A Few Shots of the Girlfriend

[limr]

Never thought simple terminology could spur this.

Oh, this ain't nothin'!

 

[Designer]

Reacting is candid photography.

Not according to the definition.

 

[Designer]

Never thought simple terminology could spur this.

The reason that we should all strive to use the same terminology is that sometimes questions are asked, and if the questioner asks a question with incorrect terminology, then the answer could be incorrect for his perception of the question. Then what we have is a failure to communicate. How does that help anybody?

(example) Recently somebody asked how to make his photos look "warmer". In the usual parlance of our hobby we would quite naturally think that the person asking the question was talking about color. He referred to his exposure meter in his question, which to me means more light or less light, not the color of the light. Even after a couple of posts, the OP was still referring to "warmer" rather than "more light". I still am not sure if the OP got his question answered to his satisfaction.

Using the same terminology will definitely help with effective communication.

 

[limr]

Reacting is candid photography.

Not according to the definition.

According to which definition?

This one from Wikipedia? Candid photography - Wikipedia

"A candid photograph is a photograph captured without creating a posed appearance. This is achieved in many ways, for example:

• when the subject is in motion,
• by avoiding prior preparation of the subject,
• by surprising the subject,
• by not distracting the subject during the process of taking photos.

Thus, the candid character of a photo is unrelated to the subject's knowledge about or consent to the fact that photos are being taken, and unrelated to the subject's permission for further usage and distribution. The crucial factor is the actual absence of posing. However, if the subject is absolutely unaware of being photographed and does not even expect it, then such photography is secret photography, which is a special case of candid photography."

Or this one from the dictionary? the definition of candid

"3. informal; unposed:
a candid photo."

Or this one from a photography website, that also includes a second dictionary definition?
A Beginner's Guide to Candid People Photography

"The dictionary definition of candid, in relation to photography is,

photography of subjects acting naturally or spontaneously without being posed

Seems simple enough, but getting it done right can be very tricky. Unlike photojournalism, where the goal is to document what happens, candid photography requires you, the photographer, to have some interaction with the subjects you’re shooting. Note that one of the key words in the definition is acting, and this can help setup the entire session for you."

Using the same terminology is important aspect to clear communication, but it's also important to understand that language is fluid and dynamic, and words often encompass a range of meanings, not necessarily static rigid definitions.

Ultimately, we're not really saying anything radically different from each other. The difference is only that yours demands that the subject is unaware of being photographed, whereas the mine - and, among others, the examples above - does not include this condition.

 

[Derrel]

My favorite of the three is the sunset/eyelash shot. I would say keep shooting! Keep capturing the world and its people. Candids,or posed shots, whatever you like to shoot, keep shooting that stuff.

 

[limr]

My favorite of the three is the sunset/eyelash shot. I would say keep shooting! Keep capturing the world and its people. Candids,or posed shots, whatever you like to shoot, keep shooting that stuff.

Yes, back to the photographs, I have to agree with Derrel here. The sunset shot is the best one of this set. The light is beautiful (and I like the flare) and there's definitely a mood to this shot - calm, timeless. In the others, I just feel too much of her discomfort from being in front of a camera. If she continues to struggle, then find a different model to practice on. Or, of course, take pictures of other things (people aren't the only interesting photographic subjects ).

 

[Derrel]

Yeah, limr';s got this right: "candid" or "posed" it does not matter what the first two shots are classified as being: they are disconcerting to look at. She looks uncomfortable about the photography process...just no two ways about that. The last shot though is calm.

 

[SearchingForElysium]

My favorite of the three is the sunset/eyelash shot. I would say keep shooting! Keep capturing the world and its people. Candids,or posed shots, whatever you like to shoot, keep shooting that stuff.

Yes, back to the photographs, I have to agree with Derrel here. The sunset shot is the best one of this set. The light is beautiful (and I like the flare) and there's definitely a mood to this shot - calm, timeless. In the others, I just feel too much of her discomfort from being in front of a camera. If she continues to struggle, then find a different model to practice on. Or, of course, take pictures of other things (people aren't the only interesting photographic subjects ).

Whenever I can, candids take my top pick for photography. I have a lot of product photography type shots, which will be up soon. I never get to shoot people as often as I'd like. I live in AZ, and street photography is quite lacking.
As said before, I should be doing her senior pictures soon, so those will hopefully be lovely.

Yeah, limr';s got this right: "candid" or "posed" it does not matter what the first two shots are classified as being: they are disconcerting to look at. She looks uncomfortable about the photography process...just no two ways about that. The last shot though is calm.

I can see what you guys mean by the uncomfortable aspect of the shots, though I still think they're nice. The first one seems comfortable enough though? Seeing the feedback tells me that everything except for the vibe it gives off. Thanks again for the replies guys. I've been wanting actual feedback on my pictures for awhile.