Photograpahy tip: taking pictures of People in close-up
In all areas of photography the picture that has the most immediate impact is frequently the one which ruthlessly excludes extraneous detail and concentrates attention on the subject itself. One important thing to remeber is that when you take pictures of people it is invariably the face which conveys the most expression, and is their most interesting aspect; so pictures that successfully capture an expression or a gesture are often enhanced by cropping tightly. Close-up pictures require perfect technique to achieve the most effective results.
The human face contains a mass of fine detail, and unless this is recorded sharply the picture will lose a great deal of impact. The textures of skin and hair are extreme difficult to record well, but doing so can give very powerful results.
The camera needs to be focused absolutely accurately with close-up subjects, and the slightest degree of movement by camera or subject can be disastrous. It is wise to use the fastest shutter speed possible to avoid this problem, that means a wide aperture, and you must remember that the closer you are to your subject the smaller will be the depth of field, regardless of aperture.
It is recommended to use a long-focus lens is a positive asset for this type of picture as it enables you to work at a greater distance from your subject. Taking pictures from too close can create an unpleasant exaggeration of perspective on a face, and apart from that, the close proximity of a camera could seriously inhibit the subject. A long lens will also help to separate the subject from the background, especially when wider apertures are used and this c add even more impact to the picture.
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