Candid Photo Tips
Candid Photography “is best described as un-posed and unplanned, immediate and unobtrusive”, according to Wikipedia. Sooo… it basically means that it’s the kind of pictures you take when the subject is ignoring it, or they have just gotten so used to your presence that they don’t care - they have forgotten that you are there with a camera.
Here you can see a fine example, made by “XirannisX en Off“. Note how the woman seems to be unaware of the camera; she appears to be immersed in her own thoughts and makes no attempt to put on any particular “photogenic” pose!
Such candid photographs are usually made in ambient light, and the composition of such an image tends to be somewhat “raw“. There is really no place here for the painstakingly planned and “perfect” shot; rather, a candid photo will feel spontaneous like it is simply freezing a moment of an ongoing process - life itself!
Candid photos can be snapped in places where the photographer knows the subjects - such as among family and friends. In this case, success depends on how well the photographer manages to put the subjects at ease and allow them to relax. In a situation like that, you as the photographer must act so as to blend in, and above all avoid trying to tell your subjects to “pose” in any way! You must be very patient, and also very fast. An interesting situation may unfold in a matter of seconds - and then be gone. You need to follow what is going on, and even anticipate potential opportunities before they actually happen.
A classic example is “blowing out the candles on the Birthday cake“! To get a really candid shot of something like this, you need to refrain from trying to stage the event. Rather, just observe and make sure you have complete control over your camera. One annoying thing with many digicams is the shutter lag. This happens because the camera needs time to set the focus and other stuff when you press the button.
The simplest advice I can give you to cope with this is to pre-focus: You press the shutter half-way and then keep your finger there. Usually, a digicam is built to freeze the settings when you do this - which means that when you squeeze the button all the way, the picture is now snapped instantly. Of course, this requires some planning ahead.
Another thing: turn the flash off! There is nothing so counter-productive to your attempt at being a candid photographer as firing off flashes. It both annoys the subjects AND kills every trace of relaxed, natural mood in your pictures. You don’t want to act like those despised “papparazzi” photographers, who sneak up on their subjects, fire a flash in their face, and then run away! But what about low-light situations indoors, you ask? Well, read my article about making low-light pictures without flash for some tips on that subject.
Further, I advise you to avoid using long zoom settings. This is both for technical reasons and more ethical ones. If you use a telephoto setting, you miss the sense of “being there” which a candid picture should - IMHO - convey. The picture will reveal that it was made from a far-away position - giving a “peeping-tom” feeling to it. Also, it will be harder to get a good shot because you now have bigger problems with camera shake while the maximum available aperture will be smaller than at a wide angle setting (assuming a zoom lens).
Some famous photographers have brought the art of candid photography to a fantastic level. I am thinking of people like the French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson and others. Bresson primarily took pictures of strangers he happened to notice in public places, like on the street. To pull this off, you need an ability to blend in with the crowd anywhere you go, and use a small, fast, unobtrusive camera. Certain people have the ability to do this, others don’t. I’ve read about one photographer of that type, who seemed to become invisible when he was out making candid photographs. People in the street wouldn’t even notice he was right there among them. The picture here by “kamshots” is a fine example of that style.
