“Photographing Friends and Family”

In the Kodak Library of Creative Photography, there is an edition regarding Photographing Friends and Family. This is not something I have done a lot of, and I decided to research some techniques. Pictures of people are said to have direct emotional impact, and the impression of having been snatched from life.

People at their best

Everything counts in photos of people; you must take into consideration hair, clothes, the way they are sitting or standing, and the entire setting. You must relax the subject; everyone seems to get camera shyness at some point. One of the best ways of putting people at ease is to divert their attention from the camera. Giving them something to do will help.

Composing the picture

Pay attention to where the edges of the frame cross the figure. If you include too much, the crop may appear to be an error. The best crops are likely to be at the waist, the hips, or above the knees. Cropping the picture can convey a sense of of dynamism even in an image that is relatively static. 

Ways of looking

People’s eyes are their most recognizable features. Nothing has more influence than the eyes on the particular mood and meaning of a portrait. On a technical level, you should watch the eyes because they move more rapidly than any other part of the face. Also if they appear to be in sharp focus, so will the rest of the face.

Capturing Smiles

Smiles are important, they bring pictures alive. 

Matching Light to Subject

Bright sun and blue sky is not a good condition for photographing people. Strong sunlight is too intense to show subtleties of of skin tones and texture, and from some angles the harsh light can turn fine lines of character into deep wrinkles. 

The weaker sunlight of morning, and evening is much better. You should try to place people so that light falls on their faces at an angle of about 45 degrees. 

If you want to use oblique directional daylight, thin clouds or haze will help to diffuse the sunlight and reveal some form. Overcast weather eases the technical problem of choosing an exposure to suit both highlight and shadow areas without losing detail. 

Backlight and Silhouettes

Backlighting changes our view of a person dramatically by emphasizing the outlines. Depending on the strength and source of light, and exposure, you can create very different effects with backlighting. 

When there is also some fontal lighting, you can retain some of the details in silhouettes. If the sun is not directly behind the subject, the result may be a silhouette ringed with light. This imparts warmth, which is ideal for romantic photos. 

Babies and Toddlers

All but the youngest children are acutely aware aware of the world around them, and even a one-month old baby’s eyes will follow an object moving above the crib. You should try to capture this attentiveness in your photos. Look for a simple background, such as a blanket. Try to arrange the picture so  that light falls on the baby from the side and from a window that is not in full sunlight. 

To get the best results you should plan the composition. Find a setting that will suit the child’s personality and set up the lighting. Pets are good to add in, to keep the child’s attention.