4 Tips for Great Candid Photos
My top | My beanie
Taking the perfect photo is easy. Not. There's a lot of art that goes into photography, and when you want to get candid photography, it's even harder. When you've got a kid hanging off your leg, you're running on 2 hours of sleep, and you've got, like, 5 minutes to get the perfect shot, getting a professional shot seems impossible. However, all it takes is putting these four tips to work to help you get the shot that you want with the lack of time you have. As a mommy blogger and photographer I thought I would give some tips to get that perfect candid moment captured!
Brush back the hair or hold something: We are horrible when it comes to what to do with our hands in a photo. Just terrible. So, take the guesswork out of the photo by intentionally making your hands busy when it's being taken. For example, play with your hair and brush it back from your face, or hold a purse or hat or prop in your hands. It adds fun character and, as for your hair, it'll frame your face and make the photo more compelling.
. Choose a great background: The background is the easiest thing to make a photo, and the easiest thing to mess up. Naturally. Choose a place that is vibrant, has clear edge to frame you – the subject – and go bold. It'll really spice up the photo and turn it into one where you look like a pro. Is it graffiti? A field of flowers? What makes an inspiring photo for you?
Interact with the world around you: You don't want to be stiff with a formal posture in a photo, so try to engage with the world around you in simple ways. Try kicking up sand, throwing rocks into the water, throwing leaves in the air, etc. There are so many options that you can use to make your photos better and a whole lot more fun. Just don't get sand in your eye or someone else's. Ha!
Compliment the subject: If you're trying to shoot a photo of a child or maybe someone who's nervous in front of a camera and you aren't getting anything usable, don't forget the good old fashion trick of complimenting the subject. A sweet comment, a funny joke, opening a conversation, try whatever it takes to help their natural personality come out.
Time is so hard to carve out when you've got kids, responsibilities, and you are low on sleep. I’m all of these things! With these tips to help you, however, you'll be able to make even the jumpiest subjects look great in candid photos and you'll see that you've still got it, even with all of the chaos going on around you. You do have time for photography and you have time for good photography, you just gotta make sure that you put the effort into making each photo the best that it can be. Have fun and get a little crazy. It'll feel good and make for a great photo.