How to Take a Flattering Photo of Someone When They Hand You Their Phone
It seems like it should be basic knowledge, but I can’t tell you how many times I asked someone to take a photo of me, gave them a phone and then stood still as they turned it towards me … and Nothing happened. Are they taking pictures? Are they checking my email? What is happening there? Later, when I check the camera, there will be about 50 shots that look exactly the same except for the increasing anxiety in my eyes. Unfortunately, we seem to have given up on the art of photographing other people.
I was reminded of my minor annoyance with this persistent issue when Redditor u / triple_verbosity posted this to r / LifeProTips:
When people ask you to take pictures of them with their phones, constantly take pictures of them while they pose and start posing. They will have a choice and they will get the best shot.
This is fun advice for getting candid shots, but it shows how distant we are with how to photograph other people. You can get better quality photos with a little direction and a few adjustments. If you have a terrible photographer in your life, forward this post to him. If it doesn’t, you may be at fault. Here’s how to improve your flattering photography game.
Consider. Down.
I don’t know what happened to the countdown, but many seem to have given up on the simple “1,2,3!” it once traditionally came before taking a picture. At the very least, it lets someone know that the photo was actually taken so they can make their own choice. A sneaky candid or two is fun, but when you don’t count down, there is always one person looking away, another open-mouthed person asking a question, and one camera-ready queen steals the show. Just let everyone focus on this basic moment.
Choose a suitable angle
I cannot express my horror when someone bends over to take a picture from below. This angle flatter Superman, and that says it all. The rest of us don’t waste our lives hiding our chin upside down. Stand up and as u / jdr34d said in the comments:
Hold your camera higher than you think.
The photo taken just above will look better on almost everyone. Plus, if you’re photographing a group in a beautiful location, you’ll have a better chance of capturing some of it in your shot.
Consider framing
Some things look odd in photographs, but if you’ve never studied photography, you may not necessarily understand why. I’m not a professional photographer, but I worked as a photography assistant in and after college, so take my word for it when I say that cutting off people’s feet or tops can make the image irrelevant.
Think about standard filming : close, medium and wide. Then correlate them with how close you are to the person. If you are shooting close-up, you can focus on the face and eyes, so cutting off part of their head looks fine, although it would be considered a very close-up. But the further you go, the weirder it appears. Conversely, in a wide shot, it’s best if you can get the whole body — not most of the body, but the feet out of frame.
Chin down, shoulders back
I don’t like all my photos with good posture, but it definitely helps. If you’ve ever photographed professionally, you’ve probably come across the advice: “Chin down, shoulders back.” People tilt their heads up impulsively, but this shows the lower chin (which, as I said, is bad). Standing up straight will make you look more confident and beautiful. Of course, how comfortable you are saying this to someone may depend on how well you know each other. But if they ask for advice or comments and you don’t know what to say, this is a good start.
“Now dumb!”
It’s corny to make a silly version of the picture, but as with the OP, I think this is a great time to get some candidates, especially the group. People laugh at the idea of being stupid before they actually get stupid, and you will have more genuine smiles and actions in your image if you take a few shots before they change positions.
Register
In Los Angeles, trekking to Griffith Park is a bi-weekly commitment, and you’ll meet tourists who need to be photographed every ten feet. So, I am putting this advice into practice. I will say that when I have the time, I would like to talk to anyone who owns a camera phone and make sure they get what they need. They usually say yes no matter what, out of courtesy, but they usually ask people if they want to change something or take another step. One day you may want to take a picture somewhere on the hill, so pay in advance.