by making small talk.

Portrait in a coffee shop - How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer

I’ve challenged myself to try street photography or photographing people while out and about. I was sitting in a coffee shop reading about photography when I saw this gentleman quietly having coffee on his own. I couldn’t resist taking a picture, waiting for the moment that he brought the coffee cup up to drink.

Baby Steps

Perhaps you’re interested in street photography, but you’re so afraid of people that you could never ask for a portrait of them. You could practice getting comfortable by making small talk with strangers. Don’t even bring your camera along, that’s too much pressure. Just practice small talk.

Once you get over that initial discomfort of striking up a little conversation, asking strangers to take their picture won’t be as scary.

Mayfly - How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer

Add bugs to the list of things I’ve been afraid of! One summer I took a macro lens around and photographed bugs. The time I spend photographing them and editing the photos seemed to make me much more comfortable with bugs! Slowly exposing yourself to the things that cause fear will help you to overcome them.

lady bug macro shot - How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer

On the Job Training

Another way to become comfortable working with people is to get a job working at a department store portrait studio. If you work during the Christmas rush you’ll have the opportunity to photograph hundreds of families.

Because it’s your job, you’ll be forced to talk with them. This repetition will help you get over your fear of talking with people. Remember, you’re not there for the photography itself. You’re there to practice talking with people so that you can get over your fear and move toward your goal of being a creative photographer who is comfortable and confident with people.

First hair cut. How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer

My little girl tends to be shy of new people and new situations. It takes a little while but she will become comfortable with friendly people. She was very shy for her first haircut but now loves a day out to get her hair done.

3. Offer Compliments

If you’re not sure how to start a conversation, start by noticing something that you can sincerely compliment a person about. Self-consciousness and fear paralyze you by keeping you focused on yourself in negative ways. If you’re always self-conscious, then you need to just take the spotlight off yourself by focusing on other people instead.

When you focus on offering people compliments two things will likely happen. First your attention is turned away from yourself and on to them. Second, your mind is turned away from negative thoughts (about yourself) and toward positive thoughts (about them) instead.

When I was a senior portrait photographer I would always find some little thing to compliment students about. If it was obvious that they spent a lot of time on their hair, that’s the compliment I gave. Maybe they had a great smile, or were funny, or we had something in common.

Focusing on the other person and having something nice to say will build bridges and help you to overcome your fear and discomfort around people.

Riding the escalator. How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer

Escalators can be intimidating the first time you step on one. Kids are afraid they’ll get swallowed up in the moving steps. Once my kids figured out how to ride one, they treated the escalator like a ride at an amusement park! Overcoming your fear can lead to exciting things in life.

4. Visualize Criticism

You may quickly get over the fear of talking to people or the anxiety you feel over negative thoughts about yourself. But how about receiving criticism of your photographs? This is one of the worst things imaginable for some photographers.

If you panic or become consumed with anxiety and want to “just give up” over the slightest criticism of your photos, then you need to learn to take criticism better. It’s not comfortable at first, but it can be done.

Here are some steps

First, admit that you are not perfect and that you should always focus on improvement. Be humble and admit that some healthy criticism could actually help you.

Second, seek it out. That’s right, go looking for critiques! Look for people who are better than you who can show you how to improve. You want to grow as a person and a photographer don’t you? Ask successful people how you can be better.

Journal writing - How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer

You can document your journey of overcoming the fear of people by journalism. Get it all out on paper. What you’re thinking, what you’re feeling, and all the successes you have.

Third, visualize criticism. You can practice receiving the image critique comfortably before actually receiving it. Close your eyes and imagine someone saying, “These photos are terrible” or “That’s not your best work.” Just imagine hearing those words. Get over the shock and uncomfortable feelings. How could you respond to their harshness in a positive way?

Do you think it seems weird to use your imagination this way? Yes, it may seem strange at first. But it’s exactly how you’re already using your imagination.

Your self-conscious fear is leading you to imagine what people are thinking and saying about you. Your imagination is causing you to fear criticism and be paralyzed instead of receiving it graciously, improving, and moving forward toward your goal of being a creative photographer who is confident and comfortable with people.

Chopping wood. How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer

I’ve embarrassed myself a few times trying to chop wood with people watching me. I needed to learn to do it well. So one summer I decided to chop a massive pile of wood. It wasn’t easy to learn and some pieces ended up a mess before I could get them to split. But by the end, I was now showing other people how to chop wood. Constantly try things that intimidate you. The little successes will keep you moving forward and ignoring fear.

Consider who you are receiving the criticism or critique from. If you post photos online, you’re eventually going to receive harsh criticism from someone, solicited or not. The internet is an easy place for people to be mean and remain anonymous.

Please feel free to ignore people who are harsh and cruel. But always listen to the constructive criticism by other photographers who actually care about you and want to help. Their insights can be very valuable, making you a better photographer.

5. Open up, be vulnerable, and make friends

Your fear and shyness of people may come from your honest desire not to bother anyone. You avoid saying or doing the wrong thing. But are you also avoiding friendship and positive interaction too?

Begin with small talk and offer compliments. Become comfortable with conversation and criticism. Once you’ve done this then opening up and going deeper with people won’t be so hard.

Do you know what you might discover? You’re not alone in your fears. Other people (and especially photographers) are afraid too. And they’ll be thankful that you spoke up, and shared your ideas and your creativity. Courage is contagious.

Paddle boarding - How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer

This is our friend who is terrified of water. It used to be almost unthinkable for her to get out into the water.

two girls paddle boarding - How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer

However, she was determined to overcome her fear – or at least ignore it. Fear can be paralyzing, but finding the strength to overcome it can open new doors in life.

Go Forward Toward Your Goals

I used to be terrible with people, especially with kids. But I used all of the ideas above to break out of my shyness and conquer my fear of people. I still feel uncomfortable at times. But now I run my own photography business specializing in people! Whether it’s families or individual portraits, I’m able to connect with people and help them to feel comfortable in front of the camera.

If your goal is to become a creative photographer who is comfortable and confident with people, follow the steps above. It’ll take time, but start small and soon you’ll be thriving among people.

The post How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer appeared first on Digital Photography School.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on How Conquer Your Fear of People as a Photographer

Posted in Photography

 

Consent in Photography – What to Think About When Photographing People

10 May

You might not think about it, but as a photographer, you possess a certain power over the people you photograph. In her well-known book On Photography, Susan Sontag wrote:

”To take a photograph is to participate in another person’s mortality, vulnerability, mutability.”

Consent in Photography – What to Think About When Photographing People - street portraits

Photographing someone exposes them to scrutiny, both by others and by themselves. The photographer captures a representation of the person which may be very different from how they see themselves; it’s a representation made by someone else. This is not a bad thing or a good thing, but it is the basis for this discussion about consent in photography.

What is consent in photography?

People have a basic right to integrity, to make their own decisions about their bodies. Consent is someone’s agreement for another person to do something that would violate their integrity if it were done without their approval. For instance, we can consent to take part in a medical examination, joining a dance, or performing on stage, all of which would be wrong for someone to force us to do.

So how is this relevant to you? When do you need to ask for consent in photography, and how is it done?

Silhouettes at sunset on the beach in Brighton, England. - Consent in Photography – What to Think About When Photographing People

Consent in photography

When it comes to photography, the absence of consent usually isn’t about a direct physical violation. It’s (fortunately) rare for someone to be dragged into a studio against their will or forced to pose. The legal and ethical issues have more to do with the ”aggression” of the act itself, the right to privacy, and also to some extent the control the person may want to have over how they’re represented.

Even if you may not have considered it in those terms, you’ve probably encountered the question of consent if you’ve ever taken photos of other people, especially if you do street photography. For example, maybe you’ve considered whether to photograph people kissing or taken a photo and received an annoyed or angry expression in return.

Photographing demonstrations and consent. - Consent in Photography – What to Think About When Photographing People

When considering consent, you need to keep in mind both the making of the photograph and its publication.

For instance, imagine that you’ve been hired to photograph a wedding reception. The consent in these situations is often implied, meaning that even if you’re an outsider in a private space at a private occasion, you can assume that photographing the guests is okay unless they specifically ask you not to. However, this implied consent does not extend to publication on your website or anywhere else, so you’ll have to ask for explicit consent from photographed persons before publishing those photos.

When do you need to ask for consent?

Consent in Photography – What to Think About When Photographing People

Photographing children and consent.

Legalities

Laws obviously differ from country to country, so you should familiarize yourself with the laws concerning photography in your country or where you travel. For many places, you can find handy summaries of your legal rights as a photographer.

In general, it’s legal to take and publish photographs in and from a public space without asking, whereas taking photographs in a private space requires consent. Selling a photograph usually requires consent from the persons in the picture. If you’re unsure or traveling to a foreign country, it’s always worth looking up the rules.

Anonymous street photography -- tips on consent in photography.

Ethics

Apart from the legal aspect, there is also an ethical one. This one is up to you and your values. Do you feel it’s okay to take a picture of a child playing on a beach or publish a series of portraits of people leaving a bar on your website, without asking first?

We all take part in creating the atmosphere and shaping the attitudes of the society we live in or the communities we visit. Thinking about consent makes it easier to decide which photographs are worth making and which ones are not.

Consent in Photography – What to Think About When Photographing People

Photographing Pride parades and other festivals where people may wish to remain anonymous.

In the end, there’s a spectrum of situations in which you can ask for consent. The range goes from just asking when you’re legally required to do so, to asking every single time you take a photo with a recognizable person in the frame. Don’t expect that doing unto others what you want them to do to you will always work in these situations. People’s attitudes toward being photographed differ a lot between individuals.

Interpreting the law in its least strict sense means you may never need to ask for consent as long as you avoid certain situations, whereas asking every single time will help you avoid unpleasant confrontations. Consent may seem tricky, but in the end, it’s not. All it requires is awareness of the law, knowing your own limits, and respecting the people around you.

Street photography, religion, anonymity, and consent. Consent in Photography – What to Think About When Photographing People

Getting consent in practice

So you’ve decided that you are required to or want to ask for consent from someone you’d like to photograph. What does that actually mean? How do you get a person’s consent to photograph them and maybe publish their picture somewhere?

To get written permission to photograph someone and use their photograph, you can use consent forms or a model release.

There aren’t any correct or incorrect forms; you can make your own and include whatever you want in it. However, the form should at least contain the photographed person’s name and what they’re consenting to (being photographed and the photographs being published in a certain place or a specific context).

The purpose and date are good to add, but it’s also good to keep forms simple so there won’t be any question as to whether the person who signs the form understood it or not.

Who do you ask for consent to take and publish pictures? Consent in Photography – What to Think About When Photographing People

Who do you ask for consent?

Implied consent

Implied consent is when you can assume that the subject is okay with being photographed without explicit written or oral permission. This requires that the person understands that they are being photographed and that they react in a way that implies that they’re okay with it.

As a paid event photographer, you can often assume that the guests know that they may be photographed and that they’ll approach you if they don’t want to be photographed. You can also put up a clear sign at the venue, identifying you as the photographer and explaining that guests can ask to be avoided in the photos if they wish.

In my experience, it’s very rare that people aren’t okay with being photographed at weddings or other events.

Publishing pictures taken at private events often requires permission. -Consent in Photography – What to Think About When Photographing People

Publishing pictures that were taken at private events often require permission.

There are many consent-related issues to consider in street photography. Tips on how to avoid most issues are presented in this article on how to take an anonymous approach to street photography.

And if you’re unsure, you can always just ask!

Summary

This article is a very general overview of what consent in photography entails, with the intent to inspire you to think about the subject. I have no legal training, so please only use this article as a basis for discussion, and please do add your own ideas to it!

Do you think about consent when you’re making photographs? Which of the photos in this article would you have made sure to get consent for, and which do you think don’t call for consent? Have you ever wished that a photographer had asked before taking a picture of you? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, please add your comments below.

In the end, maybe we can participate not only in the photographed person’s mortality and vulnerability, but also in their pleasant memories, self-confidence, and all the positive sides of mutability.

The post Consent in Photography – What to Think About When Photographing People appeared first on Digital Photography School.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Consent in Photography – What to Think About When Photographing People

Posted in Photography

 

Tips on how to Verify That Pest Regulate Services Are Effective to the People

04 Apr

To get rid of these kinds of pests, utilization of pesticides and pesticides may be of excellent assistance once the pests are fewer in selection. The moment the infestation becomes uncontrollable,termite control pensacola fl one particular really should understand that there may be a necessity for expert services that will assistance persons to eliminate these annoying pests. Using the services of a pest regulate services may be beneficial in quite a few strategies namely –

• Provisions in the very best products – The industry experts involved along with the pest handle services vendors equip them selves with the best devices, pesticides and pesticides that allow them to eradicate the existence on the pests not to enable it infest the premises once more.

• Protected and safe ecosystem – When 1 decides to remove pests all by them selves, there are actually possibilities of a person harming the surroundings by spilling the insecticide or spraying it in locations which could contaminate drinking water, food stuff, and so forth. The kids and pets in the household might also occur in touch with this sort of sprays or liquids. When performed with the professionals, you can sit back assured that there is no harm brought on on the ecosystem as these experts consider all attainable care to curb such dangerous challenges.

• Usage of Eco-friendly items – Most corporations offering pest management solutions equip on their own with eco-friendly items that bring about a safer atmosphere where by there’s no type of pollution created. The sprays applied are ozone welcoming and thus only influence the qualified pest and almost nothing else.

• Turning out to be educated with regards to the numerous safeguards – The specialists from the pest manage services providers without a doubt present their ideal services and strive to eradicate the pests from the individual premise. In addition they educate the citizens about the methods to avert these types of pests from infesting yet again. The citizens are recommended to help keep their environment cleanse and litter free in which there’ll be no probabilities of even further pest breeding.

• Lowered Infection – Pests unfold an infection inside a way that turns fatal occasionally. They handle many health conditions for instance malaria, dengue, plague, leptospirosis, salmonella, asthma, and many others. Eradication of these types of infection resulting in pests with the enable of pest handle solutions will help a single to steer a healthier lifestyle where by you’ll find lesser conditions of folks falling sick. It can be beneficial don’t just for the residents but in addition for your persons residing around them.

Benefiting within the services which the pest management companies provide, people may very well be able to steer a much healthier and a peaceful lifestyle with no existence of those pests.

The post Tips on how to Verify That Pest Regulate Services Are Effective to the People appeared first on Photonovice.

Photonovice

 
Comments Off on Tips on how to Verify That Pest Regulate Services Are Effective to the People

Posted in Equipment

 

The dPS Ultimate Guide to Taking Portraits and Photographing People

02 Apr

Have you ever wished that you could take better photographs of your friends and family? Do you love looking at portraits taken by professional photographers, but just aren’t sure how to replicate similar results for yourself? Have you ever felt totally overwhelmed by all the options for photography gear and need someone to help you understand what’s essential for photographing people and what isn’t?

If you found yourself nodding along to any of those questions, this guide is for you! In this dPS Ultimate Guide, we’ll walk through everything from equipment to post-processing, and give you the tools you need to photograph people with confidence!

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Equipment

When it comes to photography, the best camera to use is the one you already have. Whether you’re using your cell phone, a point-and-shoot camera, a mirrorless camera, a cropped sensor camera, a full-frame camera, or an old film camera, you can take beautiful photographs of your friends and family. Essentially, don’t let the lack of “ideal equipment” get in your way. In almost every circumstance, you can combine the equipment that you already have with this guide to improve your people photography and portraits.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, in addition to your camera body and basic photography essentials like memory cards, there are a few key pieces of equipment that make photographing people much easier.

If you’re using a DSLR camera, lenses can make a huge difference in the quality of your photos. Most photographers prefer prime lenses for people photography. Although you do have to zoom with your feet, they tend to produce images that are sharper and more vibrant overall.

That said, whether you’re at a wedding or a soccer game, there are times when your subject’s distance from the camera is going to change frequently and quickly. In those instances, a zoom lens may be the best choice for photographing the special people in your life. Here are a few of the most frequently used lenses for portrait and people photography.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Prime Lenses

35 mm lens: This focal length is not great for traditional head-and-shoulders portraits, but it really shines when it comes to capturing people in the context of their surroundings.

The 35mm lens (on a crop or APS-C size sensor) is most similar to the angle of view of human eyes. So it’s a great lens to use when you want to capture what’s happening around you just as you see it. For this reason, the 35mm lens is an especially great choice for street photography as well.

50mm lens: For many photographers, the first lens they purchase after their kit lens is some variety of a 50mm lens. The price and versatility of a 50mm lens just can’t be beaten, and for a lot of photographers, having the ability to shoot at f/1.8 (or f/1.4, or f/1.2) is a huge upgrade from their kit lens.

If you’re shooting with a full-frame camera body, the 50mm lens is great for photographing families and sibling groups. If you’re shooting with a 50mm lens on a cropped sensor camera, it’s a focal length that’s great for portraits and photographing couples.

85mm lens: Most 85mm lenses are extremely versatile, allowing you to fill the entire frame with the subject’s face or backup to include their entire body without distortion. In fact, 85-105mm is known as being the ideal focal length range for portraiture because images captured within those focal lengths tend to be more flattering and have less distortion than images of people captured at other focal lengths.

Additionally, the lens compression with an 85mm lens makes it appear that the background is being pulled closer to your subject, which results in beautiful and dramatic portrait images.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Zoom Lenses

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Art Lens: Designed for cropped sensor cameras, this lens has a range that includes many of the most popular focal lengths for photographing people. In addition, the ability to shoot at f/1.8 across all focal lengths makes this lens a powerhouse for both portraits and people photography.

70-200mm: This lens is considered to be one of the standards when it comes to wedding and event photography because of its versatility in capturing people across a variety of focal lengths. The 70-200mm focal range is especially helpful in situations where you’d like to be able to capture genuine emotion without being physically close to the people you’re photographing.

As you’re looking at different lenses for portrait and people photography, keep in mind that to achieve a nice blurred background in your portraits, you’ll often want a lens that’s capable of shooting somewhere between f/1.2 and f/2.8. You’ll notice that lenses capable of shooting at those apertures are more expensive, but this is one instance when the payoff is worth the increase in cost.

If you’re shooting on a cropped sensor camera, remember that you need to multiply the focal length of the lens you’re using by the crop factor (this number is often something like 1.5 or 1.6) to discover the functioning focal length of your lens. So, if you put a 35mm lens on a cropped sensor camera, it actually functions more like a 50mm lens.

Other Helpful Tools

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Reflectors: A 5-in-1 reflector kit will help you tackle a huge variety of lighting situations that you might encounter when photographing people. Not only is it helpful for bouncing warm or cool light on your subject, it also gives you the ability to absorb light and to fix dappled light issues when photographing one to three people.

Alternate light source: Even if you think you’ll only be photographing people outdoors in natural light, it’s a good idea to have some form of an alternative light source at your disposal, whether it’s a speedlight, ring light, or studio lights. We’ll talk more about when and how you might want to utilize different lighting sources a bit later in this guide. For now, just know that having some form of a light source will dramatically improve your versatility as a photographer.

Lighting

Photography is often described as “painting with light”. As such, it’s very important to have a good understanding of the different light sources that you may experience as a photographer and how to best use them to your advantage.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Natural Light

The most basic of all lighting types is natural light. This is as simple as it sounds – all of the light in your photograph is coming from the sun. No additional light source (like a flash) is used.

Photographing using natural light (sometimes also called available light) can mean that you’re shooting outdoors, or it can also mean that you’re shooting indoors near a large window. It can mean that you’re shooting when the sun is high in the sky, or that you’re shooting backlit portraits near sunset.

If you’re new to photography and are struggling with lighting even in natural light situations, grab a friend and try the circle trick, which is a quick and easy way to help teach yourself how to see different natural lighting situations.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Studio Lighting

Another option when it comes to lighting is to utilize studio lighting. This sounds more intimidating than it really is—studio lighting just means that you’re using a flash, stand lighting, and other artificial light sources as your primary source of light for your image.

Professional headshots are often photographed with studio lighting, as are many newborn photography sessions. The major benefit of studio lighting is that you can easily control what the light looks like and ensure consistent lighting regardless of external factors like weather. Studio lighting can also be helpful in creating high-key images with dynamic lighting and lots of contrast.

Using studio lighting does involve a different learning curve than natural light photography, and many photographers feel intimidated by it. However, learning studio lighting is a great way to achieve a solid understanding of a variety of lighting situations, and it’s absolutely worth taking a class or workshop to learn more about it.

Even if you don’t ultimately end up using studio lighting very often, it’s a valuable tool to have in your arsenal.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Combination Lighting

Many photographers utilize a combination of natural light and studio lighting—using available light when possible, and sometimes supplementing with another light source. The most common light source for beginning and intermediate photographers is probably the speedlight.

Using a speedlight in combination with a diffuser is a great way to photograph people indoors in situations where you may not always be able to pose them near a window (think birthday parties, wedding receptions, holiday gatherings, etc.). Another way to use combination lighting is to take your speedlight outdoors and use it as a fill flash for outdoor portraits.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Finding Locations and Backgrounds

When it comes to photographing people, the location and the background that is behind your subject are extremely important. Your backdrop will either enhance your final image or detract from it, so here are a few tips to help you find and choose the best possible locations to compliment your photography.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Color is King

When I’m shooting portraits, I’m most often using a 50mm or 85mm lens, and shooting with a fairly wide aperture (usually somewhere between f/1.8 and f/2.5). Typically, I’m looking for the person that I’m photographing to be in focus, with a nice creamy bokeh background behind them. Because the background is softly blurred, sometimes the color of the background can be more important than what it actually looks like to the naked eye.

A parking garage can look like a less than inspired backdrop through a 35mm lens. But if you transition to an 85mm lens, suddenly the details of the background disappear, and you’re left with a backdrop that appears to be a nice neutral gray tone in portraits. Similarly, a field of weeds can look terrible in person but translates as a creamy golden yellow background in a photograph.

As such, training yourself to consider color in addition to content when looking for potential photography locations is a great trick to have up your sleeve as a photographer.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Memories Matter

One of my favorite ways to choose a photography location is to ask the person you’re photographing to share a location that’s particularly meaningful to them.

Is there a park that their family walks to on Friday nights in the summer? Go there. Does the high school senior you’re photographing have fun memories of picking peaches at a local farm with her parents every summer? Check out that orchard. Is a family bringing home their first baby? Consider shooting at their home instead of a studio.

Choosing locations that have special meaning to the people you’re photographing is a great way to ensure that they’ll be as comfortable in front of the camera as possible, and it’s also a great way to invoke genuine positive emotion. Hearing a song on the radio can take you right back to a specific memory in your life, and so can revisiting locations that have happy memories associated with them!

Don’t be afraid to ask the person you’re photographing if there’s somewhere particularly meaningful to them that could act as the backdrop of your photo session. From the public library to grandma’s famous dahlia garden, to a family friend’s lake house, you might be surprised at what they come up with!

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Utilize Geotagging

Several popular websites for photography allow you to search images that have been geotagged by zip code, city, and other identifying factors. Flickr Map is one such resource, and although it can be a real mixed bag in terms of the quantity and quality of images to sort through, it’s a great tool for visualizing what different parts of your area look like at different times of the day and different times of the year.

I wouldn’t recommend choosing a location sight unseen, but it’s a great tool for narrowing down areas that you might want to check out in person. Another option that’s just beginning to gain in popularity is Shootipedia, a location scouting website, and app that allows photographers to post images and share details about their favorite locations to shoot. Some parts of the world have lots of locations cataloged while others have very few. That said, it’s always worth a look!

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Go Explore

One of the best ways to discover photography locations near you is simply to get out and explore your area. Go for a hike. Hop in the car and drive around. Print off a listing of all the local public parks, and swing by at different times of the day.

Don’t discount familiar locations either. Chances are that as you begin to look through the lens of photography, you’ll find that there are countless appropriate locations and backdrops right in your own neighborhood.

Clothing Tips and Ideas

Most people can benefit from some sort of direction regarding what to wear when being photographed. However, whether or not you (as the photographer) will be able to offer direction in terms of what to wear will vary based on lots of different factors including the type of people photography you’re doing.

For example, if you’re photographing the attendees at a birthday party or doing street photography, you won’t have as much input into clothing choices as you would if you are shooting portraits.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography
In situations where you do have some influence over what the people you’re photographing are wearing, that level of “direction” can range from you purchasing specific pieces of clothing to be worn to simply giving general advice regarding colors and patterns that are flattering on most people.

The level of your direction as a photographer will also be dependent on your personal photography style and whether you offer styled sessions or not. However, regardless of your personal style, there are a few rules of thumb that generally hold true in most instances when photographing people:

  • Neutral colored clothing (black, white, tan, or gray) is always a good choice.
  • Jewel tones are flattering to most complexions.
  • Avoid logos or text on clothing.
  • When incorporating patterns, stick to very classic patterns like plaid or polka dots.
  • When photographing families, it’s better to work with one color family (warm colors, cool colors, jewel tones, neutrals, etc.) than to have everyone wearing exactly the same thing.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

  • Adding or removing jackets and/or cardigans is a great way to add some versatility to a session.
  • If you’re photographing more than one person together, make sure they’re not wearing exactly the same color on top, or it can be difficult to see where one person ends and another begins.
  • If the person being photographed isn’t comfortable in what they’re wearing, it will usually be evident in the photograph.

Most people genuinely appreciate tips and/or feedback from their photographer about what to wear. It helps them relax and feel confident in front of the camera.

All that said, sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. If you’re photographing a toddler that desperately wants to leave her fairy wings on for the photos, you might want to consider giving it a try, even if it goes against your “vision” for the photo. Clothing choice can help enhance a photo, but in most cases, genuine expression in a photo will trump clothing choice any day.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Setting Up Your Camera

This section is especially for beginning photographers. If you have been using your camera’s auto mode, and aren’t even sure where to begin in terms of photographing people it’s designed to give you some ideas to help you start taking more control over your photography and to elevate your photos of people from mere snapshots to intentionally crafted images.

Two of the most frequently used camera modes for photographing people are Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography
Aperture Priority

When selecting the Aperture Priority mode on your camera, essentially you select the camera’s aperture, and you’re asking your camera to select the rest of your settings. You can still select your ISO if you wish, or leave it set to auto if you’d prefer that your camera choose that too.

When you select a small aperture number (f/1.8), less of your image will be in focus. When you select a large aperture number (f/8), more of your image will be in focus. If you’re wondering how to create a portrait with a nice blurry background, shooting with a very wide aperture (f/1.8) is one way to achieve that effect.

However, as you add additional people to the image, it becomes trickier to nail the focus on everyone. So one good rule of thumb when photographing small groups is to set your aperture no smaller than the number of people you’re photographing – if you’re photographing two siblings, set your aperture at f/2.0 (or higher). If you’re photographing a family of three, you may want to consider setting your aperture at f/3.0 (or higher), especially if not everyone is on the same plane.

Aperture Priority mode is a great choice for shooting portraits or small groups, wherein the people you’re photographing are not moving too much.

aperture priority portrait - The dPS Ultimate Guide to Taking Portraits and Photographing People

Shutter Priority

Where Aperture Priority mode is great for photographing people who are largely stationary, Shutter Priority mode is great for photographing people that are on the go.

Whether you’re photographing a soccer game and want to freeze the action, capturing a family mid-tickle, or practicing street photography and want to show the blur of people bustling about, Shutter Priority is a great way to either stop action or emphasize movement in people photography!

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Working with People

Photographer, aul Caponigro once said, “It’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it’s another thing to make a portrait of who they are.”

Indeed, there’s a difference between taking a snapshot of a person and creating a portrait that captures the essence of who they are and what they’re about. Often, the difference comes down to the interaction between the photographer and the person being photographed.

We’ve already talked about how location and clothing are two factors that can help the people you’re photographing relax in front of the camera. In addition to those two factors, coupling gentle posing with prompts and questions designed to help the person you’re photographing relax and evoke emotion during the session can be very helpful in capturing images that look and feel genuine.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Posing

If the idea of gently posing the person that you’re photographing feels overwhelming, you may be interested in purchasing the Posing App. This particular app includes over 300 illustrations of various photography poses for men, women, children, and groups, and can be a great starting point when trying to describe to the people you’re photographing what you’d like them to do.

Keep in mind that resources like Posing App are just starting places. Don’t be afraid to modify poses, changing them slightly for variety or to better flatter the person you’re photographing.

Also look here for more posing help:

  • Portraits: Striking the Pose – a dPS ebook.
  • 67 Portrait Poses (Printable) by dPS.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Prompting

Once you’ve got the person you’re photographing situated in terms of posing, the next technique in evoking emotion is to prompt them with questions or statements.

When photographing a child, this might be saying, “Show me your best lion roar!” As the photographer, you’re less interested in the roar itself and more interested in the fits of giggles that usually follow, so be ready with your camera to capture the moment!

If you’re photographing a high school senior, this might mean asking them about their plans following graduation and what they’re excited about. If you’re photographing a newly engaged couple, this might mean asking them to tell you the proposal story. When you’re photographing a wedding, this might mean asking them to practice their first dance for you.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Prompts can be sentimental, but they can also be silly. Ask a groom to whisper his favorite vegetable into his bride’s ear, and watch them both laugh hysterically. These prompting techniques allow you to connect with the person you’re photographing on a deeper level and also help evoke genuine emotion that translates to a stronger photograph.

Culling and Post-Processing

After you’ve snapped the actual photographs, you’ll want to weed out the best images and apply some sort of post-processing to them, even if only sharpening to print. If you shoot in RAW format, you’ll need some sort of software (such as Lightroom or Adobe Bridge) that can recognize RAW file types before you’ll be ready to start culling or editing your images.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Culling

Regardless of the software, most photographers use a process that either amounts to “Editing Out” or “Editing In” for culling images. If following an “Editing Out” process, you go through and deletes all the images that you do not want to edit, and processes the rest. If following an “Editing In” process, you go through and flag all the photos that you’re most interested in editing, and edit only those. This is largely a matter of preference, and neither method is better than the other.

When culling, keep in mind that no one needs 10 images with exactly the same expression, focal length, and camera angle. However, do be aware of micro-expressions, or particular mannerisms that the person you’re photographing may display, and consider including some of those images into your final cut as well. Sometimes, those are the images that capture the essence of a person, even if their eyes are squinty or their nose is a little scrunched.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography
Post-Processing

Whether or not to post-process images in digital photography is always the subject of much debate. Personally, as someone who started with black and white film photography, I find the debate to be a bit silly. There was little controversy about dodging and burning in the black and white darkroom to enhance a portrait, so I see little problem with doing the same in the digital medium.

There are many options available for post-processing, but the most common still seems to be Adobe’s Creative Cloud Photography package, which includes Lightroom, Photoshop, and a whole collection of mobile apps to download.

Many photographers batch edit their images, using either a preset in Lightroom or an action in Photoshop. If you’re brand new to post-processing, there are a whole host of actions and presets available to purchase, including several great sets from Digital Photography School.

Keep in mind that most actions and presets are not designed to be one-click wonders. They do require tweaks and adjustments for best success, which means that having a basic understanding of Photoshop and/or Lightroom is definitely necessary when it comes to post-processing. This is one area where it’s absolutely worthwhile to check out an online course or eBook in order to understand the basics of post-processing so that you know what the actions and presets are doing, how to tweak them to your advantage, and how to eventually make your own to help you stand out from the crowd.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography
Marketing Yourself and Getting Paid Gigs (If You Want Them)

So, you’ve photographed a bunch of friends and family, and now people are starting to tell you that you should start your own photography business! If that’s something you’re interested in pursuing on a full-time or semi-professional basis, we’ll walk through a couple of things that can help make that happen.

Check Your Local Laws

Laws regarding small businesses vary drastically from location to location. Some places require you to have a business license and insurance before getting started. Some require you to register your business name. Others only require that you declare any income received so that you can pay appropriate taxes on it.

Because dPS has readers all over the world, the best suggestion I can give is to contact your local Small Business Association regarding what you need to do to keep your budding business on the up and up. Even if you aren’t ready to officially start your business quite yet, it’s still important to research the requirements (and whether your prospective business name is actually available) before you begin any of these other steps!

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Build Your Portfolio

If you haven’t already done so, you need to build a portfolio of your work that you can show to prospective clients to demonstrate your skill as a photographer. Many times, photographers initially build their portfolio by offering to take photos of their family and friends for free in exchange for permission to use them as part of their portfolio.

Another option for building your portfolio is to participate in workshops or photo walks that grant you permission to use the images that you take during the event as part of your portfolio. If you’re interested in photographing weddings, many photographers partner with vendors to photograph several styled sessions before they ever actually photograph a real wedding.

Build Your Brand

Once you have a portfolio that you’re ready to market, you need to have a brand! This step includes coming up with your business name, logo, watermark, a headshot of you, and often a color scheme that you’ll use throughout your online and print materials.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography
Build Your Web Presence

One of the next key steps to developing any level of a photography business is to build a web presence so that people can actually find you! This may include many different avenues, such as creating a website, a photography blog, a Facebook business page, and an Instagram account for your brand.

Expand Your Audience

For lots of photographers, their business starts with friends and family and gradually expands out from there as those people recommend you to their friends and family. If you can encourage your friends and family to tag your photography pages on social media as they share your images online, this can be a really great way to expand your audience and reach. Some other easy ways to expand your audience include:

  • Offer a rewards or incentives program for past clients who refer their friends to you.
  • Host a model call on Facebook.
  • Consider running ads on social media targeted to “friends of friends”.
  • Donate your photography services to a cause you care about.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Conclusion

Whew! That was a whole lot of information about photographing people! Although it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the dos and don’ts of people photography, you don’t have to master everything at once!

Use the camera and the equipment you have, pick one tip from this guide, and try it out. At the end of the day, the most important part of photographing people is just to get out there and do it, as often as you can!

The post The dPS Ultimate Guide to Taking Portraits and Photographing People appeared first on Digital Photography School.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on The dPS Ultimate Guide to Taking Portraits and Photographing People

Posted in Photography

 

The dPS Ultimate Guide to Taking Portraits and Photographing People

29 Mar

Have you ever wished that you could take better photographs of your friends and family? Do you love looking at portraits taken by professional photographers, but just aren’t sure how to replicate similar results for yourself? Have you ever felt totally overwhelmed by all the options for photography gear and need someone to help you understand what’s essential for photographing people and what isn’t?

If you found yourself nodding along to any of those questions, this guide is for you! In this dPS Ultimate Guide, we’ll walk through everything from equipment to post-processing, and give you the tools you need to photograph people with confidence!

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Equipment

When it comes to photography, the best camera to use is the one you already have. Whether you’re using your cell phone, a point-and-shoot camera, a mirrorless camera, a cropped sensor camera, a full-frame camera, or an old film camera, you can take beautiful photographs of your friends and family. Essentially, don’t let the lack of “ideal equipment” get in your way. In almost every circumstance, you can combine the equipment that you already have with this guide to improve your people photography and portraits.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, in addition to your camera body and basic photography essentials like memory cards, there are a few key pieces of equipment that make photographing people much easier.

If you’re using a DSLR camera, lenses can make a huge difference in the quality of your photos. Most photographers prefer prime lenses for people photography. Although you do have to zoom with your feet, they tend to produce images that are sharper and more vibrant overall.

That said, whether you’re at a wedding or a soccer game, there are times when your subject’s distance from the camera is going to change frequently and quickly. In those instances, a zoom lens may be the best choice for photographing the special people in your life. Here are a few of the most frequently used lenses for portrait and people photography.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Prime Lenses

35 mm lens: This focal length is not great for traditional head-and-shoulders portraits, but it really shines when it comes to capturing people in the context of their surroundings.

The 35mm lens (on a crop or APS-C size sensor) is most similar to the angle of view of human eyes. So it’s a great lens to use when you want to capture what’s happening around you just as you see it. For this reason, the 35mm lens is an especially great choice for street photography as well.

50mm lens: For many photographers, the first lens they purchase after their kit lens is some variety of a 50mm lens. The price and versatility of a 50mm lens just can’t be beaten, and for a lot of photographers, having the ability to shoot at f/1.8 (or f/1.4, or f/1.2) is a huge upgrade from their kit lens.

If you’re shooting with a full-frame camera body, the 50mm lens is great for photographing families and sibling groups. If you’re shooting with a 50mm lens on a cropped sensor camera, it’s a focal length that’s great for portraits and photographing couples.

85mm lens: Most 85mm lenses are extremely versatile, allowing you to fill the entire frame with the subject’s face or backup to include their entire body without distortion. In fact, 85-105mm is known as being the ideal focal length range for portraiture because images captured within those focal lengths tend to be more flattering and have less distortion than images of people captured at other focal lengths.

Additionally, the lens compression with an 85mm lens makes it appear that the background is being pulled closer to your subject, which results in beautiful and dramatic portrait images.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Zoom Lenses

Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Art Lens: Designed for cropped sensor cameras, this lens has a range that includes many of the most popular focal lengths for photographing people. In addition, the ability to shoot at f/1.8 across all focal lengths makes this lens a powerhouse for both portraits and people photography.

70-200mm: This lens is considered to be one of the standards when it comes to wedding and event photography because of its versatility in capturing people across a variety of focal lengths. The 70-200mm focal range is especially helpful in situations where you’d like to be able to capture genuine emotion without being physically close to the people you’re photographing.

As you’re looking at different lenses for portrait and people photography, keep in mind that to achieve a nice blurred background in your portraits, you’ll often want a lens that’s capable of shooting somewhere between f/1.2 and f/2.8. You’ll notice that lenses capable of shooting at those apertures are more expensive, but this is one instance when the payoff is worth the increase in cost.

If you’re shooting on a cropped sensor camera, remember that you need to multiply the focal length of the lens you’re using by the crop factor (this number is often something like 1.5 or 1.6) to discover the functioning focal length of your lens. So, if you put a 35mm lens on a cropped sensor camera, it actually functions more like a 50mm lens.

Other Helpful Tools

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Reflectors: A 5-in-1 reflector kit will help you tackle a huge variety of lighting situations that you might encounter when photographing people. Not only is it helpful for bouncing warm or cool light on your subject, it also gives you the ability to absorb light and to fix dappled light issues when photographing one to three people.

Alternate light source: Even if you think you’ll only be photographing people outdoors in natural light, it’s a good idea to have some form of an alternative light source at your disposal, whether it’s a speedlight, ring light, or studio lights. We’ll talk more about when and how you might want to utilize different lighting sources a bit later in this guide. For now, just know that having some form of a light source will dramatically improve your versatility as a photographer.

Lighting

Photography is often described as “painting with light”. As such, it’s very important to have a good understanding of the different light sources that you may experience as a photographer and how to best use them to your advantage.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Natural Light

The most basic of all lighting types is natural light. This is as simple as it sounds – all of the light in your photograph is coming from the sun. No additional light source (like a flash) is used.

Photographing using natural light (sometimes also called available light) can mean that you’re shooting outdoors, or it can also mean that you’re shooting indoors near a large window. It can mean that you’re shooting when the sun is high in the sky, or that you’re shooting backlit portraits near sunset.

If you’re new to photography and are struggling with lighting even in natural light situations, grab a friend and try the circle trick, which is a quick and easy way to help teach yourself how to see different natural lighting situations.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Studio Lighting

Another option when it comes to lighting is to utilize studio lighting. This sounds more intimidating than it really is—studio lighting just means that you’re using a flash, stand lighting, and other artificial light sources as your primary source of light for your image.

Professional headshots are often photographed with studio lighting, as are many newborn photography sessions. The major benefit of studio lighting is that you can easily control what the light looks like and ensure consistent lighting regardless of external factors like weather. Studio lighting can also be helpful in creating high-key images with dynamic lighting and lots of contrast.

Using studio lighting does involve a different learning curve than natural light photography, and many photographers feel intimidated by it. However, learning studio lighting is a great way to achieve a solid understanding of a variety of lighting situations, and it’s absolutely worth taking a class or workshop to learn more about it.

Even if you don’t ultimately end up using studio lighting very often, it’s a valuable tool to have in your arsenal.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Combination Lighting

Many photographers utilize a combination of natural light and studio lighting—using available light when possible, and sometimes supplementing with another light source. The most common light source for beginning and intermediate photographers is probably the speedlight.

Using a speedlight in combination with a diffuser is a great way to photograph people indoors in situations where you may not always be able to pose them near a window (think birthday parties, wedding receptions, holiday gatherings, etc.). Another way to use combination lighting is to take your speedlight outdoors and use it as a fill flash for outdoor portraits.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Finding Locations and Backgrounds

When it comes to photographing people, the location and the background that is behind your subject are extremely important. Your backdrop will either enhance your final image or detract from it, so here are a few tips to help you find and choose the best possible locations to compliment your photography.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Color is King

When I’m shooting portraits, I’m most often using a 50mm or 85mm lens, and shooting with a fairly wide aperture (usually somewhere between f/1.8 and f/2.5). Typically, I’m looking for the person that I’m photographing to be in focus, with a nice creamy bokeh background behind them. Because the background is softly blurred, sometimes the color of the background can be more important than what it actually looks like to the naked eye.

A parking garage can look like a less than inspired backdrop through a 35mm lens. But if you transition to an 85mm lens, suddenly the details of the background disappear, and you’re left with a backdrop that appears to be a nice neutral gray tone in portraits. Similarly, a field of weeds can look terrible in person but translates as a creamy golden yellow background in a photograph.

As such, training yourself to consider color in addition to content when looking for potential photography locations is a great trick to have up your sleeve as a photographer.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Memories Matter

One of my favorite ways to choose a photography location is to ask the person you’re photographing to share a location that’s particularly meaningful to them.

Is there a park that their family walks to on Friday nights in the summer? Go there. Does the high school senior you’re photographing have fun memories of picking peaches at a local farm with her parents every summer? Check out that orchard. Is a family bringing home their first baby? Consider shooting at their home instead of a studio.

Choosing locations that have special meaning to the people you’re photographing is a great way to ensure that they’ll be as comfortable in front of the camera as possible, and it’s also a great way to invoke genuine positive emotion. Hearing a song on the radio can take you right back to a specific memory in your life, and so can revisiting locations that have happy memories associated with them!

Don’t be afraid to ask the person you’re photographing if there’s somewhere particularly meaningful to them that could act as the backdrop of your photo session. From the public library to grandma’s famous dahlia garden, to a family friend’s lake house, you might be surprised at what they come up with!

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Utilize Geotagging

Several popular websites for photography allow you to search images that have been geotagged by zip code, city, and other identifying factors. Flickr Map is one such resource, and although it can be a real mixed bag in terms of the quantity and quality of images to sort through, it’s a great tool for visualizing what different parts of your area look like at different times of the day and different times of the year.

I wouldn’t recommend choosing a location sight unseen, but it’s a great tool for narrowing down areas that you might want to check out in person. Another option that’s just beginning to gain in popularity is Shootipedia, a location scouting website, and app that allows photographers to post images and share details about their favorite locations to shoot. Some parts of the world have lots of locations cataloged while others have very few. That said, it’s always worth a look!

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Go Explore

One of the best ways to discover photography locations near you is simply to get out and explore your area. Go for a hike. Hop in the car and drive around. Print off a listing of all the local public parks, and swing by at different times of the day.

Don’t discount familiar locations either. Chances are that as you begin to look through the lens of photography, you’ll find that there are countless appropriate locations and backdrops right in your own neighborhood.

Clothing Tips and Ideas

Most people can benefit from some sort of direction regarding what to wear when being photographed. However, whether or not you (as the photographer) will be able to offer direction in terms of what to wear will vary based on lots of different factors including the type of people photography you’re doing.

For example, if you’re photographing the attendees at a birthday party or doing street photography, you won’t have as much input into clothing choices as you would if you are shooting portraits.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography
In situations where you do have some influence over what the people you’re photographing are wearing, that level of “direction” can range from you purchasing specific pieces of clothing to be worn to simply giving general advice regarding colors and patterns that are flattering on most people.

The level of your direction as a photographer will also be dependent on your personal photography style and whether you offer styled sessions or not. However, regardless of your personal style, there are a few rules of thumb that generally hold true in most instances when photographing people:

  • Neutral colored clothing (black, white, tan, or gray) is always a good choice.
  • Jewel tones are flattering to most complexions.
  • Avoid logos or text on clothing.
  • When incorporating patterns, stick to very classic patterns like plaid or polka dots.
  • When photographing families, it’s better to work with one color family (warm colors, cool colors, jewel tones, neutrals, etc.) than to have everyone wearing exactly the same thing.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

  • Adding or removing jackets and/or cardigans is a great way to add some versatility to a session.
  • If you’re photographing more than one person together, make sure they’re not wearing exactly the same color on top, or it can be difficult to see where one person ends and another begins.
  • If the person being photographed isn’t comfortable in what they’re wearing, it will usually be evident in the photograph.

Most people genuinely appreciate tips and/or feedback from their photographer about what to wear. It helps them relax and feel confident in front of the camera.

All that said, sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. If you’re photographing a toddler that desperately wants to leave her fairy wings on for the photos, you might want to consider giving it a try, even if it goes against your “vision” for the photo. Clothing choice can help enhance a photo, but in most cases, genuine expression in a photo will trump clothing choice any day.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Setting Up Your Camera

This section is especially for beginning photographers. If you have been using your camera’s auto mode, and aren’t even sure where to begin in terms of photographing people it’s designed to give you some ideas to help you start taking more control over your photography and to elevate your photos of people from mere snapshots to intentionally crafted images.

Two of the most frequently used camera modes for photographing people are Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography
Aperture Priority

When selecting the Aperture Priority mode on your camera, essentially you select the camera’s aperture, and you’re asking your camera to select the rest of your settings. You can still select your ISO if you wish, or leave it set to auto if you’d prefer that your camera choose that too.

When you select a small aperture number (f/1.8), less of your image will be in focus. When you select a large aperture number (f/8), more of your image will be in focus. If you’re wondering how to create a portrait with a nice blurry background, shooting with a very wide aperture (f/1.8) is one way to achieve that effect.

However, as you add additional people to the image, it becomes trickier to nail the focus on everyone. So one good rule of thumb when photographing small groups is to set your aperture no smaller than the number of people you’re photographing – if you’re photographing two siblings, set your aperture at f/2.0 (or higher). If you’re photographing a family of three, you may want to consider setting your aperture at f/3.0 (or higher), especially if not everyone is on the same plane.

Aperture Priority mode is a great choice for shooting portraits or small groups, wherein the people you’re photographing are not moving too much.

aperture priority portrait - The dPS Ultimate Guide to Taking Portraits and Photographing People

Shutter Priority

Where Aperture Priority mode is great for photographing people who are largely stationary, Shutter Priority mode is great for photographing people that are on the go.

Whether you’re photographing a soccer game and want to freeze the action, capturing a family mid-tickle, or practicing street photography and want to show the blur of people bustling about, Shutter Priority is a great way to either stop action or emphasize movement in people photography!

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Working with People

Photographer, aul Caponigro once said, “It’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it’s another thing to make a portrait of who they are.”

Indeed, there’s a difference between taking a snapshot of a person and creating a portrait that captures the essence of who they are and what they’re about. Often, the difference comes down to the interaction between the photographer and the person being photographed.

We’ve already talked about how location and clothing are two factors that can help the people you’re photographing relax in front of the camera. In addition to those two factors, coupling gentle posing with prompts and questions designed to help the person you’re photographing relax and evoke emotion during the session can be very helpful in capturing images that look and feel genuine.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Posing

If the idea of gently posing the person that you’re photographing feels overwhelming, you may be interested in purchasing the Posing App. This particular app includes over 300 illustrations of various photography poses for men, women, children, and groups, and can be a great starting point when trying to describe to the people you’re photographing what you’d like them to do.

Keep in mind that resources like Posing App are just starting places. Don’t be afraid to modify poses, changing them slightly for variety or to better flatter the person you’re photographing.

Also look here for more posing help:

  • Portraits: Striking the Pose – a dPS ebook.
  • 67 Portrait Poses (Printable) by dPS.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Prompting

Once you’ve got the person you’re photographing situated in terms of posing, the next technique in evoking emotion is to prompt them with questions or statements.

When photographing a child, this might be saying, “Show me your best lion roar!” As the photographer, you’re less interested in the roar itself and more interested in the fits of giggles that usually follow, so be ready with your camera to capture the moment!

If you’re photographing a high school senior, this might mean asking them about their plans following graduation and what they’re excited about. If you’re photographing a newly engaged couple, this might mean asking them to tell you the proposal story. When you’re photographing a wedding, this might mean asking them to practice their first dance for you.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Prompts can be sentimental, but they can also be silly. Ask a groom to whisper his favorite vegetable into his bride’s ear, and watch them both laugh hysterically. These prompting techniques allow you to connect with the person you’re photographing on a deeper level and also help evoke genuine emotion that translates to a stronger photograph.

Culling and Post-Processing

After you’ve snapped the actual photographs, you’ll want to weed out the best images and apply some sort of post-processing to them, even if only sharpening to print. If you shoot in RAW format, you’ll need some sort of software (such as Lightroom or Adobe Bridge) that can recognize RAW file types before you’ll be ready to start culling or editing your images.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Culling

Regardless of the software, most photographers use a process that either amounts to “Editing Out” or “Editing In” for culling images. If following an “Editing Out” process, you go through and deletes all the images that you do not want to edit, and processes the rest. If following an “Editing In” process, you go through and flag all the photos that you’re most interested in editing, and edit only those. This is largely a matter of preference, and neither method is better than the other.

When culling, keep in mind that no one needs 10 images with exactly the same expression, focal length, and camera angle. However, do be aware of micro-expressions, or particular mannerisms that the person you’re photographing may display, and consider including some of those images into your final cut as well. Sometimes, those are the images that capture the essence of a person, even if their eyes are squinty or their nose is a little scrunched.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography
Post-Processing

Whether or not to post-process images in digital photography is always the subject of much debate. Personally, as someone who started with black and white film photography, I find the debate to be a bit silly. There was little controversy about dodging and burning in the black and white darkroom to enhance a portrait, so I see little problem with doing the same in the digital medium.

There are many options available for post-processing, but the most common still seems to be Adobe’s Creative Cloud Photography package, which includes Lightroom, Photoshop, and a whole collection of mobile apps to download.

Many photographers batch edit their images, using either a preset in Lightroom or an action in Photoshop. If you’re brand new to post-processing, there are a whole host of actions and presets available to purchase, including several great sets from Digital Photography School.

Keep in mind that most actions and presets are not designed to be one-click wonders. They do require tweaks and adjustments for best success, which means that having a basic understanding of Photoshop and/or Lightroom is definitely necessary when it comes to post-processing. This is one area where it’s absolutely worthwhile to check out an online course or eBook in order to understand the basics of post-processing so that you know what the actions and presets are doing, how to tweak them to your advantage, and how to eventually make your own to help you stand out from the crowd.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography
Marketing Yourself and Getting Paid Gigs (If You Want Them)

So, you’ve photographed a bunch of friends and family, and now people are starting to tell you that you should start your own photography business! If that’s something you’re interested in pursuing on a full-time or semi-professional basis, we’ll walk through a couple of things that can help make that happen.

Check Your Local Laws

Laws regarding small businesses vary drastically from location to location. Some places require you to have a business license and insurance before getting started. Some require you to register your business name. Others only require that you declare any income received so that you can pay appropriate taxes on it.

Because dPS has readers all over the world, the best suggestion I can give is to contact your local Small Business Association regarding what you need to do to keep your budding business on the up and up. Even if you aren’t ready to officially start your business quite yet, it’s still important to research the requirements (and whether your prospective business name is actually available) before you begin any of these other steps!

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Build Your Portfolio

If you haven’t already done so, you need to build a portfolio of your work that you can show to prospective clients to demonstrate your skill as a photographer. Many times, photographers initially build their portfolio by offering to take photos of their family and friends for free in exchange for permission to use them as part of their portfolio.

Another option for building your portfolio is to participate in workshops or photo walks that grant you permission to use the images that you take during the event as part of your portfolio. If you’re interested in photographing weddings, many photographers partner with vendors to photograph several styled sessions before they ever actually photograph a real wedding.

Build Your Brand

Once you have a portfolio that you’re ready to market, you need to have a brand! This step includes coming up with your business name, logo, watermark, a headshot of you, and often a color scheme that you’ll use throughout your online and print materials.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography
Build Your Web Presence

One of the next key steps to developing any level of a photography business is to build a web presence so that people can actually find you! This may include many different avenues, such as creating a website, a photography blog, a Facebook business page, and an Instagram account for your brand.

Expand Your Audience

For lots of photographers, their business starts with friends and family and gradually expands out from there as those people recommend you to their friends and family. If you can encourage your friends and family to tag your photography pages on social media as they share your images online, this can be a really great way to expand your audience and reach. Some other easy ways to expand your audience include:

  • Offer a rewards or incentives program for past clients who refer their friends to you.
  • Host a model call on Facebook.
  • Consider running ads on social media targeted to “friends of friends”.
  • Donate your photography services to a cause you care about.

The dPS Ultimate Guide to People and Portrait Photography

Conclusion

Whew! That was a whole lot of information about photographing people! Although it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the dos and don’ts of people photography, you don’t have to master everything at once!

Use the camera and the equipment you have, pick one tip from this guide, and try it out. At the end of the day, the most important part of photographing people is just to get out there and do it, as often as you can!

The post The dPS Ultimate Guide to Taking Portraits and Photographing People appeared first on Digital Photography School.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on The dPS Ultimate Guide to Taking Portraits and Photographing People

Posted in Photography

 

Tips for Posing People in Outdoor Portraits

25 Mar

Whether you’re photographing an individual or group, having sessions on location can add a lot of variety to your images. Most locations offer natural or built-in elements that are great for posing people without having to move too much.

Almost all outdoor locations have natural or built-in elements that can give you options for where to place your client and add more variety to the session. These can include rocks, walls, trees, benches, bridges, cars, lamp posts, columns, archways, fences, fountains, and staircases. Walls also make for great poses. All of these elements are terrific posing props that make your photos interesting. Use them as much as you can.


Start with a good foundation

After you have chosen the elements with which you want to pose your client, begin your session with a simple foundation pose. This could simply be your client standing still, arms at the hips. From there, you can build upon that pose and make subtle changes to add variety.


Another foundation pose might be having your client stand in the middle of a city walkway, as they would if they were alone. From there you can ask them to bring one arm up to fix their hair while standing still. Then, have them fix their hair while walking toward you. Next, have your client do the same with their arm as they walk, but now looking toward the street. Finally, have them do the same, but this time take two steps, freeze their pose and look at you, as you get close for a portrait shot.

You now have five different poses all in the same location built on the same foundation pose.


Good foundation poses will also help with the dreaded question a lot of photographers get, “What do I do with my hands?” By building from simple poses and keeping your client moving with subtle changes, it helps them to use their hands more naturally.

Keep them moving

Many great poses involve having your clients moving. Have your client’s walk, run, jump, sit, stand, turn around, or spin. When you keep them moving you are allowing for lots of different types of shots all while letting your client walk off the nerves.

You don’t even need to move from the spot you’ve chosen. You could have them walk toward you, walk away from you, sit down, crouch down, lie down, or jump all within 15 feet of where you are standing. Have them use their hands while they move around for more dynamic photos.



Tips for Posing People in Outdoor Portraits

Open spaces without posing elements

If you find yourself at a location, perhaps a beach, where there are no elements to use for posing, it can be difficult to pose hands or keep your client moving.

One way to pose hands in open spaces outdoors is to have your client use them. By this, I mean, have your client play with their hair, adjust their clothing, put on and take off their jacket, glasses, watch, etc. Keeping the hands busy relaxes your client and you’re able to make more natural looking photos without having the pose look too rigid.

Tips for Posing People in Outdoor Portraits


Use the light

Shooting on location can offer lots of changes in light since you are outdoors. Use this to your advantage! Experiment with full sunlight, shadows, found pockets of interesting light shapes.

If you shoot your subject in full sunlight, for example, one pose you can try is to have them look up with their eyes closed, arms folded on their head. Another great pose you could try in full sunlight is to use shadows to create an interesting patter either on your client or behind. Have your client looking down or straight at your camera.

Using the different changes in light around you can give you new ideas on where to put the hands, legs, and other elements of your client to create a more compelling or dynamic photo.

Tips for Posing People in Outdoor Portraits


The same can be applied to the basic compositional rules in photography. Using lines, shapes, patterns, and colors in your background to frame and pose your client as part or to stand out may result in a really interesting photo.

Tips for Posing People in Outdoor Portraits

Conclusion

I feel that posing a client on location is much easier than posing in the studio because you have many elements available to use as props. And remember, shooting many different poses also increases your chances of getting the great shots that will build your amazing portfolio.

The post Tips for Posing People in Outdoor Portraits by Jackie Lamas appeared first on Digital Photography School.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Tips for Posing People in Outdoor Portraits

Posted in Photography

 

Things People Say to Photographers – What Have You Heard?

10 Mar

If you’re in the photography business you’ve likely heard some pretty outrageous comments made by clients. In these three videos let’s have a humorous look at things clients say to photographers. Remember this is all in fun, and we, as photographers, value our loyal clients fiercely. Right?!

Things Clients Say

I this first video by Queen Photographers we see some of the most common phrases and things heard by photographers. Some just make our eyes roll. Have you heard any of these gems?

Shtuff People Say

Here’s another tongue-in-cheek look at “shtuff” people say to photographers. What’s your favorite? How about, “Wow your camera takes really good pictures!” If you aren’t a professional, even as an amateur or hobby photographer you’ve probably heard that one right?

Kid Edition

This one is probably my favorite of the lot. It was made by a photographer and his kids, using the kids as models. I think they did a fantastic job.

?

Let’s hear from you

So now it’s your turn. What are some of the doozies you’ve heard from people? Here are some of my faves:

  • Your camera takes great photos. (Never mind the two years of photography school, and years of experience I have been doing it.)
  • Much be nice charging that much for a wedding, you hardly have to do any work at all. (Said a wedding guest who has no idea a wedding takes up to 40-50 hours of work before, during and after the big day.)
  • Can you take a photo with my camera? (A father of the bride asked me this once, and I was the paid wedding photographer taking their family photo at the time!)
  • Can you NOT put your name/signature on our prints? I might want to get them copied and the copy shop won’t do it if there’s a professional mark on them. (Asked of me by an actual paying client.)
  • Can you NOT put your signature on any of my family’s prints? That is only for art and artists. You’re just a photographer and what you do isn’t really art, so I don’t want your name on it. (He then proceeded to convince everyone in the extended family why they didn’t need 20×24 prints which they have purchased and they all downsized to 11×14 or 8×10, thanks, buddy! But I refused to not sign them so he had to take it or get none.)
  • Can you give us the wedding photography package we want but just throw in a free 16×20 wall canvas? The studio down the street said they’d do it for less. (To which I suggested they go meet with that photographer and hire him if they liked his work. After 2 days they hired me at my price PLUS the 16×20 at full price.)

Let’s hear yours. Remember – this is dPS so please keep it clean folks, no curse words (use a bleep if you have to), or name calling. Keep it light-hearted in the spirit of the videos. Just do an eye-roll and move on.

The post Things People Say to Photographers – What Have You Heard? by Darlene Hildebrandt appeared first on Digital Photography School.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Things People Say to Photographers – What Have You Heard?

Posted in Photography

 

The Introverts Guide to Photographing People

08 Mar

Being an introverted photographer is a challenge, especially if you actually enjoy photographing people. As introverts, we tend to be happiest on our own, with family or with close friends. We avoid large groups and people that we don’t know well. We’re likely the last to speak up in a group setting.

Unfortunately, not “getting out there” holds us back from achieving some of our goals as photographers. But when we do get out there, we get tired or burn out from people quickly. But it is possible for introverts to actually thrive among people and even run a successful people oriented photography business.

Introverts guide photographing people 1

Families cherish their home. I love making newborn photos for families in their own home. It’s so much easier for them than packing up their baby and venturing off for photos. The experience is all the more enjoyable for the family if they also happen to be introverted!

Let’s go through both the strengths and challenges of being an introverted photographer so that you can enjoy photographing people to your full potential.

Let’s Begin With the Challenges

It’s well known among photographers that constraints and challenges can actually help you become more creative. When you’re limited in some way, it forces you to find new ways around obstacles to achieve your goals.

So don’t worry that introversion can be a challenge to photographing people or becoming better known as a photographer. Finding ways to overcome these challenges will make you better than you would have been without them!

Introverts guide photographing people 2

Relationships flourish in smaller groups.

1) The Challenge of Being Around People

As an introvert, you likely keep to yourself outside of school or work. Evenings and weekends are spent on your own or with family. You avoid crowds and would prefer to get together with close friends and have deeper conversations.

Of course, none of this is a problem on its own. But as a photographer, you may not be as ambitious as you would like to be when it comes to photographing people. Whether you’re an amateur or professional photographer, or even running a business, sticking to yourself instead of being out among people means you’re missing opportunities.

You’re missing out on learning from other photographers or collaborating on a project together. Running a successful photography business will be difficult without the connections you’ll make among families, photographers, and fellow entrepreneurs.

Introverts guide photographing people 3

The scene suggests a neglectful mom, but that’s not quite what was going on. I often strive for a little humor in my photos!

A danger of not getting out there is that you might end up spending too much time on social media. But social media can present us with an illusion of how great other people’s lives are.

You’ll see the exciting lives being lived by everyone else and think that you’re boring and have nothing to share. You might get the impression that everyone else’s photography business is booming. Their mini sessions are booked solid, their summer is filled with weddings, and they’re a great success compared to you. But social media is much different than the real world of people.

How to Overcome the Challenge of Being Around People

If you love photographing people, you’ll need to focus on making yourself get out there more. A little practice will get you in the habit of spending more time with people. Think of it as exercising your social muscles.

Stop missing out on opportunities. Exercise those social muscles by finding a camera club or local Facebook group for photographers. Start now, and make it your goal to track down a group of photographers in your area in which to participate.

Once you’ve found a group, especially if it’s quite large, find one photographer to connect with. Maybe even another introvert. Start a project with them. Maybe you can assist each other in a project you’ve been wanting do.

If you’re extremely introverted, look around at what the extroverts are doing and pretend to be one. Listen to how easily they talk with new people and how the conversation just seems to flow. Begin to imitate them. You should also have some leading questions ready for new people you meet.

Introverts guide photographing people 4

Little guys want to grow up to be as strong as their daddy.

2) The Challenge of Being “Out There” Too Much

Getting out there and among people will transform you as an introverted photographer. You’ll begin to get some of those portrait photography projects started, connect with interesting photographers, and maybe make a good new friend. However, after all this increased social interaction, you may find yourself tired out.

My first job in photography was a school photographer. I was taking traditional school portraits for up to 200 students per day. I had to greet them, make them feel comfortable, pose them, coax a great smile from them and wish them, “good day!” At the rate of 1000 students per week, I was exhausted! Not physically exhausted but, socially exhausted. The part of me that interacts with people was tired out.

The danger of becoming socially exhausted for long periods of time is that you’ll risk resenting people for stealing your time, you’ll become too exhausted to give your subjects the attention they deserve, and you’ll eventually burn out.

Introverts guide photographing people 5

Rest is one of the most important parts of life. It comes naturally to cats and some babies, but not always for busy grown-ups.

No doubt, many introverts running a photography business burn out from being socially exhausted. If only they had overcome this challenge, they would still be enjoying their photography business.

How to Overcome Being “Out There” Too Much

I learned an important lesson from my first portrait photography job. After a lot of social interaction, I need to rest from people. It’s similar to resting from intense workouts at the gym. Give your muscles a rest and you’ll be ready to go again in the morning.

Introverts need to take a rest from being social. After resting, you’ll be energized and strong again. Resting doesn’t necessarily mean sleeping. As an introvert, it means spending time on your own. You can spend this time reading, writing, editing photos or enjoying a movie. It’s just a rest from social interaction.

Introverts guide photographing people 6

Don’t resist rest. It’ll bring back your energy and joy for life.

Look for signs of being socially tired or exhausted. When your social energy is drained, take a break. It could be for a couple hours or a couple days. But as soon as you’re ready, get back out there.

If you run a photography business then you should take part of the week to rest from social interaction too. You could spend that part of the week editing your photos. That way you’re still working on projects that need to get finished but you’re resting at the same time.

3) The Challenge of Making Sales

We’ve covered “getting out there” and recovering from social interaction. But what about something like sales? If you want to convince people to be involved in your photography projects, sell your prints, or run a photography business, you need to be able to sell.

The key is to find a way to “sell” that works for you as an introvert. Don’t try to be somebody you’re not. Instead, work with your nature, overcome your challenges, and develop a method that works for you.

When you talk with other photographers or see them on social media, does it seem like they’re getting more work than you? Maybe it’s because they’re getting out there more, they’re talking, they’re enthusiastic, they know how to sell naturally.

How to Overcome Weaknesses in Sales

Selling doesn’t just mean making money. It means convincing people you’ve got something worthwhile to offer. Maybe it means persuading someone to be part of your project.

You already know that the first step is getting out there more. The more you’re around other people, the more opportunities you’ll have to sell. You’ve got ideas for doing that now. But there are other ways to sell yourself that will work comfortably with your introverted nature.

First, focus your efforts on being an incredible photographer. When people experience your photography services they will naturally refer you to other customers. That means they’re doing the selling for you.

Second, the extroverts that you have been getting connected with will sell for you. I constantly get referrals from extroverts who tell people about me. Extroverts are well connected with lots of people and will love to discuss your photography work if it’s good.

Remember, when your work is good, other people will sell it for you.

Finally, turn your website into a salesperson. Your website should have a good sales message on it. Everything that you would say in person should be on your website. But because it’s on your website, you write it once and then it does the talking for you.

People will find you as they search for the services you offer. If they like what they read on your website, they’ll want to hire you. You don’t have to go out there and sell yourself, let people come to you instead.

Your Strengths as an Introvert

By now, hopefully, you can see how to overcome the challenges of being an introvert. You can exercise your social muscles, get all the rest you need, and let your friends and website sell for you.

But there are advantages to being an introvert, so let’s look at your strengths.

Introverts guide photographing people 7

Sometimes one-on-one time is the best.

1) You Work Well on Your Own

Because you do so well on your own, you’re especially suited to landscape and nature photography. You can pursue these projects on your own and then share them with the group later.

Street photography is ideal for you as well. You don’t have to interact with people to do street photography. Candid photography is perfect for capturing street or travel scenes. You can stand back and enjoy watching people while pursuing a candid or photojournalistic style.

Since you can work well on your own, you can spend a lot of time studying photography in books and online. Taking lots of time to learn, think and reflect will allow you to go much deeper with photography. Remember, the better you get, the more word will travel about you.

Running a photography business takes a lot of lonely work behind the scenes (learning, planning, editing, marketing). Since you’re perfectly happy to work on your own, there will be fewer distractions while getting your work done. Extroverts really struggle to spend long hours on their own, but this is where you excel.

Don’t forget to combine your rest periods with study or work periods. When you’re resting from social interaction, use that time to do important business tasks on your own.

2) You Will Become a Better Communicator

As you interact with more groups of people and work hard to communicate your ideas in person or on your website, your ability to articulate yourself will improve. As I work on my family photography website, I make little adjustments to my sales message. Over time, my message has become very strong and families love working with me.

Remember to watch how extroverts interact, and you can begin to imitate them so that your social skills will improve.

3) You Excel in One-on-One Conversation

As an introvert, you’re likely really good with one person at a time. This is good news because there are many other introverts out there that feel the same way. They may be drawn to you as a portrait photographer.

Consider working on your sales message with another photographer. The two of you can help each other flesh out your thoughts and find the perfect wording. It’s a lot more fun to craft a sales message with a like-minded photographer when there is no pressure of actually selling. Remember, that message is going to do the talking for you later.

Over to You

As an introvert, you can thrive among people and run a successful photography business photographing people.

Exercise your social muscles and recover by resting from social interaction. Without that rest, you risk burning out and resenting people.

Let’s continue the conversation. Leave a comment below letting me know how you struggle with photographing people. Together, we can overcome our challenges and grow as people and photographers.

The post The Introverts Guide to Photographing People by Mat Coker appeared first on Digital Photography School.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on The Introverts Guide to Photographing People

Posted in Photography

 

2017 Buying Guide: Best cameras for people and events

30 Nov

Those shooting portraits and weddings need a camera with a decent autofocus system that won’t give up in low light, good image quality at medium/high ISO and great colors straight out of the camera. Read on to see which cameras are best suited to those tasks.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on 2017 Buying Guide: Best cameras for people and events

Posted in Uncategorized

 
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »