Portrait Photographer: It’s All About Intimate Moments

Taking photos where the subjects are oblivious to the presence of the photographer and the camera is challenging.  The challenge stems from the fact that the photographer has to have minimal or preferably no influence on the subjects. The opportunity to straighten out awkward poses and surroundings is not possible. However, that’s the point of candid photos in the first place, which is to capture natural moments laced with depth and substance.

I have been doing candid styled photography at events like weddings and business retreats and believe me when I say the photographer matters a lot in this photography style. Despite the fact that every Las Vegas professional photographer is expected to be skilled in this aspect, covering a candid only occasion can be a different ball game entirely.

In the sense that you are only meant to have inputs or suggestions before the event and not during the events. Because if you want to capture those natural moments, you wouldn’t want to have any unnecessary influence on the subject whatsoever. Perhaps, this apparent problem actually is the distinguishing factor between one photographer with a keen eye for candid and one more comfortable with formal settings.

The best candid moments are usually informal. I prefer photographing people doing things – but of course, the best photos are those taken with the subject unaware of the shots. This way, I can tell a mini-story that is interesting and memorable to the subject when they get to see the photos a few days later. They go like “Oh, that time I was doing this or that”. I find that all my clients like an element of a story or context to their images.

Finally, it is common knowledge that killing the flash and photographing people from distance is a good way of keeping them unaware of the fact that their photos are being taken at that moment. However, while I’m also a big fan of the stealth mode approach, shots from distance is one of the good ways I add meaning to the photos. If I’m going to photograph people sitting alone doing nothing,  I can very well have a part of the environment provoking their present mood. This way, it doesn’t look like another posed shot and is usually very deep if captured correctly.

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