13 April 2010

portraits


i've been taking a lot of portraits lately and i love it. i love capturing a look, an expression and i secretly love seeing how different people act towards a camera. i like when they don't shy away and i like when they feel a little shy, but still let me take a picture. i like trying to snap the picture at a perfect time and then waiting to see what expression i got once the roll has been developed.

i think taking more photos of people also marks my growth as a photographer. i remember being really shy about a camera in front of my face (don't get me wrong, sometimes i am still shy about it) and i passed up a lot of shots i wanted to take for the sake of 'not being rude.' now i think a camera is a fun addition to a conversation or a walk down a busy street.

how do you feel about unposed portraits? as a photographer or as a person?

7 comments:

  1. i'm also still working on being more comfortable with portraits. i tend to stay away from snapping photos of faces and focus more on hands or headless shots or profiles. i also try to get people when they're not looking, but a lot of people see the camera on them and automatically feel the need to smile or pose. i absolutely love adding a human touch to photos, though -- i feel like it brings more life, more of a story, to each photo. these are great shots -- love the yellow tones and that lovely smile.

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  2. these are really great Anna!
    i just bought a diana mini and i can't wait to start shooting on film!
    i love taking portraits, i even think that's the first reason i came to enjoy photography. but i am still too shy to shoot strangers like ida does so well.
    it is difficult to get people to stay natural but i have noticed that if you are constantly with your camera , they tend to forget it after a while...

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  3. The 2nd shot is great. You captured her perfectly.

    I love shooting portraits but it isn't easy. Generally people don't like having their photo taken so they are nervous and unnatural. You've done a great job at capturing her naturally here.

    I think a portrait that isn't posed is the best kind.

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  4. I definitely like un-posed portraits, or at least the kind where the subject isn't doing a traditional pose.

    The picture of your friend is beautiful though - you really captured the happiness and even slight embarrassment of the photo. Its gorgeous! I can't wait to see more!

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  5. these are greats.
    to me, portraits are the most difficult thing to do in photography, posed portraits could be good if the person in front of you knows what he wants...

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  6. I like them the best. I love taking them (a little shy to do it sometimes too) and to see my portrait taken while chatting or doing something else.

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  7. I'm obsessed with portraits, but it is so hard not to be shy about taking them! Once I've found a tolerant subject I love taking that person's photo over and over again. Such a luxury to have a good model. You've got some good ones!

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thanks for your comment! i appreciate hearing from you.