Beginner To Portrait or Not To Portrait - That is the question

[Tom Farrow]

I've been looking through my photos and have notices one common point across all of my images - My people shots look better than my other shots. All of them. I'm also finding myself enjoying editing them much more than any other shot.

When I started, I thought landscapes and wildlife would be my thing. I'm yet to get any nice wildlife shots, except just one close up of some small flowers.

So I was wondering, how did you decide what you enjoy doing? Just try everything until it clicks that you enjoy it?

 

[Phil V]

Are your people shots better because:
You've practiced more
You have an affinity with the subject
You've discovered you love doing it

That'll give you an inkling.

But why did you think you'd be good at wildlife and landscapes? To be good at photographing something you need to understand it. For instance shooting insects requires you to know where and when to find them, how they behave, how they react to your presence etc. There's more to it than just pointing a camera at a subject. Landscapes? Weather, light direction, season etc are all key ingredients you need to understand, it's not as simple as rocking up somewhere pretty at lunchtime and taking a few snaps.

 

[Tom Farrow]

Are your people shots better because:
You've practiced more
You have an affinity with the subject
You've discovered you love doing it

I had absolutely no practice taking people photos. I'm naturally not very good with people (or at least I think I'm not!) but I somehow seem to get much better quality images of people than anything else.

I do think I enjoy doing it, though. Capturing moments in human life feels a lot more satisfying than that of any other.

But why did you think you'd be good at wildlife and landscapes?

I'm not sure! Nature looks nice and I like it. As I mentioned before, I'm not a people person. Maybe that is relevant.

 

[ChrisHeathcote]

So I was wondering, how did you decide what you enjoy doing? Just try everything until it clicks that you enjoy it?

When I started with my first DSLR, I thought I would enjoy landscapes as I liked being outdoors and walking. After a few years I lost interest in photography because I didn't like any of the pictures I was taking. A couple of years ago now I decided to give it another go and still not a decent landscape. So I decided to stop TAKING photos and started LOOKING at pictures on the internet and wrote down what I liked about the images I was seeing. I was surprised that the only landscape pics I liked was night time and low light and most of my likes were of Animals and People. So now the only time I take landscapes are as holiday snaps, but for my hobby it is wildlife and people.

So in short look at what you like to look at. For me I found that my photos weren't that bad but I just don't like looking at landscapes

 

[Tom Farrow]

So in short look at what you like to look at. For me I found that my photos weren't that bad but I just don't like looking at landscapes

I've found myself watching a lot of portrait videos on youtube. Especially B&H videos; the theoretical rather than the technical aspect interests me much more. I know how to work my camera, I don't know how to compose a good photo (or didn't)

So maybe I should try some more people shots. It's hard to get portrait images, being the type who spends a lot of time at home, and the judgement of random people walking around taking photos of strangers with a big camera puts me off of street photos (at least in this country, where everyone seems to be labelled as a predator at some point. Even my grandmother for taking photos of a bush!)

A friend of mine has agreed to do a mini-photo-shoot-thing with her, so I'll try to make the most of that opportunity, and probably invite her to do it more if I enjoy it!

 

[ChrisHeathcote]

Peoples views are a lot more understanding than you think, given your age most people will probably not even think twice. Also more and more people have DSLR' cameras now so they don't look so out of place. BTW what camera and lenses do you have. Also don't forget your phone probably has a reasonable camera on it. Its all about practice.

 

[Tom Farrow]

Peoples views are a lot more understanding than you think, given your age most people will probably not even think twice. Also more and more people have DSLR' cameras now so they don't look so out of place. BTW what camera and lenses do you have. Also don't forget your phone probably has a reasonable camera on it. Its all about practice.

Hmm... So I guess in a slightly crowded place it would probably be fine? Just not on a street with one other person on.

My phone's camera is pretty bad. The phone was £100, I'm impressed with everything but the camera (though, they didn't even do too badly with that!). Which is impressive, given that I've had numerous expensive smartphones and not been impressed at all..

 

[ChrisHeathcote]

I've just found your equipment on your profile, so the good thing is that the 1100d and 17-55mm together are not that bulky so shouldn't stand out too much. A tip to ease the pressure a bit is to make it look as though you are shooting something behind them. Use one of the outer focus points so that when it is over your subject, it looks as though you are shooting something at the side of them, then recompose to take the shot.
Something I do is to lock the focus on something a similar distance away and then turn to recompose. Both these techniques limits the amount of time the camera is pointing at your subject. As I said given your age I doubt any will say anything. having a go at kids in the street isn't really the done thing as an adult You could always say its for a school project, nobody will get in the way of education

 

[XA2inmypocket]

As an amateur, photography has to give me something, or I wouldn't bother pursuing it above snapshot level. Besides as a way to explore and enjoy creativity, I also get a big kick out of the learning curve. This might mean that I switch style and technologies now and then, in order to explore new avenues. Some friends have bracketed myself as a street photographer, but I don't agree. Basically, I carry a camera around all of the time. It might be a discreet 35mm film compact, or it might be a medium format brick. But I'm probably better described as a "have camera all time and shoot whatever crops up" photographer. I actually shoot a lot of dog photography, and dog portraits. Mainly because it's easier to ask a stranger if you can photograph their dog, than to ask them to sit for a portrait. Just lately though, I've decided to explore artificial light portrait photography, and I'm pursuing that with digital equipment right now.

I guess what I'm saying is that although I think that it is a good idea to limit yourself to one genre or school of photography - that sometimes it can become too much of a restriction.

 

[Nikon_Nick]

When I first started out, I tried a bit of everything, and came to the conclusion that I absolutely loved landscapes. Then after a particularly dry year (creatively speaking), i started doing some portraits of family and friends. Later on I was approached to do Weddings, which I did for a couple of years, but never really enjoyed it.

Ive since tried horse shows, motorsport, dog agility, and live music (which I still actually enjoy doing, but only because I love live music).

After all that, it turns out that the sort of photography I enjoy more than any other is a kind of urban landscape/street mix, and this is what I do the most (apart from loads of pictures of my baby girl of course).

I guess the point of all this, is to say dont put yourself into one area/genre of photography, until you have at least tried a few different ones. You never know what you will end up enjoying. I never thought in a million years id end up ditching the majority of my full frame Nikon gear and top of line pro lenses, lighting equipment etc and going for a couple of little Fuji X series cameras and one 35mm Nikon SLR with a couple of primes, but it turns out that the equipment I have now is probably all ill ever need to take the sort of shots I like to take.

Try it all at least once, and you will find out what your photographic passions really are.

 

[Tom Farrow]

I guess what I'm saying is that although I think that it is a good idea to limit yourself to one genre or school of photography - that sometimes it can become too much of a restriction.

I like this advice, and I will certainly take it on board.

Later on I was approached to do Weddings, which I did for a couple of years, but never really enjoyed it.

It takes a lot to make me even attend a wedding, never mind take photos of one!

I guess the point of all this, is to say dont put yourself into one area/genre of photography, until you have at least tried a few different ones. You never know what you will end up enjoying. I never thought in a million years id end up ditching the majority of my full frame Nikon gear and top of line pro lenses, lighting equipment etc and going for a couple of little Fuji X series cameras and one 35mm Nikon SLR with a couple of primes, but it turns out that the equipment I have now is probably all ill ever need to take the sort of shots I like to take.

Try it all at least once, and you will find out what your photographic passions really are.

Similar advice to Paul's, but different. I guess having a budget DSLR (1100D) and lenses is great for this. I can experiment without forcing all of my money into one genre and invest in what I like to develop over time

 

[pjm1]

First of all, kit makes no real difference (for us amateurs)... ok, you might be doing a bit of stitching if you want to shoot "conventional" landscapes and you only have a 150-500mm zoom but that's probably an unlikely scenario

With a kit lens or even a prime or two, you can take almost any style of photo you want, perhaps apart from birding or motorsport (and even than you can still approach and have a bit of a play at the fringe).

I took up photography first of all about 10 years ago with an old film SLR and then eventually a DSLR. I fell out of love with it pretty quickly, because I wasn't taking photos that interested me. It's only been that last 6-7 months that I've bought a new (well to me - it was 2nd hand) DSLR and a couple of lenses and really got back into it again. The reason? I have kids, I enjoy hillwalking and I want to take photos of these things. When I'm looking at my photos on screen, I'm smiling because I genuinely love the subjects I'm looking at (maybe not quite so much when they're bug shots ).

I found for a while I was taking a LOAD of people shots - well, specifically my kids. To be honest, the shots were pretty rubbish, technically, but I liked them because of what they recorded and showed me. The only way to improve your photography is to get out there and take lots of photos - reading books and watching youtube will help accelerate it, but there is no substitute for experience and learning from mistakes. To do this, you really do have to want to and have to enjoy it. So taking photos YOU like is good! The more you like it, the more you'll get out there.

Sure, there are different skills involved with taking a landscape or a portrait but ultimately both are about capturing light in an emotive way. One might require a bit more interaction with the subject, but the technical process of using the camera and instinctively knowing what your settings should be are somewhat common. So absolutely do focus on taking pictures and focusing on a genre which appeals. If it helps grow your passion for photography than that's a great thing. At some point, you may find you want to widen your photographic approach or interests, but it's your hobby so it's whatever YOU want to do. Don't ever feel like "ooh, I haven't taken a landscape shot this month, I must get out there and do it" unless you genuinely want to. If your hobby starts to feel like a chore than you're more likely to lose the love for it.

I would add that your rate of improvement will probably tail off as you develop your skills (learning curves are steepest at the beginning), so you may find you WANT to try different genres, techniques or subject types after a while... because you're not seeing as much improvement as quickly as you'd like. I'd always urge patience, but switching genres can get you back to "beginner" again in something else and as I mentioned earlier, getting out and taking photos should be your aim, so if that's what you want to do, then that's your call. I personally found being a complete beginner again (e.g. having a go at macro this week) was great fun and my rate of improvement certainly went through the roof. It also gave me a slightly different appreciation for some of the technicals - more subtle lighting control, manual focus, tiny apertures etc.

But find what works for you. And don't ever let anyone tell you that the way you enjoy photography is wrong. Because it isn't.

Right, I need to get out to take a landscape shot or two - that's why I'm up at stupid o'clock!