PHOTOGRAPHING
PEOPLE
In this section:
Photographing people can be a joy - it can be difficult, too. So how do you set about capturing better pictures of people?
You
will never get bored photographing people. Frustrated - yes.
Fulfilled, infuriated and sometimes even a bit frightened, but
bored - never. This is one of the most rewarding and challenging
areas of photography. Let's face it, there are so many people
to chose from, you find them everywhere, whether you want to
or not, and they nearly all behave differently.
Lady walking
on the beach, Whitby, Yorkshire, England.
© Philip Dunn
Rewards
When you point your camera at a complete stranger, you can make
an enemy or a friend in the space of 250th of a second. The trick
is to know with a reasonable degree of accuracy which it will
be and what your intended subjects are likely to do next. Skills
that can be developed. Fortunately, problems are rare and the
rewards are great.
Time is the real key to success, but it is rarely available to a photographer on the move. With time, and the patience to use it, you can afford to let people get used to you before you start to take pictures.
Observe
The people photographer must combine sound camera technique with
split second reactions and a fair degree of luck and open cheek.
The best people- photographers don't have to like every person
they meet, but they must aquire the ability to communicate with
them and be keen observers of human behaviour. Many of the pictures
they are trying to capture aregone almost as soon as they happen
- just fleeting moments in time. Cameras should always be ready
and prepared for instant action.
