Taking Good Shots of People Outdoors

When you take shots of people, the most important feaure I find is the expression on their faces. The rest is only a need to have factor. Therefore it is not a necessity to include the whole body or majority of the body unless you are looking for a specific effect. To insure that you capture the best expression, it helps to capture the individuals in a casual unposed setting and follow these simple steps.

1: Make sure the sun and other forms of bright light is behind you only. Best is when the sun is behind you on either side.

2: Have the cameras position be below the ear lobe and ever so slightly tilted upwards.

3: Have the subjects look towards you but beyond the camera. 6 inches above the camera and beyond. This allows the eyes of the subject to be more open and natural.

4: If possbile, the subjects and the cemera should be in a shaded area for maximum facial impact. If sunlight or other strong light is directed right at the subjects, this tends to cause the subjects to squint which makes the shot look unnatural.

5: Let the subjects know you are ready to take the picture but do not count or have them say cheese because many people will flinch or squint. Just snap the shot when you feel you and the subjects are ready.

6: If you are close enough to use a flash, you can always force the camera to use the flash even though the lighting conditions may be sufficient. This can dramatically change the feel of the shot specially if you take the persons shot from an angle instead of directly in front of them.

If you are into taking shots of people in their natural environment, it is easier for you and the subject if you can distance yourself from the subject and capture them using the built in zoom. Taking the picture from a very low angle helps to bring out more emotion and create the added impact. Avoid having a camera angle that is above the subjects ear lobe. This causes unwanted shadows around the face and neck area that really detracts from the subjects natural appearance.

By applying most or all of the 6 basic steps, you will be able to grab some interesting shots of individuals.