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Taking a good shot of people depends on
many factors. One of the most important is where you take the picture
form. It is difficult to set down hard and fast rules about this, and
obviously it depends on the situation. But one or two general points
are always worth bearing in mind.
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If you choose high viewpoint to
photograph a person full length this will have the effect of shortening
them. But if you kneel down you will exaggerate their height. A quick
look in any fashion magazine shows many example of this stance, with
the models that appear to have legs that go on and on. With young
children and babies it may be necessary to get down on the ground and
choose an extremely low viewpoint for an effective shot.
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When photographing groups or crowds of
people it is generally best if you can remove yourself from the throng
and view them from a distance, or perhaps from above.
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At a special event you may be able to
emphasize the detail of a uniform or costume to make an individual or
small group stand out from the rest.
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When you go in close the viewpoint you
take can emphasize or exaggerate a person’s expression. But remember
that if you go too close with a wide angle lens it is very easy to get
distortion, which may not look too flattering.
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Your next consideration is exposure. If
people are moving about rapidly TTL metering may be an asset, but when
taking shots by this method beware: the meter is reading for the
general scene and not for a predominantly dark or light area which may
be the centre of interest of the picture. You may need to compensate
for this to get a correct exposure.