←→Close and Personal in 3 Steps

Posted Friday, February 23rd, 2007 · Permalink

When I travel around I often experience extremely personal situations that I will never forget. They become personal because they are emotional to me. They are emotional because I was directly involved and experiencing something new for the first time.

The same goes for photography. Getting close to your subject is sometimes the best way to pack emotional punch into your travel photography, even if it’s something inanimate, because details help us relate to the setting in which the photograph was taken. It brings us into the situation and we learn something more about the subject.

There are a few steps that you should follow as guidelines when taking such pictures, especially when they’re of people (as opposed to inanimate objects).

1. Be respectful. This is the primary rule. In some areas of the world, taking someone’s picture is like taking that person’s soul. Be respectful to this belief. If it is made clear that photos are not allowed, do not take the picture, even when traveling in countries where there is no such belief. Whether or not to ask for permission is debatable but if taking a picture is clearly not allowed, take your hands off the camera and walk away.
2. Select a shallow depth of field. This is for dramatic effect. Getting close is only half the magic. Make it personal by selectively focusing on your subject. This makes its a one-on-one communication. My last photography tip dealt with this issue.
3. Take a couple of pictures. You’re now ready to take the shot: click! You look down at your viewfinder and realize the subject blinked and now the subject is gone/uninterested. This is especially problematic with group photos. Taking a few pictures will help eliminate this problem. See the linked article on Photojojo for more details on this issue.

There are possibly more steps or guidelines that could be on this list but I see this as the core of important points. Good luck!

Filed under Photography Tips.