< P > W h a t m a k e s a g r e a t p i c t u r e o f p e o p l e ? N i n e t y p e r c e n t o f i t s q u a l i t y l i e s i n t h e f a c i a l e x p r e s s i o n , t h e r e s t i s c o m p o s i t i o n , l i g h t i n g , a n d t h e n a t u r a l p r e s e n t a t i o n o f b o d y l a n g u a g e . A t r i p o d i s a p l u s f o r s h a r p p i c t u r e s a n d t h e c a m e r a s h o u l d b e s e t a t t h e l o w e s t I S O s p e e d . < / P > < P > I w a n t y o u t o p i c t u r e y o u r s e l f a n d y o u r f a m i l y o u t s i d e o n a n i c e a f t e r n o o n . I t s T h a n k s g i v i n g , a g r e a t d a y f o r a f a m i l y p o r t r a i t . U n l e s s i t i s a c l o u d y d a y , s o m e n i c e s h a d e w i l l p r o d u c e a f l a t t e r i n g l i g h t i n g r a t i o f o r y o u r p o r t r a i t . T h i s m e a n s t h a t t h e b r i g h t e s t p a r t o f t h e p i c t u r e a n d t h e d a r k e s t p a r t a r e n o t t o o f a r a p a r t i n v a l u e f o r t h e f i l m o r h a r d d r i v e c a r d t o c a p t u r e . T h e n c h o o s e a u n i f o r m b a c k g r o u n d f o r y o u p o r t r a i t . A s t a n d o f d a r k e v e r g r e e n s , a b a r n w a l l , a d i s t a n t l a w n , o r a h i g h h e d g e a r e a l l e x c e l l e n t b a c k g r o u n d s . T h e b a c k o f t h e h o u s e a n d p a t i o , t h e d r i v e w a y w i t h t h e p a r k e d c a r s , o r p a r t i a l l y s u n l i t w o o d s a r e t o o b u s y a b a c k g r o u n d f o r y o u r p i c t u r e . < / P > < P > N e x t f i n d s o m e t h i n g f o r p e o p l e t o s i t o n : a l o g , a s m a l l t a b l e f r o m t h e p a t i o , a p i c n i c b e n c h o r a p a t i o c h a i r . T h e o b j e c t i s t o h a v e e v e r y o n e s h e a d a t a d i f f e r e n t l e v e l . S m a l l c h i l d r e n a r e , o f c o u r s e a l r e a d y l o w t o t h e g r o u n d . S e a t s o m e p e o p l e a t c h a i r h e i g h t , o t h e r s o n t h e g r o u n d . S i t t i n g l i k e a n I n d i a n i s n o t a v i a b l e p o s e . T r y s i t t i n g t h e p e r s o n d o w n o n t h e g r o u n d w i t h t h e i r k n e e s t o g e t h e r , a n k l e s c r o s s e d a n d t o t h e s i d e . S t a n d i n g a n d l e a n i n g a g a i n s t s o m e t h i n g a l s o p r o v i d e s a d i f f e r e n t h e i g h t f o r y o u r c o m p o s i t i o n . T r y t o p l a c e t h e h e a d s s o t h a t t h e y d o n o t l i n e u p e i t h e r v e r t i c a l l y o r h o r i z o n t a l l y . R a t h e r t h a n p r e s e n t i n g a s q u a r e s h o u l d e r t o t h e c a m e r a , a s l i g h t t u r n t o t h e b o d y i s p r e f e r a b l e . E y e g l a s s e s c a n b e h e l d i n t h e h a n d s o r t i l t e d d o w n . B e c r e a t i v e i n y o u g r o u p i n g t w o , t h r e e s a n d f o u r s i n a c l o s e g r o u p i n g l o o k b e t t e r t h a n o n e g r o u p o f s e v e n t e e n e v e n l y s p a c e d . R e m e m b e r t o o v e r l a p s h o u l d e r s s o t h a t h e a d s a r e c l o s e r t o g e t h e r . O n e s h o u l d e r i s a l l t h a t i s n e c e s s a r y t o s e e . < / P > < P > A r m s s h o u l d n e v e r h a n g s t r a i g h t d o w n . I n s t e a d , p l a c e s o m e h a n d s i n p o c k e t s , a r o u n d s h o u l d e r s o r h o l d i n g h a n d s . D i a g o n a l s i n t h e c o m p o s i t i o n i n c r e a s e t h e d y n a m i c q u a l i t i e s o f y o u r p o r t r a i t . P a y a t t e n t i o n t o t h e l e g s a n d f e e t . N a t u r a l l o o k i n g p o s i t i o n s i n c l u d e c r o s s e d a n k l e s , p l a c i n g t h e f e e t f o r t y - f i v e d e g r e e s a p a r t ( s t a n d i n g ) , a n d c r o s s e d k n e e s . A f t e r t h e p o s i t i o n i n g e v e r y o n e , s t a n d b a c k a n d s q u i n t a t t h e e f f e c t w i t h b l u r r e d e y e s . T u r n a n y s t r a i g h t o n b o d i e s a n d r e l o c a t e a n y m i s p l a c e d c o l o r o r g l a r i n g w h i t e s f o r a m o r e p l e a s i n g e f f e c t . < / P > < P > A b r o a d , l o w l i g h t s o u r c e i s i d e a l f o r a f l a t t e r i n g l o o k t o y o u r p o r t r a i t . A n o p e n s k y o v e r h e a d w i l l r e s u l t i n d a r k e y e s h a d o w i n g . R e f l e c t i n g l i g h t i n t o t h e s h a d o w a r e a s o r u s i n g f i l l f l a s h w i l l c o r r e c t t h i s s i t u a t i o n . T a k e a d v a n t a g e o f t h e l i g h t f r o m a w h i t e b u i l d i n g o r a s e t t i n g s u n . A n a t u r a l s o l u t i o n i s t o p l a c e y o u r g r o u p u n d e r s o m e o v e r h a n g i n g b r a n c h e s . < / P > < P > C e n t e r y o u r g r o u p i n g i n t h e v i e w f i n d e r , p a y i n g c l o s e a t t e n t i o n t o t h e e d g e s o f t h e f i n d e r . L e a v e a l i t t l e s p a c e o n t h e e n d s f o r c r o p p i n g s i n c e t h e f o r m a t o f a n e i g h t b y t e n o r s i x t e e n b y t w e n t y p h o t o g r a p h w i l l c r o p t e n p e r c e n t o f f t h e e n d s . A t t h e m o m e n t o f e x p o s u r e , d o o r s a y s o m e t h i n g t o c a p t u r e t h e a t t e n t i o n o f t h e w h o l e g r o u p i n o r d e r t o c o o r d i n a t e t h e e y e s i n o n e d i r e c t i o n . Y o u c a n s a v e a b i g p a p e r s m i l e y f a c e u n t i l t h e l a s t m i n u t e . T h e a l t e r n a t i v e i s a n i n t e r a c t i v e p o s e w h e r e e v e r y o n e l o o k s a t e a c h o t h e r , i n s t e a d o f t h e c a m e r a . T h i s t y p e o f c o m p o s i t i o n i s m o r e d i f f i c u l t , s i n c e f a c i a l p r o f i l e s a r e l e s s d e s i r a b l e . I n o r d e r t o i n s u r e o p e n e y e s , t a l k t h r o u g h t h e m o m e n t o f e x p o s u r e a n d f o r a g o o d s e l e c t i o n , t a k e l o t s o f p i c t u r e s . A b o v e a l l h a v e f u n a n d e v e r y o n e w i l l e n j o y t h e e x p e r i e n c e . H a p p y s h o o t i n g ! < / P >
Author: Kenneth C. Hoffman
Author Bio:
Kenneth C. Hoffman
A retired portrait and wedding photographer, I enjoy writing photography and how to articles, creating computer art from photography, bicycling and quartet singing. I also collect antique sheet music suitable for playing or framing.
William G. Tapply Online
Vicki and I will open our second season of The Writers Studio at Chickadee Farm in April, 2006, with other sessions in May, June, September and October.
Jay Brandon
In the high stakes courtroom battles of his legal career, San Antonio District Attorney Chris Sinclair has prided himself on getting it right--sending society's dregs away for a long time.
Lillian Stewart Carl, Author
Lillian Stewart Carl writes mystery, suspense, romance, fantasy, science fiction รข?? all the good stuff, in other words, heavily seasoned with history and myth, music and magic. She's published numerous novels and short stories.
Cathie John
Colorful and sometimes exotic characters people this intriguing story and keep the reader absorbed in events.
The Bujold Nexus
The Official website of Lois McMaster Bujold, author of the award winning Miles Naismith Vorkosigan series.
