Candid Shots

Candid photography is the art of capturing natural expressions of the people. Thus, the subject in is unaware that the photos are being taken. Candid styles of photography are gradually becoming popular these days. It is being used in parties, weddings or any other type of social event. The main element in this is the absence of subject posing, which if done correctly, can add life to your photos.

Candid photography is one of the most challenging and exciting types of photography. Capturing a subject, their actions and expressions are the ultimate goal and requires good planning and skills. Candid photography is not easy as its name. Photographers do face a lot of challenges. In this article, Shaw Academy is going to explain the tips which can help you get better and more interesting event photography shots:

Camera Settings: Keep your camera on manual mode, and try taking some test photos before an event starts. It helps to know, what all you need to take a good shot. It can help you judge the lighting conditions, ISO settings, shutter speed required, etc. In candid photography, a wide aperture (a f/2.8 or f/3.) with a lens kit of 50mm or a 35mm is suggested. Also, select a high ISO at 1000 with fast shutter speed at 1/50 to capture the best natural expressions.

Flash: If you are capturing candid shots in the evening or indoors, you will have to use flash to help yourself with the lighting conditions. Check whether bouncing the flash will work or whether you might need a flash diffuser to soften the light. If you can’t use a flash, then select a fast lens with wide apertures (f/3.5), shutter speed of 1/60 and ISO at 800. This would maintain a good amount of shadow on the subject. You can also use an external flash or a speedlight transmitter to capture the best candid shots.

Use Jaunty Angles: A jaunty or dutch angle is a type of camera shot where the camera is set at a 30 degree tilted angle. It is used to develop an aesthetically-pleasing composition from a dull scene and gives the photos a real, alive and dynamic feeling. But it’s very important to keep the composition in mind, while clicking the photos at jaunty angles.

Silhouettes: It means, "the dark shape and outline of someone or something visible in restricted light against a brighter background". If you are at an event, where there is very less light, then capture silhouettes of people to add dramatic feeling in your shots. Use a wide-angle lens, open the aperture wide (f/2.8 - f/4) and turn off the flash.

Shoot in RAW Image: If you really want to achieve some good results in candid photography, then shoot in the RAW image format. RAW photos contain all the available information a camera can capture from a scene that means, you can correct too-bright highlights and improve much detail in the shadows. It will give you the flexibility to recover the errors such as, brightness, adjustment of white balance, level of quality, and correction of dramatically over or underexposed images.

Action Shots: A photo will always be still, but taking action shots in still photography add value. Always look for action shots, like people talking, dancing, eating their food, food being served, kids playing at the party, and so on. This all makes photo lively and interesting. However, while capturing the fast-moving action, choose camera settings as fast shutter speed, high ISO, Wide aperture and burst mode.

Shoot from the Hip: It’s perfect to shoot with the camera to your eye. However, sometimes it’s not possible in candid photography. Holding the camera and pointing towards the people will make them act unnaturally and you will lose the beauty of candid shots. So, shooting from the hip is the best method to capture the vital moments. It also helps in capturing people from a low angle (i.e. shooting from 3 feet height instead of 6).

Foreground Framing: The foreground is an important part of the photo. It serves as an introduction to an image and grabs the attention. It could convert a flat, basic, one-dimensional composition into an appealing image. You can do this by including some elements in the photo, such as a tree branch or shooting over someone’s shoulder.

Clicked Posed Shots: One of the natural beauties in candid photography is to click, when people are posing for some other camera. It will really add charm in your shots as people are focusing on one element, i.e. the other photographer or camera, but it’s not you. This way you can easily capture the natural expression of the subject, posing for some other camera.

Getting good candid shots is tricky, but easy if done right. The key is preparation and practice before you go to the event. You need to be prepared by knowing your camera and the techniques to use it. Following these tips will definitely enhance your photography skills. With the information mentioned above, you should be ready to capture the perfect shots every time.

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Ralph Waldo is an experienced freelance business and finance writer. I help companies with content marketing activities by writing social media content, SEO articles, blog posts and press releases that inform, engage, and entertain.