Candids?

[milavidal]

So, Ive been shooting events for a while and one thing that I always struggle with is capturing candid moments. It seems like everytime Im about to capture a great moment, the subjects tend to stop, pose, and smile for the camera! Besides moving back from the subjects and trying to walk around unnoticed, what do you guys do to capture those moments? Do you tell them before hand not to pose? :raisedbrow:

 

[tsaraleksi]

It's all about being discrete and fast, getting your shot before anyone realizes. It can help to use longer lenses between 85 and 200, but you run the risk of losing intimacy in the images if you are not careful.

 

[Big Mike]

I use a 70-200mm lens so that I can stand far enough away. Focus quickly and get the shot before they know you are pointing a large lens at them.

 

[DWS]

It's all about being discrete

that's the bottom line

 

[gsgary]

It's all about speed and timing

 

[Mike_E]

Learn to shoot from the shoulder or hip. In other words learn to shoot without having to look through the viewfinder.

There is a really interesting phenomenon going on here in that so many people subconsciously think that they aren't good enough for some reason and need to pose to make themselves look more of whatever it is they find deficient in themselves.

Learning to shoot without looking fools them into thinking that they aren't targets and hence deprives them a chance to exhibit their personal phobias.

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

 

[Joves]

Yeah I have done the shooting from the shoulder and hip technique with mixed results. I like to shoot with both eyes open and act like Im shooting something else, then I move to the subject quickly and fire it off.

 

[dtornabene1]

Everybody here has great advice, but what about getting the shot once they do see you? Is all lost? No, there are a plenty of things to still get the shot. This is where photographer personallity comes into play.

If you are ready to shoot and people stop and pose, sometimes it is as easy as saying, "Oh just keep on doing what you were doing.". Of course this is easier when you are not using a flash. Flash photography grabs a lot of attention and can be distracting.

You can always tell them, "Oh, keep going, I was shooting something behind you.".

But the best trick has been hiding up our sleves with the new "Live View" trend. At first, I thought live view was great just for portraits (mostly to ensure the best focus). But then I learned its' real secret, candids!

People are so used to someone holding the camera and viewing it's LCD, they usually don't give it a second thought. Even when in the hands of a professional.

Even better is Live View with silent shooting. In this case I am looking as though I'm reviewing shoots when really I'm composing my next one!

Of course I have no disagreements with posts above. While I'm not a big fan of shooting from the hip (I like to shoot wide open a lot) it's still worth a try.

Good luck and always try to anticipate the action before it happens.

-Nick

 

[milavidal]

It's all about being discrete and fast, getting your shot before anyone realizes. It can help to use longer lenses between 85 and 200, but you run the risk of losing intimacy in the images if you are not careful.

I have tried that, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't..I'll just have to keep on shooting, untill I get the hang of it. I recently bought a 70-200 and just used it this weekend...I was able to get a couple of good ones, but they were all dancing..I dont think they would have stopped to pose..hehe

I use a 70-200mm lens so that I can stand far enough away. Focus quickly and get the shot before they know you are pointing a large lens at them.

I just used my 70-200mm lens last weekend, it really does help that I dont have to stand so close to them...I'll have to work on my focus though :mrgreen:

Learn to shoot from the shoulder or hip. In other words learn to shoot without having to look through the viewfinder.

There is a really interesting phenomenon going on here in that so many people subconsciously think that they aren't good enough for some reason and need to pose to make themselves look more of whatever it is they find deficient in themselves.

Learning to shoot without looking fools them into thinking that they aren't targets and hence deprives them a chance to exhibit their personal phobias.

:lmao::lmao::lmao:

Thats really interesting..Ive tried that(shooting from the hip), but no success...i usually end up cutting something off...I'll have to try shoulder.. Practice makes perfect:mrgreen:

Yeah I have done the shooting from the shoulder and hip technique with mixed results. I like to shoot with both eyes open and act like Im shooting something else, then I move to the subject quickly and fire it off.

Thanks for the advice..That'll come in handy this weekend..Ive got another event to shoot.

Everybody here has great advice, but what about getting the shot once they do see you? Is all lost? No, there are a plenty of things to still get the shot. This is where photographer personallity comes into play.

If you are ready to shoot and people stop and pose, sometimes it is as easy as saying, "Oh just keep on doing what you were doing.". Of course this is easier when you are not using a flash. Flash photography grabs a lot of attention and can be distracting.

You can always tell them, "Oh, keep going, I was shooting something behind you.".

But the best trick has been hiding up our sleves with the new "Live View" trend. At first, I thought live view was great just for portraits (mostly to ensure the best focus). But then I learned its' real secret, candids!

People are so used to someone holding the camera and viewing it's LCD, they usually don't give it a second thought. Even when in the hands of a professional.

Even better is Live View with silent shooting. In this case I am looking as though I'm reviewing shoots when really I'm composing my next one!

Of course I have no disagreements with posts above. While I'm not a big fan of shooting from the hip (I like to shoot wide open a lot) it's still worth a try.

Good luck and always try to anticipate the action before it happens.

-Nick

Thank you for your tips. Im certainly going to look into liveview, but I would also like to learn the other mentioned techniques because you never know when your equipment will fail, right? I had never heard of liveview before, so Ill have to do some research =]

 

[dtornabene1]

Liveview is found in newer cameras like the 50D or 5D MII. It's the same concept as a point and shoot camera with no view finder. I didn't see what kind of equipment you are using, so I just added it.

Not for anything, it might just help someone else. Hope you find what you are looking for and use the techniques others have suggested with great success.

-Nick

 

[LarissaPhotography]

If you're talking about getting good candids of a wedding party throughout the day, it's really important to establish a connection early. Be friendly, outgoing, fun. I've found that once they warm up to me being around, they really don't care too much about the camera.