Some photographers have a real gift for photographing people. They are able to embrace humanity and capture on film the very essence of life. They reveal the person's emotions without saying a word. They seem to understand the unspoken word of the heart and are able to record it without the distraction of camera and technique.

If you have clicked on to this page, chances are you are one of those people. Perhaps you just need a bit more help or information to push your images to a new level of success. These lessons are aimed at doing just that.

In these lessons you will learn how to make your subject comfortable and to reveal the subject's true feelings. It is true not all people are comfortable enough with themselves to trust and let go and you will discover who is easy to shoot and who is not easy to shoot. There are ways to help people become comfortable in front of a camera.

The best way to shoot people is from a distance. Give them personal space and shoot with a long lens. Pretend you are shooting a couple of rolls to get them familiar with being photographed. Try not to give much direction or you will find yourself with very staged and stiff subjects. Follow them around if they will permit it. At some time they will be relaxed. This is when you will get the best shot.

Let the people be themselves until they are comfortable, then direct them with very simple suggestions. Many factors come into play when photographing people, like the texture of their skin, what areas the light hits their face, their posture and the gait of their walk. Remember your basic visual design elements when positioning a person in the frame. Colors will also play a large role in the emotion you portray about the person. See visual design.

Below are some successful photographs of people. Some of these people the photographer knew and some were people just shot on the street.

Don't forget with each lesson the
button allows you to get help. This feature alone is worth 10 times the value you are paying for the lessons.