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| Hard at work in the studio |
I'm giving a talk tonight at the venerable Toronto Camera Club - it's a huge, very active club. What follows is my giveaway tip sheet, a condensed version of a much larger piece that offers a few guidelines to help photograph people in a good way.
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Michael O’Brien’s Top
Ten Tips
for
improving your photographs of people
1. Be prepared. Preset your camera
controls if possible. Have everything you need close at hand.
2. Be comfortable. Relax…take a deep
breath. Being nervous can affect the subject.
3. Engage your subject. Don’t leave
them standing there while you set controls…talk to them.
4. Be respectful. Ask before touching
a person. Get permission before photographing children.
5. Connect with the subject. Don’t
hide behind the camera…offer them something of yourself…be vulnerable.
6. Try using a tripod so you and the
subject can look each other in the eye. This will also ensure razor sharp
images.
7. Get closer to the subject if
possible. Explore the subject’s personal space boundaries. Try getting as close
as you can, with a short lens, without invading their personal space.
8. Photograph people at work or
engaged in their daily tasks.
9. Make the picture as if it matters.
Be friendly and open, yet serious about the session.
10.Study the masters such as Steve
McCurry , Mary Ellen Mark, Joyce Tenneson, and Annie Leibovitz.
Michael O’Brien photographer
michael@michaelobrienphoto.com
www.michaelobrienphoto.com
