Capture Engaging Travel Portraits | Tips and Tricks for Digital Photography

Make sure you pack a spare memory card and extra batteries when you hit the road with your digital camera, because these compact picture-takers are perfect travel companions. The best  portraits  on  the  road  usually consist  of two shots. The first frame, often called the establishing shot, is of the point of interest itself, such as an old church. Then the second image is  a  nicely framed  portrait   with  an  element of the structure included in the picture.

Why two shots?  For the same reason  that  movie makers use this technique.  If you were to include the entire structure  and the model in the establishing shot, the model would be unrec- ognizable. That’s the problem  with so many vacation shots— they’re taken at too great a distance. On  the  other  hand,  if you shoot  all of your travel portraits tightly framed  only, your viewers won’t know the  difference between Denmark and Detroit. By using the two-shot method you  establish  the  scene  and  capture   an  engaging  portrait. Figure 3-11 illustrates the two-shot method.

One last note: don’t forget to take pictures of signs and plac- ards.  It’s a lot easier than  taking notes,  and  the information comes in very handy when recounting your travel experiences.

Shoot Good Self-Portraits | Take Interesting Kid Shots | Tips and Tricks for Digital Photography

Some people may think that  turning the camera toward your- self is the height of narcissism, but sometimes you need a shot, and  no one is around  to take it for you. These are the times when it’s good to know how to shoot a self-portrait. Start with the basics by making sure your hair is combed,  col- lar is down, shirt is clean, and your teeth are free from spinach (and  lipstick!). Then find a location  with a pleasing, unclut- tered  background.  Put  the  camera  on  a  tripod  and  set  the focus as close to the area where you’ll be standing  or sitting and activate the self timer. If the room is too dim for an exist- ing light portrait,  try using “slow-synchro” flash (see “Flash Modes” in Chapter 2 for more information).  This type of flash provides enough  illumination  for a good  portrait,  but  slows the shutter  enough  to  record the ambient  light in the room. Position yourself where you had focused the camera and look directly into the lens. Don’t forget to smile. Self-portraits are also perfect for experimenting with different “looks” that  might make you feel more  self conscious  when someone  else  is  behind  the  camera.  You can  try  different expressions and poses, and erase the bad ones. The world will never know the difference.

Take Interesting Kid Shots

Children are a challenge for digital cameras, primarily because of shutter  lag. In short,  kids move faster than  digicams can react.  But with a few adjustments, you can capture  excellent images that you’ll cherish for years. One of the most important adjustments, regardless of the type of camera you’re using, is to get down to kid level when shoot- ing. This is “hands and knees” photography  at its best. And if you need to, get on your belly for just the right angle. By doing so, your shots will instantly become more engaging. Next, get close. Then get closer. This may seem impossible at times with subjects who move so fast, but  if you want great shots, then you’ve got to keep your subjects within range. Now turn on the flash, regardless of whether you’re indoors or out.  Not  only will this  provide  even illumination,  but  flash helps “freeze” action,  and you’ll need all the help you can get in this category. Finally, use the “focus lock” technique described in the practi- cal example “Capturing  the  Decisive Moment”  in Chapter 2. By doing so, you can reduce shutter lag and increase your per- centage of good shots. Some of the most rewarding pictures you’ll ever record will be of children. Like the child-rearing process itself, kid photogra- phy requires patience. But the results far surpass the effort.

Capture Existing-Light Portraits | Tips and Tricks for Digital Photography

By now you’ve probably realized one of the  great  ironies in good portrait  photography:  you should turn the flash on when working outdoors. So guess what the great secret is for indoor portraiture?  That’s right; turn the flash off. Some of the most artistic portraits  use nothing more than  an open window and a simple reflector. The problem  with using your on-camera  flash indoors  is that the light is harsh and creates a very contrasty image. “Harsh” and  “contrasty” are not  two words models like to hear when describing the pictures you’ve just taken of them. Fill flash  works  outdoors   because  everything is bright.  The flash  “fills”  right  in.  But  ambient   light  is  much   dimmer indoors, and the burst of light from the flash is much like a car approaching  on a dark street.

First, position the model near an open window and study the scene.  You can’t  depend   solely on  your  visual perception, because your eyes and brain are going to read the lighting a lit- tle differently than  the camera  will, especially in the shadow areas—you will see detail  in the  dark  areas  that  the  camera can’t record. This is why you need a reflector to “bounce”  some light into the shadow  areas.  Many photographers swear by collapsible light discs, but a large piece of white cardboard or foam core will work just as well. Place  your  reflector  opposite   the  window  and   use  it  to “bounce”  the light on to the dark side of the model. This will help “fill in” the shadow area so you can see some detail. Now put your camera on a tripod and slowly squeeze the shut- ter  button. Review the  image  on  the  LCD monitor.  If the shadow area is too dark, you may want to add another  reflec- tor. If the overall image is too dark, turn on exposure compen- sation,  set  it  to  +1,  and  try  another   picture.  If the  color balance  of the image is too  “cool” (that  is, bluish), then you may want to  set the White Balance control  to  “cloudy” and see if that improves the rendering. Remind your model  to  sit very still during exposure because you may be using a shutter speed that’s as slow as 1/15th of a second, or even longer. You could  increase the camera’s light-sensitivity by adjusting the ISO speed to 200, but don’t go beyond that because you’ll degrade the image quality too much for this type of shot. Once you’ve played with these variables, go back to the artis- tic side of your brain and work on the composition.  Try to get all  the  elements  in  the  picture  working  together   and   let nature’s sweet light take it from there. When it all comes together, existing light portraits are magical.