A Beginner’s Guide to Candid People Photography

Shooting people can be rewarding, frustrating, exhilarating and fun, all at once.  Over the last few years, typical portrait and posed photographs of the family have gone way to more of a photo-journalistic style of shooting, and candid photographs of people have emerged as what more and more consumers want.  Rather than awkward, posed photos with fake smiles, the value seems to be higher on those candid moments.  To shoot candid people photography, lets first take a look at what candid means.
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.
photo © 2010 Greg Livaudais | more info (via: Wylio)

This lovely photo of a child blowing bubbles is a great example of a candid photograph, but it could have easily been staged. Because it’s hard to get children to do exactly what you want, often it’s a good idea to give them tools that will enable them to do what they want, and benefit the photograph in the end.  What child doesn’t like to blow bubbles on a sunny summer day?  They can now run around the yard as they wish and you can wait till the right moment to photograph them.  This is how blurring the line between candid and photojournalism is developed, because you’ve helped to influence the photograph.  Your influence is what will make a great candid photograph.

photo © 2010 Andrew Stawarz | more info (via: Wylio)

In this wonderfully candid photograph, we see two friends at a park enjoying the company of each other, obviously laughing at something, each other, or possibly at something funny the photographer just said.  Unlike posed photography, and very much like photojournalism, waiting becomes the primary game for candids.  Had the photographer simply asked two friends to sit out in the middle of a park on some grass, chances are this would be a very boring photograph.  Because the photographer waited, or started a conversation that led to laughter they were able to create this wonderfully candid photograph.

photo © 2010 Emmanuel Dasalla | more info (via: Wylio)

Here, we see a candid moment between two people who care about each other and are enjoying a sunset together.  By putting the people in a situation where they’d naturally be able to interact, the photographer has one again allowed a candid moment to spontaneously happen.
Candid photography of people is one part photojournalism, one part portraiture, one part creative planning and one part unintended interaction.  If any of these parts go missing, the ability to capture the candid moment disappears and you’re left with what will appear to be a posed photograph, one that looks forced or one that appears to be too photo-journalistic.
Because you, the photographer have the ability to act as set director and enabler for the people you’re shooting, you have an upper hand compared to a documentary photojournalist.  It is your responsibility to create or encourage the situations you want to capture, not relying solely on what could or might happen.

Photo Mean Memory

Are u agree that when u take a photo, that photo will become your memory???
For me, i WILL answer YES...
Because owe u take the photo, for the next minutes,next hours, next years all may be forever.
You can imagine that a day when you in the ages of 65years old, you open the older album,
you see your primary school's photo, you refresh back what you have did at that times.
Or may be u see ur secondary's school's photo, you think bac how sweet you are with your dear boyfriends.
On the other hands,  can be say in other ways.
When you loss a dear Grandmother, you can see the photo that when she still alive.
At least you still can feel your grandmother forever in your memory and deeper heart.
That why i very like take photo.
Photo means life, it mark down whatever we done in the world.
When I go outing i will take the best memory with my friend

When my grandmother's birthday, i also take a photo , so that i never forget her smile =)

When i boring i take pictures too.haha

I LOVE PHOTO, FOREVER LOVE.

How to Shoot Landscapes With Bright Cloud Cover

A common problem for landscape photographers is shooting during overcast conditions in which the cloud cover is effectively a light source. White or bright overcast cloud throws up the issue that the ground and the sky require two different settings in order to expose both properly. Expose for the ground and you get a washed out, highlighted sky. Expose for the sky and you get an under-exposed ground.
Assuming that you absolutely want to include the sky in your shot (not including the sky is sometimes the simplest solution), there are two main ways to attack this conundrum.

Photograph by Brook Peterson

Get Your Filter On
Almost every landscape photographer worth their salt will have a set of graduated filters for these (and other) conditions. The Cokin filter holders are popular among many DSLR users and hold the various graduated filters that a perfect for this situation.

Photo of an ND Grad Filter by Scalespeeder

Which filters will you need though?
For bright overcast skies with the ground darker, the obvious filter to use is a Neutral Density Graduated Filter (ND Grad). As these filters are graduated from dark to light (see image above), the effect is to darken the sky while keeping the ground at the same exposure. There are several that you should consider carrying in your pack.
The ND Grad 1 (ND 0.3) will darken the sky by one stop. The ND Grad 2 (ND 0.6) will darken it by two stops. Combined, the ND0.3 and ND0.6 will darken the sky by three stops. You can also get an ND Grad 3 (ND 0.9) which is also quite common in ND Grad filter kits. On a Cokin filter holder which has three slots, you can stack these in front of each other or use only one or two.
You can also get ND 2 Grads filters which have two different levels of graduation as well as a clear area at the bottom of the filter.
And finally, if you would like to draw specific attention to the horizon, then you can invert two of your ND Grad filters (ie. put one upside down) so that the sky and the foreground are both stopped down to give an effect similar to the photograph below. (You can also buy a single filter that’s graduated from both the top and the bottom to give the same effect). Notice how the top of the sky and the bottom of the foreground are darker and the horizon is brightest.

Photograph by Phil Price

For a great primer on using strong ND Grad filters, check out this article by Chris Gin, a New Zealand landscape photographer and friend of Light Stalking.
What If I Don’t Have a Filter?
If you don’t yet have any ND Grad filters, then there is another option!
Hopefully you have a tripod (alternatively, you can make sure you stabilise your camera some other way) and some post-processing software.
With this second option, you will need to take two images using different shutter speeds.
The first one, you expose so that the sky is properly exposed (the ground will be terribly under-exposed in most cases).
The second shot, you expose so that the ground is properly exposed with a longer shutter speed (the sky will usually be blown out with highlights).
Note: Leave the aperture and ISO the same for both shots. You don’t want different depth of field or noise for each shot. Change only shutter speed.
Next you will want to open both images in Photoshop and, after selecting one as your base, import the other so that you have two layers. (Simply open the second one, hit CTRL-A and CTRL-C, then open the base one and hit CTRL-V).
Use the eraser brush tool at a large size with a soft edge to simply erase the poorly exposed area of the top layer. This combines the well exposed ground with the well exposed sky.
Light Stalking’s Chistopher O’Donnell also has a good tutorial on combining layers over at the Photo Argus that is worth a read for an alternate method.
These are the two most basic ways to deal with overexposed and cloudy skies for landscape photography. It’s nothing particularly technical, but knowing these simple techniques can save you from the heartache of those blown out skies on overcast days.

I Love Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is a graphics editing program developed and published by Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Adobe's 2003 "Creative Suite" rebranding led to Adobe Photoshop 8's renaming to Adobe Photoshop CS. Thus, Adobe Photoshop CS5 is the 12th major release of Adobe Photoshop. The CS rebranding also resulted in Adobe offering numerous software packages containing multiple Adobe programs for a reduced price. Adobe Photoshop is released in two editions: Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Photoshop Extended, with the Extended having extra features available. Adobe Photoshop Extended is included in all of Adobe's Creative Suite offerings except Design Standard, which includes the Adobe Photoshop edition.
Alongside Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Extended, Adobe also publishes Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, collectively called "The Adobe Photoshop Family" by Adobe. In 2008, Adobe released Adobe Photoshop Express, a free web-based image editing tool to edit photos directly on blogs and social networking sites.

FEATURES
Photoshop has ties with other Adobe software for media editing, animation, and authoring. The .PSD (Photoshop Document), Photoshop's native format, stores an image with support for most imaging options available in Photoshop. These include layers with masks, color spaces, ICC profiles, transparency, text, alpha channels and spot colors, clipping paths, and duotone settings. This is in contrast to many other file formats (e.g. .EPS or .GIF) that restrict content to provide streamlined, predictable functionality.
Photoshop's popularity means that the .PSD format is widely used, and it is supported to some extent by most competing software. The .PSD file format can be exported to and from Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Premiere Pro, and After Effects, to make professional standard DVDs and provide non-linear editing and special effects services, such as backgrounds, textures, and so on, for television, film, and the Web. Photoshop is a pixel-based image editor, unlike programs such as Macromedia FreeHand (now defunct), Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape or CorelDraw, which are vector-based image editors.
Photoshop uses color models RGB, lab, CMYK, grayscale, binary bitmap, and duotone. Photoshop has the ability to read and write raster and vector image formats such as .EPS, .PNG, .GIF, .JPEG, and Adobe Fireworks.

Here are those Pictures i make it through photoshop:

LAST, I reli LOVE photoshop.. It reli amazing.
All the pictures above is my edition.:)

16 Inspirational Portrait Photography Techniques

1. PHOTOSHOP

If you’re good with post-processing and manipulations, use it to your advantage. Get crazy with the adjustments, try some new Photoshop techniques, and maybe even a composite image.

2. TEXTURE

If texture is a big part of your subject, make it stand out and make it obvious. Match up the textures between your subject and your background. You might even try texturizing the entire photo for additional impact.

3. OVEREXPOSE

Blowing out the highlights or making a high-key image makes a nice soft portrait with kind of a light airy feeling. Another advantage of high-key photos is that the smaller details and defects are blown away, making the image look much smoother.

4. UNDEREXPOSE

A dominantly dark or low-key image will naturally draw your eyes to the lighter parts. These tend to have a grittier and harder look to them than the high-key images.

5. BACK-LIGHT

Hair lights up like crazy when it’s back-lit, so if hair is a big part of your subject make it stand out by placing your subject between you and a light source. You could also take this a little further and push the image to a silhouette.

6. POSING

Get crazy with the pose and positioning — extra points if it looks uncomfortable. Not only with the poses, but also with your own positioning — shoot from different angles to achieve different impacts.

7. CULTURE

Capture the local culture — what’s mundane to you is exotic to us. Culture is everywhere, even in your own town. Just image you’re visiting from a different country — what things would then seem more interesting to you?

8. REFLECTIONS

Make use of different surfaces to add that extra dimension — windows, mirrors, and water are all very good reflective surfaces that give a different result and texture.

9. SHADOWS

Make the shadow an important part of the image. Sometimes the shadow can even be more prominent than the actual subject casting the shadow.

10. GET CLOSE

There’s no rule against cropping out most of the subject’s face. This draws more attention to the parts that are left in the frame.

11. (UN)FOCUS

Out-of-focus subjects can be more interesting than the in-focus subjects. It kind of adds some mystery to the image because you can’t quite make out who that person is.

12. MOVEMENT

Use movement to show action, even if it blurs out the subject entirely. In cases like this, think of the person as a means of creating the subject rather than being the actual subject.

13. CAPTURE THE MOMENT

Catch somebody doing something they love, even if it’s not staged. Street photography is one of my favorite genres because it captures life as it happens — unstaged and unposed.

 

14. COLORS

Use vibrant and contrasting colors to draw attention to parts of your subject. This could be makeup, clothing, accessories, or whatever else you can get your hands on.

 

15. GET SERIOUS

Not all portraits need to have a smile, capture the serious emotions too. Some of my favorite portraits have no hint of a smile in them, and they’re highly emotional.

16. PROPS

Use the props and tools around you to make the setting more interesting. Find things to place your subject in, on, under, around, etc.

Nikon D3000 review

Introduction
The Nikon D3000 is a new entry-level digital SLR camera designed to make photography simple and accessible. Aimed at the complete beginner, the D3000 is primarily aimed at anyone who wants to take photos without having to worry about what the camera is doing. The intelligent Guide Mode asks you about the image you want to capture and automatically optimizes the settings for the best possible results. When you’ve gained more experience, you can then use the Guide Mode to find out how to adjust the settings yourself. The Nikon D3000 also features a 10.2 megapixel sensor, EXPEED processing system, 3-inch LCD screen, 3 fps continuous shooting and 11-point autofocus system.

Specifications

Type

Type

Single-lens reflex digital camera

Lens mount

Nikon F mount (with AF contacts)

Effective picture angle

Approx. 1.5 x lens focal length (Nikon DX format)

Effective pixels

Effective pixels

10.2 million

Image sensor

Image sensor

23.6 x 15.8 mm CCD sensor

Total pixels

10.75 million

Dust-reduction system

Image Sensor Cleaning, Airflow Control System, Image Dust Off reference data (optional Capture NX 2 software required)

Storage

Image size (pixels)

3,872 x 2,592 [L], 2,896 x 1,944 [M], 1,936 x 1,296 [S]

File format

• NEF (RAW)
• JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx. 1:4), normal (approx. 1:8), or basic (approx. 1:16) compression
• NEF (RAW) + JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats

Picture Control System

Can be selected from Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape; selected Picture Control can be modified

Media

SD (Secure Digital) memory cards, SDHC compliant

File system

DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0, DPOF (Digital Print Order Format), Exif 2.21 (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras), PictBridge

Viewfinder

Viewfinder

Eye-level pentamirror single-lens reflex viewfinder

Frame coverage

Approx. 95% horizontal and 95% vertical

Magnification

Approx. 0.8 x (50 mm f/1.4 lens at infinity, -1.0 m-1)

Eyepoint

18 mm (-1.0 m-1)

Diopter adjustment

-1.7 to +0.5 m-1

Focusing screen

Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark V screen with focus frame (framing grid can be displayed)

Reflex mirror

Quick return type

Lens aperture

Instant return, electronically controlled

Lens

Compatible lenses

• AF-S and AF-I NIKKOR: All functions supported
• Type G or D AF NIKKOR without built-in autofocus motor: All functions except autofocus supported. IX NIKKOR lenses not supported.
• Other AF NIKKOR: All functions supported except autofocus and 3D color matrix metering II. Lenses for F3AF not supported.
• Type D PC NIKKOR: All functions supported except some shooting modes.
• AI-P NIKKOR: All functions supported except 3D color matrix metering II.
• Non-CPU: Autofocus not supported. Can be used in exposure mode M, but exposure meter does not function.

Note: Electronic rangefinder can be used if lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster.

Shutter

Type

Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter

Speed

1/4000 to 30 s in steps of 1/3 EV, Bulb, Time (requires optional Wireless Remote Control ML-L3)

Flash sync speed

X=1/200 s; synchronizes with shutter at 1/200 s or slower

Release

Release mode

Single-frame, continuous, self-timer, quick-response remote, delayed remote

Frame advance rate

Up to 3 fps (manual focus, mode M or S, shutter speed 1/250 s or faster, and other settings at default values)

Self-timer

Can be selected from 2, 5, 10, and 20 s duration

Exposure

Metering

TTL exposure metering using 420-pixel RGB sensor

Metering method

• Matrix: 3D color matrix metering II (type G and D lenses); color matrix metering II (other CPU lenses)
• Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 8-mm circle in center of frame
• Spot: Meters 3.5-mm circle (about 2.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point

Range (ISO 100, f/1.4 lens, 20oC/68oF)

• Matrix or center-weighted metering: 0 to 20 EV
• Spot metering: 2 to 20 EV

Exposure meter coupling

CPU

Exposure Modes

Auto modes (auto, auto [flash off ]), Scene Modes (Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close up, Night portrait), programmed auto with flexible program (P), shutter-priority auto (S), aperture-priority auto (A) manual (M)

Exposure compensation

-5 to +5 EV in increments of 1/3 EV

Exposure lock

Luminosity locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button

ISO sensitivity (Recommended Exposure Index)

ISO 100 to 1600 in steps of 1 EV. Can also be set to approx. 1 EV above ISO 1600 (ISO 3200 equivalent), auto ISO sensitivity control available

Active D-Lighting

Can be selected from On or Off

Focus

Autofocus

Nikon Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection, 11 focus points (including one cross-type sensor), and AF-assist illuminator (range approx. 0.5 to 3m / 1 ft. 8 in. to 9 ft. 10 in.)

Detection range

-1 to +19 EV (ISO 100, 20oC/68oF)

Lens servo

• Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); continuous-servo AF (AF-C); auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A); predictive focus tracking activated automatically according to subject status
• Manual focus (MF): Electronic rangefinder can be used

Focus point

Can be selected from 11 focus points

AF-area mode

Single-point AF, dynamic-area AF, auto-area AF, 3D-tracking (11 points) AF

Focus lock

Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (Single-servo AF) or by pressing AE-L/AF-L button

Flash

Built-in flash

Approx. 12/39, 13/43 with manual flash (m/ft, ISO 100, 20oC/68oF)

Guide Number

-1 to +19 EV (ISO 100, 20oC/68oF)

Flash control

• TTL: i-TTL balanced fill-flash and standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR using 420-pixel RGB sensor are available with built-in flash and SB-900, SB-800, SB-600, or SB-400 (i-TTL balanced fill-flash is available when matrix or center-weighted metering is selected)
• Auto aperture: Available with SB-900, SB-800 and CPU lens
• Non-TTL auto: Supported flash units include SB-900, SB-800, SB-80DX, SB-28DX, SB-28, SB-27, and SB-22S
• Range-priority manual: Available with SB-900 and SB-800

Flash mode

Auto, auto with red-eye reduction, fill-flash, auto slow sync, auto slow sync with red-eye correction, and rear curtain with slow sync

Flash compensation

-3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3 EV

Flash-ready indicator

Lights when built-in flash or optional flash unit such as SB-900, SB-800, SB-600, SB-400, SB-80DX, SB-28DX, or SB-50DX is fully charged; blinks for 3 s after flash is fired at full output

Accessory shoe

ISO 518 hot-shoe with sync and data contacts and safety lock

Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS)

Advanced Wireless Lighting supported with SB-900, SB-800, or SU-800 as commander; Flash Color Information Communication supported with built-in flash and all CLS-compatible flash units

Sync terminal

Sync Terminal Adapter AS-15 (optional)

White balance

White balance

Auto, incandescent, fluorescent (7 types), direct sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade, preset manual, all except preset manual with fine turning.

Monitor

LCD monitor

3-in., approx. 230 k-dot TFT LCD with brightness adjustment

Playback

Playback function

Full-frame and thumbnail (4, 9, or 72 images or calendar) playback with playback zoom, playback of stop-motion movies created with D3000, slide show, histogram display, highlights, auto image rotation, and image comment (up to 36 characters)

Interface

USB

Hi-Speed USB

Audio video output

Can be selected from NTSC and PAL

Supported languages

Supported languages

Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish

Power source

Battery

One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL9a

AC adapter

AC Adapter EH-5a; requires Power Connector EP-5 (optional)

Tripod socket

Tripod socket

1/4 in. (ISO 1222)

Dimensions/weight

Dimensions (W x H x D)

Approx. 126 x 97 x 64 mm (5.0 x 3.8 x 2.5 in.)

Weight

Approx. 485 g (1 lb. 1.1 oz.) without battery, memory card, or body cap

Operating environment

Temperature

0 to 40oC (32 to 104oF)

Humidity

Less than 85% (no condensation)

Accessories

Supplied accessories (may differ by country or area)

Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL9a , Quick Charger MH-23,, Eyepiece Cap DK-5, Rubber Eyecap DK-20, USB Cable UC-E4, Video Cable EG-D100, Camera Strap AN-DC3, Accessory Shoe Cover BS-1, Body Cap BF-1A, Software Suite CD-ROM

 Sample image

Conclusion

As with the Nikon range topping D3x, with the D3000 at the very opposite end of the scale, its manufacturer is again providing the photographer (fledgling in this case) with their own virtual 'wingman', delivering essential aid whilst leaving them to get on with the business of taking photos.

Shame there's no movie facility (HD or otherwise), HDMI output, tilting LCD or Live View mode, all features becoming increasingly ubiquitous and thus now expected on a new DSLR, particularly as the first two are now featuring on £249-£300 point and shoot compacts – on which the rear screen can be used for shot composition anyway. By including Live View however Nikon might have had a world-beater on its hands, though we can appreciate the need to differentiate further the D3000 from models higher up the range.

If we're being overly critical of what is 'just' a budget or starter model it's probably because, Intelligent Guides and hand holding aside, it literally doesn't feel like one. It's a solid model in every sense of the word that should see the amateur photographer through years of happy service.

It should also save those upgrading from a point and shoot the need to invest in an evening course to learn the technical side of photography – or at the very least prevent the need to fully digest the supplied manual – something most of us, if we're being honest, never truly bother with anyway. Overall then, the Nikon D3000 is worthy of a coveted Photography Blog "Highly Recommended" award. A few more features next time though Nikon, and you might truly have something to shout about.

Daniel Zain- A wedding & portrait photographer

Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he is a wedding & portrait photographer that specialises in natural contemporary images.

A graduate of Multimedia University Cyberjaya, majoring in Digital Media, He believe in capturing your special moments with an eye of an artist instead of just documenting the moment.

He invite you to browse through his sample images and plan for your own portrait session! If you're getting married, then what a better way to capture your special day then with a classy  photojournalistic & fun approach?

Last but not least, He look forward to capturing your memories and seeing the smiles on you & your loved one's faces.

 

 

If u have time, u can 'Click Me' to see the official blog of Daniel Zain.

Because u can get more detail and get many photography that take by him.

This youtube is showing 1 of the album from his portrait's photograghy

It was a wet portraiture session..

Furthermore, he also have many other album so u can go to www.danielzain.com too,

 to get more photo n information.