Methods and skills of creative character photography

Lead: Knowing the whole process of creative photography before starting to create can make better works than knowing nothing. Let me share with you the methods and skills of creative character photography, hoping to help you!

Methods and skills of creative character photography What is creative photography?

The biggest difference between creative photography and snapshot lies in the preparation process before shooting. In order to take a creative photo, we need to determine the theme, shooting location, props, models, clothes, hairstyles and makeup, which is very different from a completely unprepared snapshot. Although the preparation process is a bit cumbersome, it is not necessarily a disadvantage, but it may become an advantage. Because photographers can be more clear about their shooting goals in the preparation process, they will not give up halfway, and they can often shoot good works after shooting preparation.

Snapping refers to taking photos at the fastest speed aiming at moving people. The person being photographed does not need to do any deduction, because the purpose of capturing is to capture the natural movements and expressions of the characters. Creativity (ideas, concepts, etc. expressed in works, products, performances, etc. Photos contain many ideas and ideas, as well as accurate calculations. Creative photography is not so much a process of taking pictures as an accurate preparation process. It's like making ceramic crafts. Only by constant calcination can the most beautiful works be produced. We don't want to pursue the perfect image from the beginning. Step by step is the most important.

Clear subject and subject; Find the shooting location; Considering the composition and shooting angle, arrange the model in a suitable position; According to the direction of light, measure the amount of light, and adjust the amount of light by using lighting lamps and mirrors; Buy props or hand-made props; Determine the model's clothing, hairstyle and makeup. Every time you go through this process, the photographer will master some skills, and these skills are the precious wealth of the photographer.

In creative photography, the first stage is to master the mechanical principle of the camera and use it skillfully, the second stage is to compose the picture according to the theme, choose the background and use the light flexibly, and the third stage is to put ideas and creativity into action. We have learned the first two stages of the first chapter. From now on, we will learn the third stage.

The shooting process of creative photos

Do you feel lost when you switch from snapshot to creative photography? Knowing the whole process of creative photography before starting to create can shoot better works than knowing nothing. I believe that through the study of this section, you will be able to master the method of creative photography. This section will also introduce the methods of determining the shooting object, determining the shooting theme, drawing the shooting sketch and making the shooting plan. How to choose a model that meets the theme? What preparations should be made for creative photography? What is the core content to be determined in live shooting? These problems will also be explained in this section.

Through the photos of "The Witch Travels I", briefly introduce the whole shooting process and explain each link in detail.

In order to complete the shooting, the first thing to consider is to determine the subject. When I was listening to the radio on my way home from work, I overheard Kona singing The Witch's Travels. I hummed along with this familiar song:? Witch? Travel? These questions about where to go gradually shaped my creative thinking. I determined the theme in my mind and designed it as? Witch trip? . In order to concretize the idea, I repeatedly drew various design schemes on paper and finally completed the sketch.

After sketching, we should make a shooting plan, contact the models that meet the theme, explain the shooting theme to the models in detail, and then make preparations before shooting. I bought a balloon with a diameter of 90cm online and prepared a hat and an umbrella. On the day of shooting, I filled the balloon with helium for shooting.

Arrive at the shooting scene? After arriving at Yiwangli Beach, I chose a suitable location and explained the movements and postures to the model before shooting. After several revisions and additions, I finally took an ideal photo.

The above is the process of shooting "The Witch Travels". Next, I will introduce all aspects of creative photography in detail.

Determine the theme

If the photographer is at a loss about what to shoot, the first rule to solve this problem is to determine the subject. Creative photos can start with small objects or grand ideas, and then start with details. I suggest beginners take creative photography from the subject first. When choosing a subject, don't choose an object that is too big or too far away, but start with something familiar around you.

The photo in the upper left corner of the next page is a creative shot of ordinary bubble gum. The following is aimed at? Bubbles? The shooting plan made by this theme.

● Theme: bubble gum

● Shooting theme: bubbles

● Shooting planning: highlighting the theme and expressing it? Let you breathe with me, reach for the sky? This feeling.

● Model: Be careful to blow bubbles that are big enough to burst.

● Clothing: Red scarf is suitable for black background.

● Props: bubble gum (chew more than 5 pieces of bubble gum at a time in order to blow out big bubbles)

In order to highlight the models and subjects, I used a black background (with a black cloth as the background) to make the background simple. Red and black can make the picture more harmonious, so I let the model wear a red scarf. After determining the theme and theme, the creative photography was completed after simple preparation. We can take all kinds of objects that are easy to find around us as shooting objects and try creative photography easily.

Determine the shooting theme

After determining the subject, it is necessary to enter the stage of conceiving the theme through the object. What thoughts and ideas come to your mind after seeing the topic? These thoughts and ideas will help you determine the theme. The theme is a story, which contains the idea to be expressed in the photo. When people see photos, it's not just. Wow! Isn't it handsome? Or? How beautiful! ? Do you think deeply about such a reaction? What expression does the photo want to express? Why is this happening? Or? So that's why I chose this theme? This proves that the theme has been fully expressed.

Who can shoot more novel and creative works when shooting the same theme? It all depends on the photographer's personal imagination. Imagination makes all kinds of ideas gush out and show them through photography. The process of conceiving the theme through the subject is as important as the shooting process. When a photo has a theme, it means that the story is integrated into the photo. For example, set the theme to? Flowers? At that time, different photographers could take countless photos, because everyone had a different understanding of the subject. So when determining the theme, the more specific the theme, the better. How to express and portray the theme? What kind of thoughts should I express? When designing the theme, we should give full consideration to these problems.

The two photos on the next page are all about flowers, but they show completely different themes.

On a sunny day in April, I saw magnolia flowers blooming by the roadside and suddenly thought of a story. Legend has it that Magnolia represents people's eyes and ears. To describe? Wonderful story? I found a model who can express this atmosphere well. In order to depict the theme, I use body paint and black cloth as the background, so that the audience can focus on the model and magnolia. In order to reflect this wonderful feeling, I also used the reflection on the water. Finally, I use the common magnolia flower to express it? Wonderful story? This theme has produced creative photos with unique styles.

● Shooting object: flowers

● Shooting plan: take flowers as the material, use? Wonderful story? For the theme.

Props: Magnolia, body paint, brush, black cloth, double-sided tape.

Draw a sketch of shooting

After determining the theme and theme, we need to concretize them, that is, express our ideas clearly, just like looking at the photos that have been taken to explain them. Only by describing the pose, position, required space and prop placement of the model as concretely as possible can the shooting content be clear and help the model correctly understand the main topics.

Drawing a sketch is simply to describe the shooting content with a picture. Before each shoot, I will draw a sketch, so as to sort out the ideas and explain the shooting requirements to the model, which is beneficial to both sides. It doesn't matter whether the sketch is good or not, as long as it can present all the information needed for shooting. A sketch represents a creative photo. In shooting scenes, sketch is equivalent to architectural design, because it directly reflects the photographer's shooting intention.

The following is the shooting sketch of The Conqueror. Although it looks funny, all the information needed for shooting is reflected in this sketch, including shooting location, props, model hairstyle, clothing and so on.

conqueror

Make a shooting plan

Making a shooting plan is a work that integrates the envisaged shooting object, theme and sketch. Making a shooting plan can concretize the photographer's own ideas and facilitate the preparation work, which is of great help to photographers who have just started to learn creative photography. Some people may question it, but after years of teaching verification, this method is absolutely effective. After accumulating a lot of shooting experience, it will become a habit to carry out these methods and steps, and then the photographer may not need to write a plan again. However, in order to improve the quality of photos, I still hope that everyone can use this method more.

Make a shooting plan, and you can summarize the pictures, images and ideas in your mind in words. In addition, we can also send the shooting plan to the model in advance, and then confirm the details by phone, so that we can make more detailed preparations for the shooting. Before making a shooting plan, the theme and shooting content may be more general and abstract, but the process of making a shooting plan is a concrete process, which allows us to carefully consider various details when shooting. If you just want to improvise without making specific preparations, then creative photography is no different from snapshot. After making and modifying the shooting plan repeatedly, all kinds of shooting details can be deeply engraved in our minds. By persistently repeating this process, you can be clear about what you want to shoot.

Making a shooting plan can refer to the following.

Shooting date: You need to know the weather in advance.

Shooting time: the starting and ending time of shooting (including preparation time) and the arrival time of the model.

Subject: For example? Two models? 、? A model+a puppy? 、? Male model+female model? Wait a minute.

Shooting theme (creativity): It can be a sentence or a sentence.

Shooting content (story): the content or story to be expressed in the photo.

Model: Determine the feeling and temperament of the model suitable for this shoot. This is very helpful to find the right model.

Hairstyle: the hairstyle required by the model, such as? Offer (self-explanation)? It means that the model sent it herself. If you need a model to do hair in the styling studio, will you? Solve it yourself? Change to? Modeling studio? .

Make-up: The makeup of the model should also indicate whether the model makes up herself or goes to the styling studio to make up.

Props (preparation items): the clothes of the model and the props needed for shooting. Writing down the required props and carefully preparing them will help to complete the shooting smoothly.

Shooting place: the impression and specific address of the shooting place.

Remarks: Other details that need to be considered when shooting.

Lens: Select the lens needed for shooting. This also means that the photographer has decided how to shoot.

Composition and shooting angle: look at the shooting sketch and write down the composition and shooting angle, which is helpful for on-site shooting.

Other equipment: other equipment needed for shooting, such as reflector, flash, light, tripod, etc.

The following shooting scheme was made by the students who participated in the photography training class. What's the theme this time? Run away? .

Shooting time: 17: 00 ~ 19: 00.

Subject: Models

Shooting theme (creativity): escape

Shooting content (story): escape from boring daily life and seek freedom.

Model (feeling, temperament): with the capable temperament of urban intellectual women.

Hairstyle: curly hair (self-explanation)

Makeup: the faint smoky makeup of sexy urban women (self-explanation)

Props (preparation items): dresses, shirts, handbags, mobile phones, high heels.

Location: between tall buildings

Remarks: If the model can't make up herself, make up in the styling studio.

Lens: Canon 16-35mm (wide-angle shooting)

Composition and shooting angle: the feeling of looking up and running from 5 o'clock to 10.

Other equipment: reflector

Shoot a sketch

Use the shooting sketch and shooting scheme to reach an understanding with the model, then buy or make props and choose the shooting location. Although the shooting plan can be written on paper, if it is recorded in a fixed folder on the computer, it can gradually form a creative warehouse for later use.

Get creative knowledge through models.

Professional model VS amateur model

Many novices are aimless and at a loss when shooting. If the partner is a professional model, it will be directed by the other party, so it is difficult to improve their photography level. So I suggest that novices try to cooperate with amateur models. For beginners who want to accumulate experience, it is very lucky to be able to cooperate with amateur models for a long time. Some photographers don't like working with the same model for a long time, and they don't want to shoot repeatedly in the same shooting location, probably because they are not fresh. However, baseball pitchers need to practice a pitching posture countless times, and there is a reason why golfers practice the same swing hundreds of times a day. Taking the same model for a long time can actually make you try different shooting methods, because even the same model, the photographer can take photos with completely different feelings according to different themes and interpretations.

Novices should cooperate with amateur models as much as possible, because such cooperation brings less economic burden to novices, and it can last for a long time, and the performance of models is more tense. As long as the shooting atmosphere is relaxed and natural, it is not difficult for beginners to create ideal works. Of course, successful photographers are surrounded by professional models with outstanding performance, and happy and tacit cooperation is also the premise of shooting ideal works. When you meet a professional model who can deeply understand and successfully interpret the shooting theme, the photographer can reduce the number of shots and complete the shooting task quickly and successfully.

Models have different personalities and temperaments, so the more photographers cooperate with models, the more creative photos they can take. The vigorous development of creative activities and the improvement of shooting skills are directly proportional to the growth of the number of models. Therefore, it is very important to increase the model in time.

Do you hear me? As long as the model is beautiful, can you make good works? My answer to this question is always? No? . I'm not denying that the beauty of the model is helpful for shooting, but whether the model is suitable for creative photography. A beautiful model will certainly bring good shooting images, but in creative photography, the most important criterion for choosing a model is the fit between the model and the theme. Choosing a model that can complement the shooting theme reflects the photographer's vision and ability.

Catch the rainbow

The picture above shows the feeling of the model jumping up and trying to catch the umbrella in mid-air. When choosing a model, I want to check whether the jumping ability and body movements of the model meet my requirements. If the model's jumping ability is not enough, it needs to be replaced after several shots. In a word, the choice of creative photography model is based on whether the model can perfectly reflect the shooting theme.