Learn how you can take even better pictures of people and pets by learning a few simple tips. You can start using these tips right away so you can start seeing a difference in the quality of your pictures.
People and pets are the trickiest subjects to photograph yet these pictures often get the most attention. No matter what your level of skill,
there is always something new to learn about taking better pictures, especially when it comes to people and pets. We hope this article provides tips that help you better photograph the personalities of the people and pets in your life!
Taking Better People Pictures
The best pictures of people always reflect their personality and character. While a picture make capture the person in the moment, sometimes the picture doesn't accurately reflect the person's usual expressions or appearance. The best way to solve this problem is to spend some time talking with your subjects and get them comfortable with the camera. When you see that perfect expression start snapping pictures.
A few technical tips:
- Keep in mind that Portrait mode tends to distort, making the subject look wider or younger. Even though some people may appreciate looking younger, normally you want to avoid this distortion by zooming in on your subject. Stand close enough that the subject fills the frame of your viewfinder, take one step back, zoom to fill your frame again and shoot.
- Use natural light when possible. If using indoor lighting, opt for lamps with full spectrum bulbs. Try to avoid low ceiling light as this creates bad shadows.
- Shoot in high resolution so that you can make nice, large prints of the best, then display them in picture frames to hang on your walls and give as gifts.
How to Take Great Pet Pictures
The first rule of thumb for taking pet pictures is: Set your camera to Sports mode or a high shutter speed!
If your camera has a "Burst" mode this can help because it lets you shoot a lot of pictures rapidly so you'll be more likely to get a good shot.
Sometimes you may want to catch an action photo and show movement, so instead of using a higher shutter speed to freeze the action, you may want to blur it. In this situation, you should use the "portrait" mode to get a slower shutter speed.
As with people, and even more so with pets, natural light is best, not just because the photos will come out better, but because flash can upset animals. If you need to use a flash, make sure you're far enough away from your pet's eyes so you don't damage them by checking your camera's manual for recommended safe distances (usually it's 4 or more feet).
Depending upon the color of your pet's fur coat, you'll want to use different lighting for best results. For a light colored coat, you want a bright overcast sky and for a dark brown or black coat, you want to have direct sunlight to bring out the rich colors. If photographing in bright sunlight, use the same times of day you would with people, when the sun is lower rather than higher in the sky.
To get really good candid shots of your pet, plan your photo shoot for when you have lots of time to follow your pet around, camera ready. Using zoom will allow you to get good shots without being so close your pet is more interested in the camera then just being itself giving. So if you can, keep your distance and use the zoom (optical zoom is best).
Finally as with people, focus on the eyes. Get down to your pet's level to do this.
By using these tips, you'll be able to start taking better pictures right away and have photos that you'll be proud to display. Have fun shooting and don't forget to frame your favorite photos!
