I got to shoot a beautiful family this week in Ft. Worth. They were a fun family and wanted something a little different for their family pictures. I think we succeeded! They asked me how I got such sharp close-ups of people (dad’s pretty handy with a camera himself) so I thought I’d share a few tips with those of you just starting out. A lot of people think that the key to getting such sharp pictures is having a good lens. Let me give you an example that might make you think differently. A great chef probably has really nice cookware but that’s not what makes him a great cook. I could use his same pans and I guarantee my meal wouldn’t taste anything like his because I’ve never spent the time he has to truly understand the art of cooking. The same is true with photography, you can still take great pictures without having the most expensive equipment. It’s about what you know, not what you have. Don’t get me wrong, nice equipment is always a plus and I do have very nice lenses but photography is 90% knowledge and experience and 10% equipment. I hope inspires some of you to get out there and practice without feeling like you have to invest a ton of money to get great images.
In the mean time, here are some important things to work on:
1. Make sure and get a good exposure. Take a good meter reading and check your histogram for accuracy.
2. Look at the light around you and start being aware of what light does to a face and particularly the eyes. The more you notice light, the more you’ll start to see “good light”. Good light can make all the difference in an image.
3. And last, but certainly not least, choose your aperture carefully. Your aperture and distance to your subject determines your depth of field. You have to make sure that what you want in focus will be within that focused plane. Getting super sharp pictures comes from a dead-on focus and having a steady hand. Shooting wide open also allows you to blur the background (we call this bokeh) which draws focus in on your subject only.
I realize this is like the mini version of photography cliff notes, but hopefully it will get you thinking. Photography is so much fun and the more you practice, the better you’ll get. I hope these tips help some of you!
Now on to some images of this fun family….
Love this image….so different than your normal family portrait
What a heartbreaker….
The twins are gorgeous and this is also a good example of how the perfect light can really make the eyes sparkle. I had them in the shade but turned them to the light so the light was diffused but still able to have an impact.
Love this moment between mom and dad. I need someone to get pictures of me and Jay like this~
