4 Tips for Achieving Flattering Portraits

By: Lily Sawyer 

Flattering portraits rarely happen as a default. Some people are photogenic, yes, and look good at every angle. But often, we work hard to get flattering photos that the sitter loves. There is no one-trick as every person’s face, form, and shape are different. We have to tailor our angles to each portrait sitter. However, there are basic fundamental tools we can use that help us achieve flattering portraits.

1. Use the right lens

Having photographed people for a decade now, I have learned that there is no great all-around lens that can do the best job for everything. Sure there are good lenses that achieve good results, but I’d favor specialist lenses for specific purposes.

Let’s take portraits, for example. A basic kit lens that comes with a camera purchase is usually an 18mm – 55mm zoom. It is expected to be good for wide angles and normal-range views. Yes, it’s good for day-to-day standard snaps. But for portraits? A longer zoom, such as the 85mm, 105mm, and 200mm, are a much better choice for stunning portraits. These give a shallow depth of field, great compression to the background and produce flattering portraits. There is no distortion similar to what you would get when using wider lenses for portraits.
You can read more about choosing the best portrait lens on here.

2. Use the right angle for the person

Many women I have photographed do not like having their portrait taken. They are aware of various imperfections on their faces, angles they do not like, and features they are self-conscious about. This is normal and certainly rings true for me. I’m the worst portrait sitter.

In order to achieve portraits that women like, I usually shoot both sides and show them the first few photos I take on the LCD screen of the camera. They choose a preferred side, and we take a few more from that angle. The worst thoughts are usually just in their minds. When they see their photos, even on the back of the camera, they realize it’s not as bad as they thought and there is a better side. They usually relax more from then on.
Generally, I photograph at slightly higher than eye level for most women. This angle hides any unwanted necklines, slims down cheeks and tapers the face down a little for a more flattering portrait.
If I’m photographing from an even higher level than usual, I ask them to look up at me just ever so slightly, and that gives me a confident posture and stance too.
With men, it is usually quite the opposite. Most male portraits get taken within seconds. I find them less self-conscious with a “let’s get on with it, over and done with attitude” in a nice way. I ask them to stand as they usually do. If they slouch, I ask them to straighten their spines a bit, square their shoulders and look straight into the camera. Sometimes I get them to lean slightly against a wall. I generally photograph men at eye-level.

Children, on the other hand, I look best when photographed from waist high. That means I’m always a little lower than them – often sitting on the floor and looking up to them a bit. This means they don’t look too small, and they get a boost of confidence that they are being looked up at and not down to. Children often look down towards whatever they are holding or playing with. By shooting from a lower angle, I get to see their faces clearly too.

3. Use the right type of lighting

Simply put, short lighting is when the shadowed side of the face is closer to the camera. Being in the shadow, this side of the face is darker and therefore usually ‘shorter’ in terms of the span of the light hitting this side of the face. Broad lighting is the opposite when lit and the brighter side of the face is closer to the camera. Because it’s brighter, it appears much broader with more light reaching much of the area of the face.

Short lighting makes the face appear slimmer due to the shadows created on the face. This can also produce strong contrasts although you can soften the dark areas by using a reflector.
Broad lighting helps in making the face appear wider. Because this area is usually brightly lit compared to other areas, stronger contrast between dark and light is usually created.
Use these two lighting types to the advantage of the sitter for more flattering outcomes. You can read a more in-depth explanation of these two types of lighting on here.

4. Crop correctly

Because I always edit my photographs, I feel I can afford to change my composition in post-processing rather than always trying to get everything right in-camera. Don’t get me wrong, I strive to get my compositions right, but I have found I can always tweak it in post to improve it. I shoot fast and can’t always get the horizontals completely straight, so I correct this in post. This means I have to shoot a little wider than the final outcome.

I have no problems with cropping as long as it’s not too aggressive and there are ample pixels left in the image to produce great prints.
There are a few caveats in cropping though. For flattering portraits, never crop or compose your photos so that the edges and tangents are on body joints like elbows, knees, neck, wrist, shoulders and across the belly. These look odd and somewhat disturbing. Always crop in between or partway through the joints, so chest, arms, hips, leg, calves, forehead are acceptable. You can read more about tips on cropping to improve your image on here.
I have photographed many a woman who was very conscious of her body. For example, she was self-conscious of her arms, and yet she turns up in a sleeveless top. In those cases, I zoom in and crop the arms lengthways down so the photo only shows a third of the bare arm.

You can also crop to reposition your image and strengthen your composition as a result. I find using the rule of thirds as a very strong compositional tool and tend to lean towards it a lot. A symmetrical composition is also strong and effective. This is a good article on factors to consider when composing portraits.
I hope you found these four tips for flattering portraits helpful. If you have more tips to contribute, share them on here in the comments below.

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8 Tips to Avoid Becoming one of ‘Those’ Photographers

By: Kav Dadfar  

What type of photographer are you? A lazy one? A complacent one? Or maybe you are over confident? Here are eight types of photographers that you should avoid becoming.

#1 – The Jack of All Trades Photographer

It always makes me chuckle to myself when I ask someone what type of photography they do or want to get into, and they reply with a long list that covers every branch of photography. Think about it, if you wanted to get your teeth looked at, you would go to a dentist, not an optician or a chiropractor. Even general practice doctors who have a wide knowledge of most ailments would still refer you to see a specialist. This carries across every industry including photography.
You won’t find any photographer who is an expert in every genre of photography as there is just too much to learn, experience and practice at in anyone’s lifetime. While it’s important to have an understanding of how to photograph anything well, even the greatest photographers will specialize in a few genres.
For example, as a travel photographer, I need to be able to photograph food as that is a big part of any destination, or possibly the local wildlife. But I’m not a wildlife or food photographer. When you are at the start of your photography journey it is important to try as many different genres as you can until you find your passion and see where your skills lie. But once you do, try to focus your time and energy to being able to do that brilliantly, rather than doing everything in a mediocre fashion.

#2 – Mr. Latest Gear

You have all seen them. You probably actually know someone who has all the latest camera equipment along with a host of lenses, accessories, and possibly the clothing to go with it. But does it make a difference to their photos?
There is no doubt that better and more expensive cameras give you better quality photos and allow you more control. But a poorly composed photo which doesn’t have an interesting subject will be a bad photo regardless of the camera that captured it. So, instead of fretting over whether you have the latest camera equipment, concentrate on improving your skills as a photographer and not as a collector of equipment.

#3 – The Whirlwind

One of the things I find most astonishing and frustrating when I’m at a location is watching other photographers turn up (usually with the latest gear), take a few photos quickly, and then move on to the next viewpoint or location. I even remember seeing one such photographer hold the camera up and take a photo while looking in a different direction! Why even bother?
Even if you are pressed for time, often the best way to capture a great photo from any location is to pause for a few minutes. Just look at and think about the scene, the composition, the light and even the settings that you may need on your camera. Once you have surveyed the scene or the subject then go ahead and take the photo.
Not only will this give you much better photos in the long run, but it’ll save you having to rush around snapping away and hoping that you get lucky with a few shots.

#4 – Lazy One

Every photographer has been guilty of being lazy at some point in their career. Whether that is in the effort needed to take a photo (like having to hike somewhere, or wait for the light to change), in the process of taking the photo (“I’ll just put it on auto”) or in the post-production stage.
But often, your best photos end up being the ones that require the most effort. So don’t be the “lazy one”. In those situations where you are feeling lazy try and just push through it because the effort will likely be worth it in the end.

#5 – The Safe One

One of the great benefits of digital photography is that you are able to take risks with your photos as it doesn’t end also meaning that you are wasting precious film and money. Nowadays you can take a photo and if you don’t like it, you can just delete it and try again. But for many people, this is a benefit that is often overlooked. Most photographers (pros and amateurs) still work at achieving the “conventional” photo for that particular subject.
For example, go to any landmark and you will usually see hordes of people all standing at the typical “viewpoint” photographing at eye level. While I would always advise any photographer to capture these shots as well, the key is to not settle for the standard photo and try a few that are completely different. The worst thing that could happen is that the shots don’t work and you delete them. However, once in a while you might find an interesting new technique or skill that gives you something different.

#6 – The Too Arrogant Photographer

While I think it’s important for every photographer to be confident in themselves and their work, there is a big difference between being confident and being too arrogant. Photography is subjective and everyone will have different views, but listening to people who are knowledgeable or that you respect can help you really improve your work.
So don’t be arrogant, listen to the advice you are given. If one person tells you that a photo doesn’t work it could just be personal opinion, but if 10 people tell you the same thing maybe you should take notice. Often you will learn more from the poor photos you have taken, than the good ones.

#7 – The Freebie

Digital photography has revolutionized the photography industry for the better. But one aspect that it has had a detrimental effect on is the fees and payments that photographers now receive for their work. It’s no secret that fees and prices have been falling for a few years for photographers and big stock agencies such as Getty and Shutter Stock haven’t helped with the prices at which they sell photos.
But for most photographers the main aspect that irks them the most is the phrase, “We don’t have a budget to pay you, but we’ll credit you on the site/publication”. This would be the same as you getting a builder to work on your house but instead of paying them for the work you put a sign on your lawn saying, “The work was done by Mr. X”. You won’t find any builders who would agree to that deal, so why do photographers do it?
Exposure is usually the answer. But all this does is create a vicious cycle whereby you might receive exposure from that one client, but other potential clients will want the same deal which means all photographers end up suffering. If you don’t respect your work enough for people to pay you for it, then others won’t respect your work enough to pay for it either.

#8 – Mr. Rude

Like all professions, there are probably a handful of people who feel that just because they are taking a photo it gives them the rights to the land. Everyone has to get out of the way or stop what they are doing so that they capture the shot they want. Well, if you are one of these types of photographers then you should take a good look at yourself – because it doesn’t work that way.
Being a photographer doesn’t give you any more rights anywhere than the average tourist or spectator. It also doesn’t give you a right to demand people to give up their time to model for you. Unless you have hired the venue or that person to model for you then you just have to work your way around other people. If you don’t want people to be in your way, get up early in the morning when you can often get the place to yourself. If you want a clean and unobstructed view of something then be patient and wait for a gap in the flow of traffic. This extends to respecting other photographers too. Just because someone is a professional photographer doesn’t mean they have more of a right than an amateur one.
Show other tourists and spectators the same curtesy and respect that you would want to receive.

While not everyone will fall into each of these, most photographers at some point have been guilty of one or more of these traits. The important thing is so evaluate yourself and make changes as needed to make sure you don’t repeat them.
Are you any of those photographers? Or can you think of any others? Share your thoughts and experiences below.

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Quick Tips for Getting Into Stock Photography

By: Kjell Leknes  

Getting accepted as a stock photographer can be a difficult and frustrating process. Especially when your best photos get rejected by photo reviewers. After helping many photographers trying to become accepted as Shutterstock contributors, I have discovered how the process can instead become a fun and educational experience.

Why become a stock photographer?

Earning money on your digital photography work is a great way to earn an extra income. But it is often not the main motivation for why many people try to become contributors. Being accepted, and being able to call yourself a stock photographer, means something. Similar to how many people develop their skills so they one day can become a professional in their field, being able to call yourself a stock photographer will for many mean more than saying you’re a professional photographer.
When someone presents themselves as a professional photographer, people tend to have different views of what that means. Some associate a professional photographer with someone that makes high quality photos. Others may think of the person they hired to photograph their wedding. Or perhaps someone that has their photos sold in a gallery. Some may think a professional photographer is only someone that has a diploma, or someone that works full-time and earns their main income from their photography.
Being able to say you’re a stock photographer says something about the level you have reached. Why? Because the stock photography industry is well known for its high quality requirements.
Furthermore, the best part of being a stock photographer is knowing your work is being purchased, appreciated, and used all around the world. With modern tools like Google image Search, you can back trace and find were and how your most popular photos are being used.

Are you qualified?

If you know how to make a manual exposure, get the focusing correct and have a good eye for correct white balance, you’re most likely qualified to become a stock photographer.

Expect to get rejected

It might take a few attempts. But once you’re accepted, as many existing stock photographers can testify, it made them an even better photographer. A rejection of your initial submission might feel like a disappointment at first. But take advantage of the feedback and suggestions provided. Your initial submission will most likely be more strictly evaluated than the general submissions you’ll make in the future after getting accepted.

Find the motivation to learn

Try to see your first submission as a homework assignment for reading the stock agency’s submission guidelines. Like any course or workshop, your first homework assignment is not expected to be flawless. There will most likely be room for improvement. With this attitude, learning about stock photography can be an educational, fun, and even motivating experience.

The first batch of photos is the hardest

For example, when signing up to one of the most popular stock photography sites like Shutterstock, you are asked to submit 10 samples of your best work. Seven of these must pass the strict inspection of their reviewers. But if rejected, you’re provided with great feedback to help you improve your photography.

It gets easier after getting accepted

As any existing stock photographer can testify, your initial batch of submitted work is much more strictly evaluated than the general submissions you will make in the future after getting accepted.

You’re closer to getting accepted than you might think

A submission that is not approved is often not completely rejected either. Many rejected photos can have only one minor issue that can sometimes even be fixed with a little editing. Even though it may feel like your entire batch of submitted work was rejected, you might only be a few adjustments away from getting accepted.

Try again. Many existing stock photographers did.

Many existing stock photographers did not get accepted on their first attempt. For every initial submission that is not approved, take good use of the feedback that is required. See it as a free portfolio review from experts in the field. Be inquisitive, study the material and try again!

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7 Tips for Capturing the Decisive Moment in Street Photography

By: Sebastian Jacobitz 

There is probably no other term as often cited as “The Decisive Moment” in Street Photography. Yet there is no real agreement what a decisive moment defines.
The street is normally a very chaotic place. People are walking in every direction and there isn’t much “sense” when putting everything together. The decisive moment is different. Suddenly every single detail that is captured in the photograph has a meaning. Subjects that are normally not connected are in a relation to each other, they don’t know it, but the picture clearly shows it.

Creating such images is not an easy task in a candid genre. While some state luck as the most important factor, I believe that you can work towards the Decisive Moment and capture it more regularly. Here are seven tips to help you.

#1 – Become Quicker

The street is not a place where you can slack off and take all the time you want to take a shot. There is no second chance to catch candid moments. A decisive moment can last for a few seconds and be gone forever. If you don’t catch it in time, you lose it for eternity.
Photographing is a 2-step process. First, You have to be familiar with your gear. After spotting a beautiful scene, there is no time for adjusting the camera or learning how your equipment actually works. Take your time to experiment with different settings beforehand so you know what works and what doesn’t. Use the technique of zone-focusing and you will be a lot faster capturing interesting subjects too.

The second step is spotting potential scenes in time and developing an instinct even before something interesting happens.

#2 – Get in The Zone

To spot interesting scenes instinctively, you need the right mindset for street photography. Just going out with your thoughts somewhere else, won’t land you the money shot very often. Concentration is needed to absorb the chaotic environment and scan it for potential decisive moments.
There are a lot of distractions in the modern world. Smartphones and your camera are two of the main distractions that can keep your mind away from the street. Before going out on the street, make sure to not have anything important scheduled for the time being and for the best results, turn off your smartphone.

Also, don’t get too distracted by your camera. It is just a tool that helps you to display your vision. You don’t need to have a look at every image that you have taken at the very moment. If possible, try out an analog camera and see how pure minimalism can help you to get in the zone.

#3 – Overcome your Fear

Spotting a scene is only the first step to capture the decisive moment. Afterwards, you have to translate your vision into the form of a photograph. When you still have fear to get close or take an image, it will limit your creative freedom.
There is no need to be afraid of the street and strangers. After years of experience, I can assure you that with a minimum of common sense nothing truly bad will happen to you. In reality, the worst that can happen is that someone asks you to delete the picture, but that’s pretty much it.

The fear on the street is mostly irrational and your mind is playing tricks on you. Part of it is socialization and I will admit, that every social being feels this way, when starting in street photography. Not invading the “private space” of others has been beneficial for forming social groups, historically speaking. But it doesn’t make much sense in our modern world and is only a hindrance for street photography.
To overcome your fear, you could try to get rejected purposely by asking for posed portraits pictures. It will show you that most people are actually very relaxed and even if you do get rejected, it isn’t the end of the world.

#4 – Perfect the Composition

There are a lot of situations happening on the street that you aren’t able to display to their full potential. This is heavily dependent on the way you frame the image and display it.

Lots of images are destroyed because the composition is simply off. I know that street photography is often seen as a genre of freedom. But when it comes to aesthetics, there are natural formulas that are more pleasant than others.
The rule of thirds is not a myth, but a fact. To embrace this in your photography will make your images visually more profound than ignoring your natural instincts.
Additionally to the rule of thirds, I would also focus on leading lines, not pointing away from the main subject. For an even more interesting picture try to fill every layer from the foreground to the background with interesting details.

#5 – Be Inspired

The right mood can also influence you in finding a potential scene that can lead to an outstanding image. Inspiration can stem not only from other photographers that you admire but from any creative source.
Listen to music, watch your favorite movie or read a good book. Anything that helps you to open your mind for creating something outstanding, is suitable to bring you closer to the decisive moment.

#6 – Dedication

Street Photography is not a discipline where you can expect quick results after following a simple guide. It takes years or even decades of dedication to street photography to be able to create the decisive moment, seemingly out of nowhere.
Developing a photographer’s eye takes a lot of training. Therefore, I would recommend forming a group of other photographers who have the same goals in mind. Walking the street with multiple photographers can also open your eyes to their vision. They are able to point out scenes that wouldn’t even cross your mind on your own.

#7 – Stay Curious

Whatever you do, don’t lose interest in your environment and mankind in general. Curiosity can lead you to interesting scenes that otherwise would seem as if they had no potential. Embrace the tourist in your town.
Do you remember the last time you were on vacation and took some holiday pictures? Suddenly even the most mundane places can become interesting when you are in a foreign location. The little ice parlor might be totally boring to the residents, but for you, it was worth a picture.
Follow the same instincts in your own neighborhood. Rather take an image too much, than missing out on the decisive moment. But most importantly, keep the fun. Don’t force yourself too much.

The process of doing street photography should always be fulfilling even when the results might not satisfy you. Get out on the street, be mindful, have fun, and over time the results will follow.

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Getting Close and Personal: 11 Tips for Close-up Candid Street Photography

By: James Maher 

Tip #1: If you see a banana stand, hang out near it.

Street photography is not easy. It tests your nerves, your hand eye coordination and your instincts, and lord knows I’ve missed more ‘moments’ than I can count, but the satisfaction of capturing that split second where everything comes together can make it all worth it.
This article is going to focus specifically on tips to help you get your camera as close to people as possible without them noticing. It is certainly not the only way to do street photography, but it is a very effective way. It helps you catch the world around you in an uninterrupted fashion. And if you happen to get caught then so be it, just smile and own up to what you are doing. You’ll be surprised at how understanding most people are about street photography once you are honest with them.
Now for the record, I use a pretty beefy Canon SLR, primarily because I can’t afford the Leica M9 and the Fuji X100 hasn’t come out yet, but I’ve still figured out ways over the years to get up and close with it without being noticed.

1. How you Hold the Camera

Speed is key and how you hold the camera can make all the difference in the world. I like to wrap the camera strap around my wrist instead of around my neck. It is much quicker and easier to maneuver the camera this way and it also allows you to easily ‘shoot from the hip’ if you need to. When walking down a street I usually hold the camera in front of me at a 45-degree angle, halfway between vertical and horizontal, with my finger on the trigger. This way, I can easily get my camera into the right position if something spontaneous should happen, without tipping off the subject that I am going to photograph them.

2. Shooting from the Hip

Unless you have a very small rangefinder, the reality is that it is much easier to photograph someone without them noticing if you don’t have to raise the camera above your chest or look through the viewfinder.
The advantage to shooting from your hip with the camera strapped to your wrist is that it really becomes an extension of your arm. You don’t have to shoot in front of you and can shoot sideways or even backwards if you need to. It frees you up to integrate your lens into a situation without anybody noticing. You can shoot from the hip with either both hands or one hand holding the camera, but one hand gives you a little more freedom to aim in any direction. Just keep your arm straight down at your side and then angle the camera up and in whichever direction the scene is happening. Then, if you need to, you can raise your arm or bend your elbow a bit to get the exact frame, but be discreet about it.

3. Use a Wide-Angle Prime Lens

I prefer a 35mm (or 20mm on a cropped sensor.) When you shoot from the hip you have to get used to what the camera is going to catch without actually looking through the viewfinder. The prime lens allows you to easily anticipate this and with some practice it will eventually become instinctual. The wide angle helps because it allows you to get closer while also capturing more of a scene and it really injects the viewer into what is happening.
Also, wide-angle prime lenses are usually very light and small, are much easier to maneuver and are much less noticeable than the larger zoom lenses.

4. The Low and Slightly Diagonal Angle

Another advantage of shooting from the hip is that you can catch people from a very low angle. I often prefer my candid photography to come from a close-up and low angle because it elongates people and allows the subject to fill the frame. This is obviously not true for every situation, but a lot of the time this is my personal preference.
The slight diagonal angle can be very pleasing, especially for vertical portraits. The angle injects some energy into a photo and allows you to catch a bit more of the surroundings. It creates a lead for the eye to enter the photo and keeps it there, bouncing around between the subject and its surroundings.

5. Be an Actor (and don’t make eye contact)

As a street photographer, you can benefit a lot from acting. You might play the part of a spaced out tourist, engulfed in something happening across the street, or perhaps someone who is lost and has to stop for a moment to collect himself, but you are certainly not someone who looks like he is about to take a photo.
I like to act like I’m walking around daydreaming, just spaced out by my surroundings and looking in the somewhat opposite direction of what I want to photograph. I will make my path intersect in the right way with the subject and then stop as if I’m gathering myself or as if I see something interesting. My body will often be angled away from the subject while my camera will be at my hip pointing up at it. Then I take a photograph or two and walk out of there like nothing happened.
Most importantly though, is to never point your head directly at the subject, or god forbid, make eye contact! There is something almost evolutionary about eye contact that will make a person immediately notice you. Even for a split second, it will ruin your cover. Instead, try to look ‘through the person’.

6. The Stutter-Step

Sometimes stopping completely is not an option. It will just look too obvious. But at the same time you have to be completely stopped to take a photo. No matter how fast your shutter is, if you are slightly moving while taking a photo then it will probably be ruined.
So there is a move called the stutter-step (can you tell I’m a basketball fan?). It’s basically just a very quick stop in full stride, almost like you freeze for a second in mid motion. It probably looks a bit ridiculous to anyone who’s actually paying attention, but it happens so fast that nobody will notice. Once you try it out you’ll understand what I’m talking about and it takes a little bit of practice to get used to.

7. Be Prepared to Change your Camera Settings Quickly

I often shoot on manual because I like to have my exposure dialed in before taking these types of photos. When getting close-up you never really know how the camera is going to read a situation and that often leads to a lot of messed up exposures. Manual shooting on the street however can take some serious getting used to, because if you suddenly go from a sunny street to a shady street then you will have to remember to change your settings. I usually keep a sunny and shady general exposure setting in my head and flip back and forth between them.
But what happens then if something sudden occurs? Say you’re walking down a sunny street, settings set up perfectly, when all of a sudden you look to your right and notice a couple of locksmiths in a very dark van, one passed out and one about to light his cigarette? The moment is about to happen! Well in this case I quickly switchover to Aperture Value on my camera, which I have preset with a low aperture value. Even though you will have a loss of some depth of field, you will be able to have it work in both extreme bright or dark situations with a fast enough corresponding shutter speed. You can also do this with shutter value as well.

8. Wear Dark Clothing.

It will help you blend in.

9. Set up your Background Beforehand

This is a little out of the realm from what I have been talking about so far, but after all there are a million different ways to take a great street photograph. Search out an interesting background and then wait for the right person to come into your scene. Be patient, it might take some time.
The accompanying photo is not close-up, but I waited for hours for the right person to stop in the right position and it eventually paid off.
This practice also allows you to be in the correct position before the person comes into the scene, so you can ::gasp:: actually look through the viewfinder! Just make it look like you are taking a photo of the background. Some of the best street photographs were planned instead of found. Find the right location and wait it out until the moment happens.

10. Blur and Grain and Black and White

In this photo, because I wanted the camera focus to be on the NUTS street vendor stand (to emphasize the ‘nutty’ quality of this arguing group of tourists), it meant that I couldn’t get the people in foreground to be perfectly sharp. That just goes with the territory and sometimes you have to make some sacrifices. In this case I think it works… in black and white.
As a street photographer I’m much less afraid of blur and grain than a lot of people. The reality is that it’s not always bright out, you need a fast enough shutter speed and you don’t have the luxury of using a tripod. You will often be stuck with some blur, slight soft-focus or grain from a high ISO.
Now this is only my personal opinion, but I think that these types of photos just look so much better in black and white. You can really turn something that looks terrible in color into a great photograph by making a good black and white out of it. After all, street photography is about the content in the photo, and black and white often helps to focus on that.

11. Fill the Frame with the Subject (and don’t be afraid to crop)

My biggest critique of street photographers is when I see a photograph with an extremely interesting subject, yet the photographer decided to shoot the entire street and make what should have been the entire photo become just a small part of the frame. Fill the frame with what is important and cut out everything else. Leave some room for the imagination.
Also, with a prime lens and fast moving subjects you’re not always going to be able to be in the perfect spot or catch the perfect angle on the fly. Don’t be afraid to crop in or improve the angle afterwards. This is not landscape photography, where you are always able to plan out every aspect of your image before taking the shot. You should get used to using the crop tool, even if it’s just for a slight correction.
Just remember that the hardest part of street photography is getting out of the front door. The moments are flying around everywhere, but you need to be there and be bold with your camera to be able to catch them. Now get in there and get close!

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This Week's Photography Freebie

Ebook Photography Freebies

As we make this post our Country is in the midst of the Corona Virus health epidemic.  Many of us are out of a job because our employers have been ordered to close for the foreseeable future.  And we don't know how long this condition will continue.  If we have to "shelter in place" in our homes to keep from spreading the Corona Virus, we might as well enjoy our unscheduled vacation as much as possible. Here's how. You can access the title above (and many more) free of charge for the first 30 days of a FREE subscription.  There is NO obligation to continue the subscription past 30 days.  View them on your computer, tablet or smart device.  If you don't want the subscription to continue,  just cancel before day 30.

Access these freebies here: https://amzn.to/3b76mGJ
You are NOT limited to just Photography Titles with this subscription.  And remember, you do NOT have to continue the FREE subscription past 30 days.  If you choose to cancel before day 30, the subscription cost you nothing.

Please share this post so others can enjoy the freebies too.  Thank you.

When it comes to fighting...

Viral video - Cell phone video, Inspiration for you videographers considering a topic for your next project. 1,125 views on Facebook. Your video may receive more.