Photography Tip- Photographing Faces

By Kenneth C. Hoffman

Every emotion and depth of feeling can be shown on the human face. To capture that fleeting moment on film is a challenge fit for the most talented of photographers. How can the average photographer improve his chances of recording that one-in-a-lifetime image or at least improve the ratio of interesting,

true life images to the unusable, ‘too-bad-she-turned-her-head snapshots?

First you must prepare your camera for the task. If the social event you are to attend is indoors, an ISO setting of 400 or 800 is recommended. A bounce flash head adds another dimension to the lighting and at the same time freezes that portion of the action not lit by strong ambient light. A fifty per cent mix of bounce electronic flash and available light usually allows a high enough shutter speed to freeze most action. A shutter speed of 1/30th is a minimum speed for hand held cameras and 1/4 sec is acceptable for a supported camera. A tripod is definitely preferred for absolutely sharp photos, but can be clumsy and obtrusive for candid work. The recent invention of the stabilized lens or CCD will add two or three lower shutter speeds without blurring. Using doorways, railings, furniture, or just the two-elbows-on-a-table method is helpful in steadying your shot.

A medium telephoto zoom lens simplifies the task of cropping in the camera. Preferable would be an F2.8 28 - 105mm zoom lens or closest equivalent. Longer telephoto lens settings are difficult to keep cropped, and require a higher shutter speed. Wider lenses introduce too much distortion for rendering the human face naturally and produce too much busyness in the composition.

Once the camera is set on the proper settings and the flash (with newly charged batteries) is bounced backwards and to the upper left portion of the room, you are ready to record those faces. In a room with low ceilings, a flash bounced straight up and used with a telephoto setting on the lens is acceptable and you are now ready to record those faces. Two or more faces in the picture should be relating to each other or to a third party. No one should be looking at the camera or the photographer. Six too ten feet away from the action is sufficient for your compositional purposes and presents a buffer zone that protects you (the photographer) from being included in the conversation. Individual faces should almost fill the view finder for good impact.

Tune your mind to an awareness of uninhibited laughter, serious facial expressions showing concentration, moments of love with hugs and kisses and hands touching. Any and all stiff frozen faces staring into the camera waiting for the flash to go off should be avoided. This is not to say you can’t apportion some time to group pictures and memory shots since they are great to have, too. Try to anticipate reactions and make several exposures in a series. You can always delete the missed shots. Be patient, keep moving and be ready to move to another location if you are discovered. Of the hundreds of images you take, you will only be remembered for that one great shot.

At your first viewing of the photographs, edit them mercilessly, removing all photos which do not meet your standards of acceptable emotional content, composition, facial expression or focus. With any luck, you’ll be the talk of the town.

Three hundred photos per wedding, fifty wedding a year, thirty years - but who's counting?

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How to Pose a Bride and Groom

By Kenneth C. Hoffman

Of all the pictures taken at a wedding, the one most important is the portrait of the bride and groom. Some wedding couples depend on a relative or a friend to take a few good photos for their album and others reserve a professional photographer to do the honors. This article is for both the real and wanna-be photographers at the wedding.

A good time to photograph the bride and groom is after the ceremony and before the reception. Ideal is an open lawn away from any building. Other photogenic locations are at the edge of a treed area, under an arcade or
at home in the backyard. Important is to choose an evenly lit background: one that does not contain light and dark areas. Place the couple in the shade at least thirty feet away from any background objects with their faces toward the main source of light.

Turn the bride thirty degrees away from the camera and fluff the train behind her so that only half of the train is visible from the camera position. Never pull the train around to the front of the bride since this is most unnatural and would never occur in real life. Pose the groom slightly facing the bride and have him offer his arm for her to pass her through. Make sure her ring is visible. The groom’s outside hand can be in his pocket or touching the bride’s hand. The bride should shift most of her weight to the foot furthest from the camera and the groom should have his weight evenly distributed on slightly spread feet. Never let his hand drop straight down at his side. The bride may hold her bouquet in her outside hand at a level below her waist with some daylight or background showing between her elbow and her waist. An alternate place for the bouquet is on the ground next to the groom’s feet. Turn their faces toward the camera but not fully straight on, but at a slight angle toward each other. Their expressions should show their happiness, but not laughing.

Angles other than the view straight on without changing their positions often present another good composition for a portrait. Consider also a view from behind the couple, requesting them to turn their heads directly toward each other, giving the photographer a profile of their faces. A variety of shots are possible with this pose. A medium shot (at the knees) with their faces closer together and an even closer pose with the cheeks almost touching make wonderful portraits. Try having them look into each other’s eyes with his arms around her. Natural light from the side is the most beautiful source as long as the reflector of some sort balances the light. Watch your cropping in the viewfinder carefully and leave some space over their heads. Pay attention to the position of the feet (no soles showing) and be sure only the sides of the bride’s hands are presented to the camera. The groom’s coat collar should fit snug to the neck.

A beautiful portrait of the bride and groom can be their most treasured reminder of the most important day in their lives. You can make it happen.

Comments Welcome.

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