Tips for Better Candid Photography

Digital Photography School has an article about taking better candid photographs. There are a few good reminders here for when you’re shooting without the subject’s knowledge.

Recently, however, while travelling, I have been getting away from candid photography. I have preferred approaching subjects and getting to know them a bit more before taking their photo. If I’m lucky, the photos appear candid because they have become comfortable with me and my camera. I find the results have a greater intimacy to them and I get the added bonus of interacting with some great people.

These close-up candids are a extremely different from raising a long lens at someone from across the street. The skills required are just as much interpersonal as they are photographic. The fact that most of the people I’m dealing with are from foreign cultures whose language I don’t speak and thus, the challenge is even greater. By no means have I mastered the techniques involved, but as I travel, I’m gaining more of the courage needed to continue trying it.

Of course, surreptitious shots can have their value too, and for those occasions, have a look at the article mentioned above.