Digital Art Photography For Dummies®

Chapter 7. Photographing People and Animals

In This Chapter

• Taming moving subjects

• Photographing still objects around those in action

• Setting your camera for the best shot for subjects and actions

• Identifying symbols and metaphors for your subjects

• Panning your camera to catch action

• Setting shutter speeds in wildlife photography to control blur

Photographing anything living usually requires that you establish some sort of relationship with the subject. When you work with human subjects, you have to put the people at ease. Some people appear perfectly natural for a picture, while others are like marble statues. Still others are in-between, needing encouragement anywhere from gentle prodding to full-fledged professional entertainment from you, the photographer. If you're lucky enough to have a subject who knows how to model, go with the flow and give input as to what you want, also.

Sure, sometimes you just want a simple portrait photo to record your visit somewhere — you know, with people posed, smiling, in front of an interesting building, monument, or fountain. Although these can be great shots that create memorable moments, they're probably not what you'd sell in an art gallery or put on display in a museum. Creating art portraits, though, requires a little forethought and creativity, whether you're on the road or in your own backyard. As I show you in this chapter, you can create portraits ...