Portraits are one the most common type of photographs. We’d like to share some tips for taking better people pictures.

The “Eyes” Have It When taking pictures of people, most viewers will tell you that it’s the eyes that catch and hold their attention. Here’s a few examples of how the eyes make a difference.
Here we have filled the viewfinder with the infant’s face. However her eyes are focused downward – pointing away from the photo.	Here the young girl is looking directly at the photographer. While she sports a serious visage, her eyes draw me into the photo.
This young lady is also looking directly at the photographer. Her large eyes become the center of attention and help “make the photo work”.	Here we’ve decided to move in and eliminate the forehead and the chin. The result is a photo that totally emphasizes the child’s bright, compelling eyes.

 

I think you’ll be rewarded if you are patient and wait for the subject’s eyes to meet the lens.

A complimentary tip – long ago my mentor taught me that before pressing the shutter button, I should make sure that the lens was carefully focused on the eyes. This has been remained essential words of advice since.

Written by: Arnie Lee

 

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At the PhotoPlus Expo this past September I stopped by the Sony booth. Having received pre-show information, I wanted to try their pair of new cameras – the Alpha A33 and A55. While both look and function like DSLRs, a more appropriate term might be DVF – Digital ViewFinder – since neither uses a reflex mirror. Instead, they sport a fixed translucent “mirror” that sends a small portion of the incoming image to the viewfinder and the remainder to the “film” light sensor.

This technology isn’t new. In the early 1960’s Canon made a model called the Pellix using a similar scheme with a pellicle mirror. My uncle bought this camera back then, one of the first to have Through The Lens metering (TTL) and it served him well for many years.

Sony believes that their updated translucent mirror has life in the 21st century. There are several advantages to such an arrangement. First, a static mirror eliminates the reflex mechanism providing a space, weight and cost savings. Removing this mechanical assembly also allows for a higher frame rate. Next, the electronics measuring the auto exposure remain uninterrupted from frame to frame giving instant responses to varying changes in lighting. Similarly, the auto focus system stays 100% available – a very important consideration for high speed continuous shooting.

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I enjoy genealogy, the research and study of my family heritage. My research has taken my wife Deb and I to many parts of the US snooping through old dusty and musty smelling county courthouse records, family landmarks, walking old cemeteries and discovering fascinating facts.

Many years ago my father gave me an old shoebox of family photos. Many dated back to the late 1880’s and on to the present. Most were of family members in posed (studio) positions for photographers but there were many that showed family members outside in various scenes.

Some were shown in front of old barns, a few with horse and buggy but many were of old family homes. Many photos were done at cemeteries, funerals and thank goodness, happier times. In particular, some were taken in front of buildings that were relevant to my ancestors at the time of the photo. Other examples would be possibly a town square or courthouse or even a church.
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