Tips for people photography

The following information is taken from Martin Wilmott Photography


1. Make it Personal

The image to the right here shows a little girl in what is to her a very natural environment. Her grandfather breeds and races pigeons and since she could walk she has helped him in the daily jobs of cleaning and feeding them etc. I always look to try and capture images that tell stories and capture a little bit of the true spirit of the person being photographed making it so much more personal.


2. Have Fun


False smiles are hideous and should be banned. Asking someone to smile or say cheese is a last resort. If you want natural smiles and laughs you need to create things for people to smile or laugh about. The image on the left is a great example how natural fun images can look. Personally I much prefer something like this to a posed straightforward Victorian styled portrait.


3. Always be Ready


The image to the right here is one of my all time favourites. I had been photographing a family on the beach during a portrait shoot. The little girl decided she wanted to climb onto the pier. Luckily I had my camera out and managed to capture a few frames as she crawled along. Had I attempted to set this image up there are a million things that would have got in the way. As luck had it everything went right.


4. Get in close


Don't be afraid to get in close and clip the tip of peoples heads out of the frame. Very often it helps the image, giving it a more dramatic approach.

If your camera doesn't have a zoom facility then move closer physically.


5. Take Photographs Outside


You will get far far better images of young children if you allow them to play. As long as you pick a safe area you can let them run loose and do as they wish leaving you free to concentrate on capturing some magical moments. In my portrait business I take 98% of my images outside. I know this works as I continually receive more and more referral business from happy clients.


6. Catch people unawares


The image on the left was part of a portrait session I recently shot in London. The girl had large ties to the market and wanted some atmospheric images. However her partner wasn't keen to be photographed in public. I solved the problem by using a long lens and caught this totally natural image as they were walking around the market.


7. Change the angle you are shooting from


The image on the right was taking lying down in the sand on a beach. I always have a change of clothes with me when I am on a shoot because I always end up covered in mud. Don't be afraid to lay on the ground. You will be rewarded by the images you take.


8. Capture natural reactions


Encourage people to react normally as they would every day. One of the joys of my job is taking images of new mums and their babies. I know if I ask mum to get in close to the baby 9 times out of ten I will get a totally natural reaction as the baby and mother react to each other. All that is needed is for me to them judge the right time and capture the image.

I find if you ask people to get closer than they would normally do it will cause them to laugh. However this is not the case with teenagers as they tend to hate each other so other methods are often needed.


9. Consider your background very carefully


The background is as important as the subject you are photographing. Ensure it is pleasing to the eye without distracting away from the image. Some colours are worth avoiding. Red for example will trigger the eye to look at it immediately and drag attention away from the main subject. People far cleverer than me have attempted to explain why (something to do with it being nature's danger colour). The best thing to do when lining up your photograph is to avoid red altogether.


10. Practise

You can read a million books and visit every website on the planet but I believe there is no substitute to actually doing something and learning by experience. I personally run training days for people who like yourself just want to have a go at a new style of image making. The people who attend have various skill levels but as I place the emphasis on being as low tech as possible they are of use for everybody from the amateur through to the seasoned professional. If you think this may be of interest to you the details of the next training day are available from my website, http://www.martinwilmottphotography.com. Also available from my site there is a far more in-depth downloadable portrait course totally free.


11. Be different


Try and do something out of the ordinary. Use your imagination to create images that stand out. If everyone else does a top ten do a top eleven, it will bring more interest guaranteed because it is out of the ordinary.

Been looking through the tips and came across this little gem, Must have missed it when you first posted it!
I'm taking pictures at a wedding in September and need all the advise I can get! This has been a big help, thanks Sam.

Thanks for bumping this up Eileen, never seen it before x

Great find Sammy, thanks x

New to me as well, I love the market shot and it is difficult to get a shot as natural as this, I will remember the tip and try a long lens in future only problem is if I use a long lens I need a tripod.