Not a People Person

[Frankie]

Last fall, I stumbled across this Africa Prays for America event at the US Capitol. I had my camera with me and was really taken by the happy faces and the reverence. Some of these shots are of people dancing and others are of people listening to speakers and/or praying.

I tend to do more nature photography and I rarely take people pictures, but I thought I'd post a sampling of these and hope for some good C&C. Since these were taken before I joined this forum, I can already point out some issues I've learned. However, I would like to hear other opinions.

Thank you for viewing
frankie

[Shadowman]

They are pretty good for candid photos, but as your subjects here are in constant movement focusing, sharpness will always be an issue. You could try setting your camera to get a good exposure, considering it was very sunny on the day you shot these, but you may also want to experiment with shutter speed, the faster the more in focus your images will be.

[Frankie]

They are pretty good for candid photos, but as your subjects here are in constant movement focusing, sharpness will always be an issue. You could try setting your camera to get a good exposure, considering it was very sunny on the day you shot these, but you may also want to experiment with shutter speed, the faster the more in focus your images will be.

Thank you John. I noticed some of the same things too. It's amazing how much I've learned in a few months on CIC.

[jiro]

Normally, when I do people photography, I always provide some extra space on framing my shots. In that way I don't make mistakes of cutting off the hands or the feet when it is not really called for. On #1, #3, #4 and #5 some parts of the individual was cut-off from the frame. You have to watch for that when you compose the shots, Frankie. Also, wait for that extra moment where the expression on the person you are shooting shows it the most. For me, the most promising among the shots you shared here would be #4. She has that nice rim lights on her hair and yet her face was nicely exposed. The expression was really good. My only nit was that the crop was too tight. I think one photography book I have tells that "...when framing a shot with people in it never cut-off a part of their body from the joints." That means, don't cut from the knees, or from the ankle, from the elbows, or from the hips. It should be in-between the joints. Just a suggestion, Frankie. On this type of shots this is where a prime, fast lens would work to the best of your advantage at full open aperture.

[Frankie]

Normally, when I do people photography, I always provide some extra space on framing my shots. In that way I don't make mistakes of cutting off the hands or the feet when it is not really called for. On #1, #3, #4 and #5 some parts of the individual was cut-off from the frame. You have to watch for that when you compose the shots, Frankie. Also, wait for that extra moment where the expression on the person you are shooting shows it the most. For me, the most promising among the shots you shared here would be #4. She has that nice rim lights on her hair and yet her face was nicely exposed. The expression was really good. My only nit was that the crop was too tight. I think one photography book I have tells that "...when framing a shot with people in it never cut-off a part of their body from the joints." That means, don't cut from the knees, or from the ankle, from the elbows, or from the hips. It should be in-between the joints. Just a suggestion, Frankie. On this type of shots this is where a prime, fast lens would work to the best of your advantage at full open aperture.

Thank you Willie for your insights. I totally agree with you. And since these were taken, I have gotten a better camera and lens. #4 is my favorite and I wish I had not cut off her legs

People and Nature each has their own challenges. And I'm thinking that I should probably find more situations where I can work on photographing people.

Thanks again for your thoughts!
frankie

[rpcrowe]

I totally agree with Jiro and would like to add another comment. When I shoot pictures of people, I generally like to see peoples faces. As an example, I like #4 because it shows the intensity in the face of the young lady. As opposed to that, the man in the first image has his face covered by his outstretched arm. IMO, his arm places a barrier between the camera (or the viewer of the image) and the subject. Of course, there are instances when the back of a subject offers a more interesting image. Off hand, I am thinking of a famous picture of Winston Churchill painting a landscape which was shot from behind Churchill.

I would also suggest using fill flash when shooting people. The fill flash will often even out the exposure of a back-lit subject so the subject and background have less of an exposure range.

BTW... The more you practice "people photography" the easier it becomes. After we get used to shooting people, the natural recitance we have for "intruding" into the subject's space is lowered. I love to shoot people and love my 70-200mm f/4L IS lens combined with a 550EX flash. I will often use the wider side of this lens and get closer to the people I am shooting. using 70mm on my 1.6x cameras provides an equivalent 112mm which is absolutely great for 3/4 views of people outdoors...

I can see a terrific image opportunity in your first image. If you were able to get closer and frame the blond lady from just a bit over her head to just below her hands and have moved to camera left to avoid the man's arm in front of her, you would have had a great portrait of a joyous woman celebrating her faith. Adding a fill flash to that combination would have provided a neat image.

Keep up the good work and keep shooting people. Next to dogs, I like to shoot people the best.