Capture skills of documentary photography

Documentary photography capture skills 1 capture, mainly recommended, but also my personal or current most commonly used method, there are several:

Street photography

1, manual focus estimation shooting.

Put the focus in manual mode, and then adjust the focus to an appropriate distance, such as 2 meters or 3 meters. The next thing you have to do is walk the streets, wait for the subject to enter your focus distance, and just press the shutter. Sounds like the focus of a trap.

This method requires some practice, that is to say, your visual distance can be consistent with the focal length actually set by the lens. Proficiency determines the maximum aperture you can use. The more skilled you are, the more you can use a large aperture like f 1.4, and the success rate is also very good. That sounds a little difficult. In fact, practice a few times more, and you will find that it is not as profound as you think. I don't know about female compatriots, but men usually have a sense of space and distance.

Moreover, I think the capture speed is the fastest of all methods. The camera doesn't need to do anything except shutter. You don't need to do anything except press the shutter. As quick and refreshing as blinking. This method must be mastered.

2. focus manually.

In the digital age, this method requires a powerful focusing system. Because a machine like D90 is not sensitive enough to focus prompts, in fact, the indicator light will always be on in a range before and after the focal plane. This will cause some troubles to everyone more or less. Models like D7000 and above do not have this problem.

In my personal experience, manual is not worse than automatic in speed. The only thing is to change the focus frequently, which is a bit troublesome. Unlike focus estimation, the target enters the alert area and is ready to shoot at any time. Digital SLR, some people choose to modify it into a screen, in order to better use the manual lens. I think if your camera has a D7000 focusing system, it is really unnecessary, because it is much easier to confirm whether this small green light is on or off with your eyes than to observe the split screen. Skilled people can fine-tune the focus by tilting back and forth, which is not only easy to use, but also very interesting. It is very suitable for use with coke estimation and has excellent effect.

3. Auto focus, using area focus mode blind shot.

This shooting method has certain requirements for the focusing function of the camera. Take Nikon as an example, I personally think that at least the focusing ability of D7000 can work well. According to my own experience, D90' s 1 1 focus can't accomplish this task well.

Auto focus uses the area focus mode blind shot.

Blind shooting with area focusing method is very simple. In general, the camera will choose the point closest to the photographer from a pile of focus points to focus and shoot. A better machine with face recognition will choose the focus point close to the face, which will be more intimate to use. After all, it is the machine that helps you choose the focus, so there will be a chance of making mistakes. Fortunately, the probability is not great. However, the most serious problem of this focusing method is that the amount of calculation is large and the focusing speed is not ideal. Press the shutter and the camera will think, there is a delay.

4, autofocus, single focus mode.

It's not a good idea to focus on single-point blind shooting. Obviously, it's best to adopt the first method, J ... This method is suitable for those machines with poor focus, such as the D90. To capture the subject quickly, you need to observe carefully and have the ability of pre-composition. Before shooting, set the focus at a suitable point, then fine-tune the focus to the subject in the viewfinder while lifting the camera, and then press the shutter. This method is better for people who make good use of fixed-focus lenses, but if the focal length is changed from time to time, it is more difficult to have a pre-composition.

Finally, I would like to make two points:

One is to use automatic ISO, and set the highest ISO as the default maximum of the machine. For example, if D7000 is 6400, set it to 6400. Many people may worry about image quality and noise. To tell the truth, compare the effects of the film ISO400 and d 7000《ISO6400, which are almost the same, and even D7000 performs better. So, feel free to use automatic ISO boldly.

Second, about hyperfocal distance, that is, using a small aperture to obtain as large a depth of field as possible. In my opinion, this is not an important issue. I have mastered the skill of snapshot and can use all kinds of apertures at will.

Documentary photography capture skills 2 1, trust your subject.

When the subject is willing to listen to your shooting instructions, the action modeling of the characters often looks the most natural. Even without the guidance of characters' movements, we need to pay close attention to them and learn their body language. See if they are nervous when you ask them to do certain actions. Don't be too specific in guiding actions, leaving room for the subject to explain. Although most people don't know what angles and movements can best show their charm, they will be more relaxed if you can show trust in them. If both sides are satisfied with a gesture, try how to adjust it to be more beautiful.

Step 2 take a profile portrait

Character images can reveal the characteristics of characters and make the audience leave a more real impression on their appearance. When taking frontal photos, we can subtly hide defects such as double chins or wrinkles through lighting and framing, but in profile images, these are invisible. Of course, if the subject is worried about showing his own defects, it is best to avoid this shooting method. It should also be remembered that profile images work best when the background color is in sharp contrast with people's skin color.

3. Environmental Portrait

Another good way to reflect the characteristics of characters is to shoot in daily scenes, such as carpenters at work and soldiers in military uniforms. For family portrait photography, try to let them bring things that they come into contact with every day. Before taking environmental portraits, it is necessary to obtain the consent of the subject in advance. Some people pay special attention to their privacy and don't want their looks to appear in photos.

Step 4 communicate actively

Excellent snapshot works come from the active communication, conversation or question and answer between the photographer and the subject. If you can get in touch with everyone involved in the filming and even let them talk to each other, what you need to do at this time is not necessarily to shoot the people you are talking to as others think, but to capture the reactions of the people around you. Doing so can usually capture works full of emotional expression.

Step 5 pay attention to facial expressions

Photographers should not only guide the movements and postures of the subjects, but also guide their expressions. The fleeting expression is recorded by the camera to capture the subtle emotional changes of the characters. A joke and frown may be misunderstood after a long time and form a negative impression on the subject's personality. So before you press the shutter, you need to seriously think about which expressions should be taken and which ones should not be taken.

6. Size and proportion

Try to use the size ratio of the characters in the picture to form the impact of the picture. At the same time, we should remember that the face of the character is always the key to the success of the work, so when shooting with a wide-angle lens, we must show the space around the character so that the audience can see the face clearly. In other words, people are still the center of interest in the picture, so don't let them lose their proper position in the picture.

7. pretend to take a snapshot

If you like the style of capturing photos but don't know how to do it, there are actually many ways to simulate it. The easiest way is to let the subject look out of the picture, so it is easy for the audience to think that you took this photo when the subject was lost in thought.

8. Sit down

If you want to take a compact portrait of your head and shoulders, you'd better let the subject sit down. This will make them feel more relaxed, but still ensure that their attention stays on the camera.

9. Arrange colors

When arranging multiple subjects to take a group photo, the height of the characters should be considered first. Generally speaking, the tall ones are in the back and the short ones are in the front. But if you only pay attention to this point, when you get home, you will find that the colors of clothes on the screen are not harmonious. When taking a group photo, we must pay attention to the collocation of adjacent colors. When the colors are harmonious, problems that are usually easily noticed, such as height, will become less conspicuous.

Capture skills of documentary photography 3 1. hole

Use f/ 1.2, f/ 1.4, f/ 1.8 and other large apertures. 50mmf/ 1.8 is only a few hundred dollars, which is a great lens. On APS-C format camera, the equivalent focal length of 50mm lens is 80mm, which is very suitable for taking portraits.

2. Shadows and uniform light

Let the model be in the shadow area, and the light shining on the model's face should be uniform. The model had better stand in the shadow and face the light source.

Pay attention to your eyes

If you use a large aperture lens, be sure to focus on your eyes. In the case of shallow depth of field, other areas of the face will be slightly out of focus. To enhance this effect, you need to shoot close to the model, preferably close-up.

4. Choose the aperture carefully

If you want to take a full-length portrait, you should carefully choose the aperture to ensure that the body parts of the model are within the depth of field. If you still use a large aperture such as f/2.8, the depth of field will be too shallow. Reduce the aperture to f/5.6, and ensure that the shutter speed is not lower than1125s. If necessary, increase the sensitivity or fill the light. This combination is just a suggestion. You can try different combinations to find the best setting.

5. Manual control

Many people suggest using aperture priority mode. This is no problem when I first came into contact with the camera 1 month. But if you want to shoot better, you must learn to use manual mode.

6. the light of the eyes

Make sure that the model's eyes reflect some light, even in the shadow, as long as you keep the model and the light source oriented.

7. props

Don't let the models go home empty-handed, give them something to hold. The commonly used props are bouquets, and even men can take pictures with them.

8. Pay attention to the background

Let the background have light or shadow, in short, keep it simple, and the model is the main body of the picture. When shooting outdoors, it is best to choose an open background instead of bushes or walls.