PEOPLE

G R O U P P O R T R A I T S

Anytime you try to pose more than three people in a photograph and catch them looking happy and relaxed, you'll understand why professional portrait photographers are so well paid. Photographing groups is not easy. But if you're traveling with a large family or group, or happen to encounter a crowd of friendly strangers, you'll need to confront the challenge.

Arranging a natural pose is the most awkward part of photographing a group, so try to be creative. Rather than lining them up in rows by height like your grammar school photographer did, clump them around a picnic bench, seat them on a grassy hillside, or just let them roost naturally (see the photograph of the Chinese children).

Try to get everyone to lighten up: Better to capture a slightly disheveled-looking bunch who are enjoying themselves than to record them looking like a terrified gang facing a firing squad. Tell a joke (even if it's lame) or, if you're shooting travel companions, bring up a particularly silly event that happened during the trip. There's usually at least one live wire in every group, and a good way to get a funny picture is to put him or her in charge of organizing the shot. If you can't get your crowd to strike a really at-ease pose, don't worry; standing around in a group in front of a camera isn't very natural. Get what you can and try again later.

Lighting in group portraits is important, because you want to be able to recognize people's faces. If possible, pose your group in a large area of open shade--under a tree or on the shaded steps of a hotel. If you're forced to work in harsh sunlight where shadows are obscuring faces, use the flash-fill mode (see Fill-In Flash) of your built-in flash to open dark spots.

A wide-angle lens or wide zoom setting will obviously help you work closer and get more people into the frame, but be careful not to take in too much distracting background. If you're working with a really big group, consider taking a panoramic photograph (see Panoramas)--its unusual proportions will give a witty twist to the picture.

F R I E N D S ' F A C E S

There's nothing wrong with taking lots of pictures of your friends or family posing rigid and glassy-eyed in front of every sign and historic marker you encounter, except that they'll all hate you for making them pose, and no one will want to look at the pictures later. Well, things may not get that drastic, but there are tricks that will make taking pictures of your travel companions more enjoyable for them and produce better pictures to boot.

One way to make your subjects look and act comfortable is to let them be comfortable. Rather than snapping them standing at attention in front of the Lincoln Memorial, let them sit on the steps chatting. Sitting or leaning on something gives people something to do with their arms and hands and makes them feel much less self-conscious. For variety, try to find poses where your subjects are looking at the scene around them, even if it means that they have their backs partially or even completely to the camera. You know who they are, they know who they are--what else matters?

If you insist on having your subjects face the camera, be sure that you're not asking them to squint straight into bright sunlight. Instead, try to find a spot of open shade, or alter your shooting position slightly so they're looking away from the sun. In any case, the faster you work--especially with kids--the more likely it is that your subjects will tolerate your forays into portraiture. Don't dally over camera controls. Compose the picture you want first, then have your subjects step into it.

Speaking of kids, you may want to abandon posing them altogether and wait until they're involved in some activity, like sloshing down a water slide or climbing up a sand dune. Keep shutter speeds at 1/250 second or faster to freeze action (see Motion), and shoot extra pictures to be sure of at least one clean shot.

Don't overlook ordinary moments either: sitting in a sidewalk café, gassing up the car, or just dozing by the hotel pool. Usually these are the times when everyone is most relaxed, and the pictures will reflect it.

P E O P L E A T W O R K

Photographing people at work provides an intimate glimpse into what real life is like in different parts of the world. Often too, pictures of people at work identify destinations better than landmarks or scenery. Nothing describes life on Cape Cod better than a picture of a lobsterman unloading his day's catch, or identifies London like a shot of a bobby up to his neck in evening traffic.

While it's possible (and sometimes preferable) to photograph people at work candidly, it's usually better to ask their permission. Photographer Boyd Norton, who travels extensively around the world, says that asking your subjects about their work is an excellent way to build a photographic rapport: "Most people are proud of their accomplishments and soon lose themselves in talking about--and demonstrating--their skill. By then they've forgotten about your camera. . . ." Incidentally, Norton has learned to ask his subjects' permission in no less than eight languages--including Swahili and Navajo. Even if you don't speak the language, often a smile and a simple nod at your camera will get you permission.

One advantage of photographing people working is that you have built-in props. Holding a tool or a product makes people less self-conscious and solves the problem of what to do with their hands: A basket weaver can display a work in progress, for example. Use a normal lens to isolate your subject and the work, or if an interesting or exotic background warrants, use a wide-angle to include it as well; a telephoto will let you zoom in on a craftsperson's hands and tools.

Always work quickly and with a minimum of gear; even the friendliest of subjects will lose patience (and income) if you fuss too much with equipment. Also, unless you're desperate for light, try to shoot with the existing light--nothing kills spontaneity like the blast of an electronic flash. With fast films (ISO 400 or 1000), you can photograph people in surprisingly dim conditions--even by candlelight.

P E O P L E A T W O R K

S T R A N G E R S ' F A C E S

For a lot of us, the very idea of walking up to strangers on the street and taking a picture of them is enough to bring on a cold sweat. But no other subject you will encounter will bring home the wonder and charm of far-flung places like portraits of the people who live there.

The best way to find interesting faces and characters is simply to wander where people gather: markets, fairs, city parks, and the like. In these situations, working candidly (that is, unobtrusively) is often your only alternative, as subjects come and go so quickly. A moderately long telephoto lens (an 80 mm to 200 mm zoom, for example) will enable you to remain at an inconspicuous distance, but remember there is a fine line between working politely from afar and appearing sneaky. If you are perceived as the latter, you will certainly draw more suspicion than cooperation. If you're spotted by your subject, simply smile and turn the camera away, or better yet, seize the opportunity to start a conversation in which you can ask him or her to pose.

Posing someone for a portrait isn't as mysterious or daunting as it sounds. Frame the scene tightly to take in just the head and shoulders, and try to keep direct eye contact with your subject. Don't automatically encourage people to smile: Allow them to be shy or pensive or curious. Portraits look best when the background is either simple or out of focus; one technique is to use a large aperture and selective focus (see Controlling Depth of Field) to cast the background into a soft blur. Soft, even lighting is most flattering, so try also to pose your subject in the shade of a building or tree. Bright midday light from overhead is the worst; it will create strong shadows in the eye sockets (use flash fill--see Fill-In Flash--to open them).

Finally, remember that there are places in the world where taking someone's picture is taboo. Ask at your hotel before you go out.

I N T H E M A R K E T P L A C E

Big city or small town, few corners of the world are without a thriving produce or arts-and-crafts market operating at least one day a week. In fact, in many rural places, the Saturday morning farmer's market is the highlight of weekly life. These markets offer prime opportunities to do some low-exertion photography--and have fun shopping at the same time.

If there's one thing you can count on in most markets, it's colorful displays of goods and colorful characters hawking them. Some markets--like the floating produce markets in Thailand, where women peddle their wares from boats--are so unusual that the most offhand snapshot can catch the exotic atmosphere. As markets (especially in warmer climates) generally open early in the day, you'll have to pull the covers off promptly to catch the peak activities, but the gentle morning light will enhance the warmth of your pictures.

What to photograph? Color is everywhere, especially in a produce market, so look for interesting still lifes of exotic fruits and vegetables. Close-ups of individual artworks are great souvenirs, but I recommend buying something, too, if you want to make a new friend. Most people who sell their wares directly to the public are part huckster, so if you happen on a particularly gregarious one, snap a few quick portraits of him or her exhibiting a prize chicken or a one-of-a-kind piece of handicraft. If it's an open-air market, look for a high vantage point to get an overall shot as well.

Markets are crowded and almost everything photographs well with a wide-angle lens, so just bring the point-and-shoot even if you've got an SLR and lenses. A one-time-use panoramic (see Panoramas) is another good idea for sweeping street views. Above all, bring lots of film--and cash.