I need to dust off my Nikon camera. A while ago I was practicing taking pictures of people. Below is a picture of Edward who I see on my daily walks. Edward always makes it a point to say "hello" and is impeccably dress while sitting on the park bench.
Many photography websites provide similar tips.
- When using natural lighting, consider the golden hour (hour after sunrise or before sunset).
- Position your subject in a way where the light is indirectly illuminating them to avoid shadows or squinting.
- Camera setting: use a low ISO; select a wide aperture for shallow depth of field and a blurred background; adjust the shutter speed to control motion and light.
- The subject: capture candid moments as well as posed shots.
- Composition: practice the rule of thirds and focus on the subject's eyes (so shoot at eye level).
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| Picture of Edward near the park. Lessons learned - I am glad I took a picture with the neighborhood as the background and captured him in a candid pose as he was talking. But wished I repositioned Edward so that the sun was not so harsh and directly in his face, causing a shadow. |
Relatedly, there is a fantastic photography exhibit at the National Gallery of Art that is closing January 11, 2026. It is called, "Photography and the Black Arts Movement 1955-1985".
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| I forgot to take note of the title and the photographer of this picture. But this photograph instantly caught my attention. |
~JM
