Portraits – Candid Scrapbook

How do I use candid shots in a scrapbook?

There are a few things to remember before getting into this process:

1. Scrapbooking starts with a good photo.
2. Scrapbooking does not need full face shot (unless  you “the creator of the scrapbook” require it)
3. Scrapbooking is meant to tell a story (pictorially and in written narrative). It depends on how the story is written about what pictures the creator chooses for the book.

Now this is not to burden you down and squash your creativity; however this is meant speak on the photography side of what to expect in a candid shot and how many photos you may shoot or reject as you choose between the “good” and “great”.

As we have covered in the earlier posts, all photographers will take more shots in a portrait session than they would in a studio of a piece of jewelry. This is to ease the stress on the subject by asking them to hold an uncomfortable place for an indeterminate amount of time.

For instance, the piece of jewelry is not going anywhere and will not lose shape under common conditions. For a model or paying customer, this changes dramatically because even sitting in a relaxed position, their radiant smile, twinkling eyes and squared shoulders can become a dark frown, dull eyes and rounded shoulders.

So as to avoid these issues, I urge you to learn to let the natural motion continue of daily life and capture those moments and times of spontaneous laughter, joy and thought.

Do not be surprised about getting 1 good photo out of 15 or more, because it was the continuous shooting which enabled you get that 1 good shot.

Candid shot is best focused on the persons emotions. That is to say, ask yourself what could take away from the emotion being shown. Next ask yourself what is important to draw out the emotion being shown which is already inside the viewing frame.

Have fun, because that is important! If you are not having fun, your model or person of interest may be keying off of your attitude or intensity. Besides, it is the holiday season, fun is in the air!

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Holiday Parades

Since yesterday was Labor Day, “Happy Labor Day!” I am grateful for the opportunity and ability to earn a living by labor!

Parades are some of the best times to get shots of the children and the excitement on their faces of the candy flying in their direction or fantastic clowns pulling their usual antics. Keep your camera handy because these moments can come faster and more frequently than every day events! In addition to those great shots of the children there are plenty of opportunities for any number of shots and a wonderful way to meet friends and neighbors.

The plethora of shots I speak of can pose some wonderful opportunities for learning the speed at which your shutter should open and close depending on your style. Artistic shots may use some motion blur while viewers of portraits prefer eyes perfectly in focus. However, more than talking about techniques in this post which we have more than amply covered before, I encourage you to take these opportunities to train yourself to anticipate each shot.

In a spontaneous environment such as a parade the subject of a shot seen is all too easy to forget. When the subject is forgotten, proper lighting can be one of the most elusive prey to capture. Thus when the photo is taken, the subject is either under or over exposed. So be wary to survey the amount of light around your subject rather than the light filling your general surroundings. It is an easy mistake to make, but “perfect practice, makes perfect!”

So enjoy the opportunities you have for pictures, because if I have learned anything it is this, if I don’t pick up my camera and take some shots, I give myself less opportunity to get better by learning from my mistakes!

For the Thanksgiving press: “Aperture or f/stop?”

A quick word from our photographer at Foe-toss -LIGHT before we begin snapping photos of the next family gathering for the Thanksgiving holiday!

“As I take indoor shots of a room or the people in it, I have to be very careful to monitor my camera’s shutter speed. If I let the shutter slow 1/15 to 1/30 of a second I will find my photos becoming blurry. Here are a few ways that you can effectively change you shutter speed without going into a full manual mode.

Use the “AV” preset camera setting. “AV” stands for “Aperture Value” and as you use this preset it will adjust the other settings to properly expose the scene your camera receives. Let me explain what “Aperture” means: Aperture refers to the diameter of the opening of the diaphragm in the lens. This diaphragm is designed to open and close at precise increments to allow a specific amount of light through the sensor (which used to be film).

Each increment of aperture larger or smaller is described as an “f/stop”. Each “f/stop” will be shown in this format, “f/13 .”

* Note that the smaller the f/stop number (i.e. f/2) the larger the opening in the lens diaphragm and thus allowing more light into the camera. Likewise the larger the number (f/18) the smaller the diaphragm opening and lesser amounts of light entering the camera. *

The f/stop adjusts your depth of field, so be aware, that if you begin shooting with a smaller f/stop, be sure that your focal point is in focus. The smaller the f/stop means the more accurate you camera must be set for the focal object’s distance.

Light is the key to all good photographs!

Once you have the f/stop set at an acceptable place your shutter speed should change by measuring at what speed it needs to operate. (It may only change when you press the shutter button half way down to focus!)”

Thank you for reading and have a blessed Thanksgiving!

“Thank you Lord God for family to share the joys of life with and to comfort us in times of difficulty and trial. Thank you for friends who are willing to encourage us and be the friends we need! Thank you for a Savior who is family, friend and more than these to us that we may be adopted children to You and siblings to Him, Jesus the anointed lamb of God!”