Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Shooting from the Hip

Try this method for a change of pace and to give yourself a new jolt
of inspiration.  Set your DSLR to either aperature mode (f/8) or program mode and make sure all the autofocus points are activated.  Then, simply start shooting - but without looking through the view finder.  This method is best used with candids of people, not other types of photography.  Keep the camera down at your side or, perhaps, on the table in front of you.  It doesn't matter if the subject is aware of what you are doing (as long as they don't object).  After a while, they will just ignore you and the shots will look more natural.  There will probably be more images for the trash than keepers, but you may be surprised at the results.  You might try tipping the camera off center to create a more dynamic feel to the images.  You will, no doubt, take some shots that are cropped in odd ways, but that is part of the fun of the technique.  You may end up with something you really like that you would have never consciously framed like that.  It helps to get you thinking about people photography in a whole new way.




In the image of my daughter, I almost missed her, but because of the angle of the photograph, everything seems to lead to her eye at the edge of the photo.  It may not be art, but it is fun.

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