Making Candid Portraits Interesting

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robertdc

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Robert
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Hi,

I do quite a lot of street photography, not just the more typical wide angle street scenes but also unposed candid street portraits for which I often use a telephoto lens to blur the background and sometimes also just because that feels less intimidating on both sides I guess. Although I've not personally received such comments I have picked up on various forums that a lot of people seem to regard shots like that as boring or akin to snapshots. I'm really not too sure what they are getting at when they say that. Personally I find the diversity of facial expressions, eyes etc fascinating as it can leave you wondering more about the personality or mood of that individual. I'd just like to understand why such photos are sometimes regarded negatively and ideally get some pointers on how to make my shots more interesting without purely concentrating purely on classic street scenes all the time - which I also love btw!

Look forward to hearing others opinions on this.
 
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Thanks Byker28i, will head over to there and take a look.
 
Don't get caught up in the negative people that think they know what true street photography is. It is what you make of it. Most comments say that when it started no one used zoom lenses. If they had access to the great zoom lenses of today I think things would be different. I use a 70-200 and hear all the negative crap about how I am not doing it correctly because I am not close enough to the subject. That is ridiculous because I am close via zoom but I also have something that in my opinion is a necessity for good street photography. That is I get a very candid shot because of the separation between me and the subject. Also because of the separation I have the opportunity to compose. With a wide angle you have to get so close it is almost impossible to get a candid shot and a good composition. So you are not alone my friend, I love street photography and I always use a 70-200. ;)

:canon::exit:
 
shaylou said:
Don't get caught up in the negative people that think they know what true street photography is. It is what you make of it. Most comments say that when it started no one used zoom lenses. If they had access to the great zoom lenses of today I think things would be different. I use a 70-200 and hear all the negative crap about how I am not doing it correctly because I am not close enough to the subject. That is ridiculous because I am close via zoom but I also have something that in my opinion is a necessity for good street photography. That is I get a very candid shot because of the separation between me and the subject. Also because of the separation I have the opportunity to compose. With a wide angle you have to get so close it is almost impossible to get a candid shot and a good composition. So you are not alone my friend, I love street photography and I always use a 70-200. ;)

:canon::exit:
Click to expand...

I'm not making a judgement about which is better, but the difference between shooting with a long lens from a distance and a wider focal length like 35mm or 50mm (on FF) is not about the size of the subject in the frame - it's about perspective. Shorter lenses give a greater sense of 'involvement' because the perspective makes it obvious that the picture was taken from close range - near subjects appear larger than those just a few feet further away, and there is greater context because more of the background is included. You don't need to be a photographer to appreciate this, it's obvious to any viewer.

Shooting candids like this, trying to make the camera kind of invisible, is not easy. And it's sometimes not for the feint hearted either. A small, discrete camera helps.
 
shaylou said:
Don't get caught up in the negative people that think they know what true street photography is. It is what you make of it. Most comments say that when it started no one used zoom lenses. If they had access to the great zoom lenses of today I think things would be different. I use a 70-200 and hear all the negative crap about how I am not doing it correctly because I am not close enough to the subject. That is ridiculous because I am close via zoom but I also have something that in my opinion is a necessity for good street photography. That is I get a very candid shot because of the separation between me and the subject. Also because of the separation I have the opportunity to compose. With a wide angle you have to get so close it is almost impossible to get a candid shot and a good composition. So you are not alone my friend, I love street photography and I always use a 70-200. ;)

:canon::exit:
Click to expand...


Haha!! Read the thread OP and learn, it will set you in good stead!!
 
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