Camera
tips & insights
on people

Note: For my impartial camera buying advice, read my pages on buying camera equipment (click buttons in left column).

Avoid police lineups

I've seen too many travelers taking police lineup style pictures of their companions standing erect with straight faces or forced-smiles.

Be a Hollywood director - Make your photos come alive by having your traveling companions do something. For example, instruct them to examine a local curio. Or. ask them to lean against a railing and chat among themselves. Possibilities are endless.

Relax them - Encourage them to smile by telling them something funny. Or, simply talk with them.

Don't keep people waiting

Many people fidget and lose their smiles if the photographer takes too much time fiddling with his camera settings. Do as much of the camera prep work as you can before people assume their posing stances.

Tell a story

An effective travel photo should tell a story. Taking a picture of your companions stiffly posing at a table in a nondescript restaurant that could be anywhere doesn't convey much of the trip.  Showing them enjoying each other's company as they dine at a table laden with ethnic dishes does do it because it captures a travel-related experience.

The same philosophy is true when taking, for example, a picture of a seller in a marketplace. The photo should show the merchant in the midst of a transaction rather than sitting idly looking at your camera.

Sense of place

A travel photo should include something that establishes a sense of place. Otherwise, the locale could be anywhere back home.

Full body shots

Don't capture just a portion of a person's legs (it looks awkward in photos). Leave space under the subject's feet.

Close up shots

Even better, ignore the legs all together. Shoot above the waist. The photo will illustrate more of the individual's personality.

Focus on the eyes

Show a photo of a person to someone and they instinctively first look at the eyes because they give clues about the individual's emotions and personality. That's why it is important to focus your camera on the subject's eyes.

Turn the camera

In most cases, the horizontal orientation format is best for capturing groups of 3 or more people - and the vertical format (turn the camera 90 degrees) is superior for tall objects or one to two people.

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