F-Stop Journal

Using People Skills

Some of the most interesting photographs ever are of people. The expressions, the lines of a face, the way a person wears a hat can all be so enticing to those you view your photographs. Too often, amateur photographers forget their manners and start treating the people they photograph as just another object. Your SLR doesnt necessarily entitle you to pretend that people are there just as your subject matter. Use your manners and employ a little etiquette.

It doesnt matter whether the photo is of Uncle Bill while he grills hamburgers or if its an elderly woman draped in colorful fabrics in Africa, a little interaction will result in a better photograph. Think of it as making more than lens contact. Give your subjects a good smile, make eye contact and if youre in a foreign country at least say hello in their language. A smile begets a smile and that looks so much better in a photo. Before you travel, do a little research and learn about what is appropriate in the country you are visiting. Know what interactions are about, if its wise to try to interact with a person of the opposite sex or who is elderly or if there are certain things that are forbidden culturally to capture on film. While you might have to just have a memory of something in your mind, youll come away with a more positive experience.

Otherwise, just fill your frames with the person, go for unposed shots and above all try to photograph a big variety of people. The SLR camera makes shooting so easy and good that you want to go home with a big mix of things. Using a longer lens is fantastic while traveling as it allows you to remain unintrusive and shoot from a variety of distances. photography digital