Your Go-To Guide To Photographing People

From a photographer who is in front of the camera A LOT!

Hello lovely people of Substack!

This week we are talking all things PEOPLE and how to photograph them. I actually think this is the hardest type of photography to do, for so many reasons that we will dive into below.

A quick note on a few things:

• I’m finishing up portfolio reviews this month and will instead be coming back strong with a course that will be super affordable and allow me to help more people!

• Today’s issue was made possible by my friends at picdrop and if you are a photographer looking for an image delivery tool that is slick and professional (bye bye google drive) then click here for a 2 month FREE trial of picdrop.

• My latest YT video breaking down the 9 most important lessons from

  Rick Rubin
  ’s book The Creative Act is now live and ready for you to watch!

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Your Go-To Guide To Photographing People - My Tips & Tricks

Okay, so most people are, in a nutshell, a nightmare to shoot. This is only because they are human and as humans we are unpredictable, often self conscious in front of cameras and get in our heads when we know we are being put under the microscope (lens).

It’ a double whammy of a nightmare for you, the photographer, because you now not only have to think about you settings, composition and possibly working to a brief, you also need to manage this human being in front of you and direct them!

Its like double the work and sometimes when people are involved I’m just dreaming of mops leaned against walls or classic cars parked and stationary sitting pretty and predictable.

Throw some children in the mix and my god it’s just CHAOS!

But…

It’s also really really fun and when you nail it and get a vibe going the pay off in the result is HUGE!

So let’s break down some handy hints that will help you next time you work with a living breathing subject so you can make the magic happen a little easier.

Say goodbye to perfect portraits and instead opt for real and raw candid moments of cool people eating big sandwiches

Perfect Is Boring - Let People Be Their Real Selves Instead

So when we take photos of people we want to make them look good right?

We also want to capture their essence and if we are capturing groups and events we kind of want to capture the vibe. Sometimes there isn’t a vibe and it ends up being your job to make it look like there was one (happens all the time to me) and a great way to do this is to put less pressure on your subjects.

We don’t want this shoot looking stuffy and staged - we want real moments of joy or fun or whatever it is you are trying to nail for the client or your portfolio.

Here’s what I do in these situations

• Ensure you have not been the awkward introvert you probably are if you’re a photographer and introduce yourself to the group. Just say hey and smile let them know you are going to be snapping away at different times throughout the day/night.

• Try and break the ice at some point (especially if it’s a set up shoot for fashion or hospitality and maybe the talent don’t all know each other) I like to give a compliment, ask a question, make a joke or just open them up a bit so it’s not just like a “I don’t know you and now I’m taking photos of you isn’t this weird” type of situation….photography foreplay goes a long way here.

• People get awkward and then sometimes stop what they are doing, do something weird or look at the camera like a deer in the headlights, leaving you thinking OMG just go back to what you were doing before!!! A work around for this is to communicate - I always say “you guys just keep chatting and having fun, do your thing and I’ll shoot around you so just be your beautiful selves and I’ll let you know if I need anything from you”

• In the midst of the shoot try and make them laugh. It’s really easy because they feel awkward so they will probably laugh at literally anything because they might be dying inside and nearing hysteria (lol) so make a little joke, say something that will make everyone have a chuckle and then fire that damn shutter while they do it and i guarantee these will nail the brief and be the best photos you get the whole session!

Laughter is the best medicine right?

Don’t micro manage them and be the strung out guy or girl that dampens the mood. Be the fun loving photographer who is here to get the job done but still ensure everyone is loving life while they do it. Your presence will have a huge impact on the photos so channel positive energy and you’ll see it reflected in the work.

To be honest this above paragraph is probably great life advice as well - you’re welcome.

You Have To Be The Cheerleader

Speaking as someone who is often in front of the camera (mostly working just with my husband these days) I know what it’s like to have ZERO positive reinforcement from the photographer.

My husband is ALL ABOUT THE GEAR AND THE SETTINGS and kind of forgets about the emotions of the subject - me. But don’t worry I tell him all about it.

The point I’m trying to make here is that it’s your job to really lift up your subject and make them feel like a million dollars.

It might feel like too much, but I think here is where less is more DOES NOT apply, because often people feel quite vulnerable in front of the camera so they need that boost.

Letting them know they are…

• Doing such a good job

• Looking absolutely amazing

• Smashing it and are so easy to photograph (even if they aren’t just yet)

• More or less a natural and don’t look awkward (again they might now but you can build their confidence up and they will then naturally relax and be less awkward)

Just don’t be that person that is so stuck in their gear and the shot that they then treat the model/subject like they don’t have feelings and are like another setting that needs to be tweaked.

You need to be personable and able to sense peoples emotions if you are going to be regularly photographing people.

Instead of Direction - Give Them a Story

Obviously all the positive reinforcement in the world won’t get you all the way with a subject who just isn’t coming to the photo party.

Avoid getting frustrated and giving passive aggressive direction or being just plain rude and instead opt for the story approach.

Replace “move your hand here and do X thing” with “pretend you are in X mood doing X thing at X time”

Example - Pretend you’re on holiday, sitting in the sun just sipping that cocktail, loving life, just lapping it all up.

Give me the scene they need to be in so they can start to get into character essentially.

I do this for myself when I’m having my photo taken.

Recently my husband took photos of me at home and I decided to channel an “At home with Lucy Lumen” scene like pretending a magazine like…ohhhh i don’t know vogue (lol) wanted to come over and see me in my abode (which is a run down rental in the burbs, so they wouldn’t be the slightest bit interested but a girl can dream right?)

This allowed me to imagine the types of images I had seen of this before and then embody those poses and step into that character.

Me living my Vogue dream on the left and then me on the right laughing at myself for it

Give People Something To Do With Their Hands

This one is a certified GAMECHANGER.

Hands become these awkward extensions of our bodies when we are being photographed and the best way to tackle it is…

PROPS

This could be as simple as a pair of sunnies, a piece of fruit, a drink, hell even a pocket can be a prop to save your subject from looking like Edward Scissorhands.

Props do wonders for shoots because they help to tell a story - which in my opinion Is the key to a great set of images.

Who is this person?

What are they doing in this location?

What are you asking the viewer to believe or feel and how can props and styling help to convey that?

It’s SO SO SO RARE that just a photo of a person with none of these things is going to be a knockout unless they are particularly unique looking or they are famous.

I’m sorry…but that’s just kind of true.

You can still have those more traditional and simple stripped back portrait moments but splice them in with the others that tell a story and BANG you’ve got it!

An epic prop moment from a shoot with an illustrator and copywriter last year.

You don’t always have to include their face…

This might seem rude but it isn’t.

Often I’ll see a set of photos from a session and they all look kind of the same.

Diversity is key when shooting people because it can quickly become repetitive (again props come in handy here to change things up) and to make the client happy, especially in fashion/lifestyle, it’s really key to have different angles/scenes and poses.

A great way to take the pressure off here is to shoot some faceless compositions, because let’s face it, you’re 100% going to be culling photos from the gallery due to a wonky eye, a weird expression or say it with me…an awkward hand making it’s usual standard appearance.

Consider giving your subject a break too and take some “human element” shots that still include limbs, just sans face.

Ideas here are

• A hand reaching in for a baked good, a laptop etc.

• A shoot from behind - maybe highlight a slogan on a tee or something

• Hands or book over face for a cute Pinterest moment

• Legs only - possibly showing something cool at feet like a deck of cards or records on the floor or better yet a killer pair of shoes.

• A quick snap of the remnants of your subject. Think their paints piled up or their handbag in the corner.

  

  A few examples of diversity in a portrait shoot

So there you go - those are my tips and what I’ve learned so far in my people photographing adventures.

Navigating the world of creative freelancing can be so difficult and whether you are just shooting with friends for fun, building up a portfolio hoping to moonlight as a photographer, or transitioning to full time, I’m here to help with this weekly Substack.

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