Tricks to Taking Better Candid Photos

Posted on July 24, 2009
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Taking photographs of people have two categories.  They are either portraits or candids.

Portraits are the shots when your subjects are in poses.While candids are when your subjects are going about their business naturally.

I would like to focus on taking shots that are candid.With this type of photography, their is an art form, and if you follow these steps you will be real happy with your work.  This is from my experience as a San Diego Photographer.

First off you don’t want to get in the way.Of course most of the candid shots will be people minding their own business, but the secret to taking a great photo is to make sure they don’t know of you taking the shot.

Because a lot of times, if they happen to notice you, the essence of capturing that unguarded shot will be gone.  So try hard to make sure they are unaware of the camera. 

Another thing to think about is the environment or the setting.  When you are taking a candid shot, the setting plays a vital role.  You want the candid shot to capture the subject and their setting as naturally as possible.  It’s that setting
whether is is their house, their work, or the street they are on, will tell a story about your subject’s life.  This is especially important if you are going to be taking shots as a Wedding Photographer San Diego.

A third step you can do is to learn to anticipate behavior. An important part of taking candid shots of people acting naturally is to know what your subject may do next in a given situation.

This will help you if you are trying to catch something in particular because it will allow you to be prepared rather than miss the shot.  Knowing how they will react and being able to capture that is all about anticipation.

Finally, always be on the lookout for those moments when a person’s emotion will be expressed.Because if you think about it, when you take these photos, the main thing is trying to capture their emotions in these shots.

Take a look at what your subject is doing and think about whether or not it’s a moment that will express an emotion.  Such as an impatient expression at a stoplight.Or a happy expression at an event.All moments in time give you the opportunity to truly capture an emotion.  Being prepared for those moments will help you capture and tell that story in that moment of time.

Taking candid shots is definitely an art form.Especially if you really want your candid photos to tell a story. Following these few simple steps will help you be on the road of capturing as many storytelling moments as possible as a photographer.

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