Including People in Landscape (or Cityscape) Photography

I have a distinct childhood memory related to photography. On family vacations my dad often wanted my sister and me to pose in his landscape shots and I remember thinking "Why does he always want to ruin this beautiful waterfall/mountain/nature picture by including us in it?". Although it took me a while to come to this realization, I now see that my dad was onto something. At times, adding people to a more a typical landscape/cityscape shot can turn a ho-hum photo into something much more interesting. Here are three situations where including people can be in the right decision (with examples from a recent Portugal trip):

If you want to increase depth by adding a foreground

Strong landscape shots include not only a mid-ground and background, but also something of interest in the foreground. The photo on the left of Lisbon was lacking a foreground, which I was able to remedy by including Maelle and Pearce in the shot. 

If you are missing a strong focal point

The mosaic tiles in Portugal are eye-catching, so when I noticed a dramatic wall covered in tiles in a small alley in the town of Fuseta I knew I wanted to capture it. After taking my first picture on the left, I felt like it was missing a focal point and wasn't as interesting as I had hoped. In the second picture Maelle and Pearce act as a point of interest to draw the viewer's eyes down the alley. 

If you want to provide a sense of scale

When photographing large objects, it can be sometimes be difficult for the viewer to truly understand the size and scale of the scene. If you give the viewer a point of reference and include something familiar in the shot (as I did below with Maelle and Pearce), it can help to convey the grandeur of the landscape shot. 

So the next time you're on vacation silently cursing how busy the tourist spot is because you can't  take a photo without any distracting people in the shot (I've done this too many times to count) stop and consider if including people will add to, as opposed to detract from, the photo.

Here are are a few more of my favourite (people and non-people) photos from Portugal:

 

 

 

 

First Haircut

I sometimes struggle to come up with new ideas of what to photograph  next but last weekend I decided to kill two birds with one stone and document Maelle's first haircut. We had been putting it off for a while - mostly because Maelle doesn't let anyone near her hair (I don't want to admit how few times in her life it's actually been brushed). But eventually, we decided a little trim was in order.

Things started off well. Maelle was happy to sit in the boat-themed chair.

But soon things went downhill. 

When the stranger (aka nice hairdresser) took out her scissors, things got worse. Much worse. A breakdown ensued.

But Maelle soon settled down, although she held onto our fingers with the strongest finger grip possible.

Eventually, I had to admit she was doing just fine...until I made the rookie mistake of stepping away to try to take some photos.

Just a couple minutes later - no exaggeration here, I think the total haircut took less than 4 minutes, from start to finish - she was done. 

Her curls were still intact, but the back was cleaner  Maelle survived her first haircut and I had couple pictures (and a lock of her hair) to capture the moment forever.

Baby Bump

Google "baby bump photo ideas" and you'll see the best and worst of photography. On one hand, there are many sweet pics of moms to be. On the other, there are more than a few cheesy photos (e.g. heart shaped shadows or bows on bellies) or just plain odd poses involving bare bellies (I'll let you Google to see for yourself). Therefore my goal while taking photos of my pregnant sister-in-law was clear: capture a couple cute shots, while avoiding any of the cheesy, overly cliché poses. Pinterest was a great inspiration for ideas: I pinned my favourite photos before the shoot, which was helpful once I had run out of my own ideas.

To shoot the first photo below, having Claire pose in front of the bright window created a pretty glow, highlighting her silhouette. Because I was shooting into the bright light, it was important that my camera was on Manual mode and that I set the exposure to properly expose Claire's face (click here for a refresher on shooting in backlight).

I think the next two photos do a good job of capturing the connection between Brooks and Claire in a natural way, even though they are posed.  In the first, their touching hands and the angles of their faces creates a sense of intimacy. In the second, the door creates a frame within a frame, and the more distant vantage point makes it appear as if I caught a genuine moment.

In the next photo, having Claire pose against a relatively simple background works well (although the photo is slightly off balanced - it would have worked better if the side table and dresser were equal heights to create symmetry).

Finally in the last photo shooting from a lower angle highlights her adorable baby bump. In an earlier post, I mentioned that shooting from low to high is often a challenging angle to create a flattering pose, but I think it works here because it emphasizes her belly.

The obstinate ones

Almost a year ago, I wrote a post about my challenges taking Christmas photos of my niece and 6 month old daughter (click here for a refresher). Fast forward one year. This time, my niece had moved beyond the terrible twos and posed happily but Maelle was another story.  Is there such a thing as the obstinate ones (if not, there should be!)?

But once again, giving the kids an activity to do while taking photos proved to be good choice (distraction is key!). And I was reminded of the importance of another tip for photographing kids:   ask them for photo ideas. Isla suggested taking a picture of her jumping, which added some fun shots to the mix. 

If we decide to do a reshoot next year, I can only pray that Maelle decides to skip the terrible two phase all together:)

A perfect pose?

The timing of my Photography of People course at George Brown couldn't have been better. Maelle has entered a serious "camera shy" phase, so it's been nice to have some new subjects. Each week in the class, the instructor brings in two models and the class takes turns taking photos.

A classmate shooting the model in the studio 

Although sometimes the models have ideas about different looks, for the most part it is up to us to provide direction in terms of posing. Here are a couple of portrait photography tips I've learnt throughout the course:

1) Think small instead of big

This one was a surprise for me. My natural instinct when posing people is to take a photo or two in one pose and then ask them to do something completely different. In reality, even the smallest tilt of the head, change in direction of the eyes, or shift in body angle can create a dramatically different photo. That's why it's really important to slow down when shooting (unless of course you are taking pictures of a toddler when this advice is impossible) and consider small details.

Take a look at these two photos, where the poses are similar but convey quite different emotions. When the model stares off into the distance, it creates a more dreamy look, whereas when she looks right at the camera, it a much more intense photo. Additionally, the slight downwards tilt of her chin in the second photo slims her face.

Likewise, in these two photos below, the simple act of touching her face caused her to adjust her expression, creating two distinct looks.

2) Angles matter

Angles in photography don't just create interest in travel and landscape photography, they are also really important in portrait photography. Whether it's posing groups of people in a triangular shape or  following the helpful suggestion "if it bends, bend it" (regarding arms and legs), it's important to use angles to your advantage.

One thing to consider is the angle of the body and it's relationship to the camera. Positioning the shoulders at an angle can make them appear more narrow.

While this works in many photos, it's important to remember that it isn't a hard and fast rule. Sometimes a straight-on photo is the best bet, especially with guys when you want the subject's shoulders to look more broad. In the photo below, having the model's shoulders square to the camera works well, while the crossed arms convey strength and authority. This photo wouldn't have worked as well less if his arms were hanging straight down beside him.

In this photo, the model's bent arms across her body create interest, and her bent front leg (with weight on her back leg) creates a flattering pose.

3) Catch the in-between (and authentic) moments

One of the challenges of posed photos is keeping the photo looking natural, and avoiding a photo that looks cheesy and overly posed. This quote captures what you're ultimately looking for in posed photos: "It is trying to catch the energy and honesty of a candid in a highly directed shot". While this is definitely true, sometimes capturing a candid moment is really the best bet.  Take smiling - often when you ask someone to smile, you end up with a forced smile that doesn't look natural. For these cases the best thing to do is to capture an authentic smile, which sometimes takes a bit work on the photographer's part.

The photo below was taken several seconds after I asked the model to pose with the fur hiding most of her face. After I took the first photo, I told her my idea made her look a bit like she had a beard, which made her laugh and I was able to capture a real smile. So sometimes asking your subject to do something out of the ordinary (or even a little silly) can help you take a great shot, just remember to have your camera ready to capture their reaction.

My first failed photo. 

To take this picture below, I waited and watched as the model talked to one of my classmates, and snapped the photo in the middle of their conversation when he was genuinely laughing.

Looking for more tips? Here are more helpful posing techniques to remember. 

Freeze Frame

Taking pictures of non-moving subjects can be hard enough, but throw in a moving subject and it's a whole other ball game. The general rule of thumb is to ensure your shutter speed is at least 1/60 of second when hand-holding your camera, but this only really helps with one part of the equation. A blurry photo can be caused by two things: the photographer's movement or the subject's movement. Often times, 1/60 of a second will avoid camera shake but is not fast enough shutter speed to freeze a moving subject.

When shooting indoors it can be a challenge to find enough light to choose a fast enough shutter speed. But this summer, I shot plenty of photos outside, allowing me to experiment with faster shutter speeds. In the photo below, the super fast shutter speed of 1/1250 of a second ensured my little girl was crisp and clear.  Could I have ended up with the same sharpness with a slower shutter speed (like 1/400 or 1/250 of second)? Maybe, but I didn't bother risking it. Unfortunately, I still rely on trial and error most of the time to figure out how fast my shutter speed needs to be,  in any given situation.

Very fast shutter speeds can create really interesting effects with water. In the two photos below (shot at 1/1250 and 1/800 of a second respectively), I was able to capture movement so quick that even the human eye wouldn't have been able to see it in the same way.

One interesting (and unexpected) thing that I have realized when shooting moving subjects is that sometimes "blur" is a good thing. At times, it can create a more interesting photo than one that was crisp and clear.  Take the picture below as an example. On one hand, the photo is a perfectly nice - it clearly captures the joy of my niece's face as she rode the ferries wheel. On the other hand, there is something missing: by freezing all motion, I failed to capture the very thing that caused my niece to smile  - the fast, circular motion of the ride.

Panning can help to over come the above problem by helping to convey a sense of motion. Although fairly difficult to master, it involves picking a slower shutter speed and moving your camera in the same direction as your moving subject and shooting continuously (see full explanation in following link). If you get it right, you'll end up with a photo with a sharp subject set against a blurred background.

Here's my attempt at panning on the ferris wheel shot at 1/10 of a second.

Finally, as you'll see with the two photos below, different shutter speeds can both work, but will change the creative effect (first shot at 1/80 sec, second at 1/3 of a second). Which do you prefer?

Happy (Belated) 1st Birthday!

Four months ago Maelle turned one. (I'm clearly a little delayed with this post). To celebrate I decided to stage my own "cake smash" photo shoot (insert eye roll here from my husband who thinks these types of things are a little too cheesy). For those who aren't familiar with "cake smash" photos, here's an example  (and another).

Before I began my shoot, I made sure I had all the components of a good cake smash photo:

1) Colourful pennant banner? Check

2) Cake (or cupcake) to smash? Check

3) Simple background? Check

4) A cooperative year old? Ummm...

Actually, Maelle was a good sport. She (mostly) sat still long enough for me to take photos. She played with the cupcake. She "smashed" (or rather crumbled) the cupcake. She wasn't, however, keen on actually tasting the cupcake and I don't even think she knew it was food.  Here are the results of my shoot!