Shooting people

Don't take the title the wrong way but shooting people with your camera can be fun and rewarding.

Here's a few tips that I find produce stunning images of friends and family.

• Never ask a child to pose for a photo. As soon as you do this the child (this applies to adults as well) will become serious and lose all natural expression and sense of fun. I like to shoot kids without them knowing i am. I try to get the kid or kids involved in something fun, something they like doing, then move away to somewhere where the light is side on to the subject or slightly behind the subject. I choose a fast shutter speed and a large aperture on the camera settings and start shooting. A fast shutter speed freezes the subject in motion (and lets face it kids don't stop moving). A large aperture or what is also known as an "f stop" has the effect of blurring the back ground
• Rules of composition go out the window when shooting like this so don't get too hung up on it but just make sure you don't chop off heads. I find using your camera zoom a valuable tool. Keep away and don't let the subject know you are shooting them, zoom in and shoot. A close zoom can capture expressions of joy, concentration, happiness, fun and will produce stunning masterpieces for the whole family to cherish.
• Think of you camera as a machine gun. Hold your finger on the trigger and shoot hard out. If you hesitate for a moment you will, and i can guarantee this, miss that masterpiece! Photography now is not like the old days when every time you clicked the trigger it cost you $2, with no guarantee you got the shot. Now its easy and essentially free to hold your finger on the trigger. I tend to work to the law of averages at 2%. This means that for every 100 shots taken you will average 2 shots of quality and 1 masterpiece.