Five of my top tips for photographing people

I've been photographing people for a long time.  I started doing it almost as soon as I bought my first 35mm film camera.  In my home town of Brighton (on the south coast of England) I cut my teeth on capturing ordinary people going about their daily lives down on the beach and on Brighton's busy, bohemian streets. 

In later years I moved into the studio and I had several years shooting weddings, families and corporate headshots.  You pick up some tricks when you shoot as much as I did,  and on today's Tog-Talk I'm going to share my thoughts on five really helpful things to either avoid... or things that are essential if you want to take good images.

There is great advice here for newbies with cameras, but I'm also sure there will be things to learn for photographers who have been shooting for a while.

Need more..?
If you want to know a bit more, check out my Tog-Talk website which usually has photos and additional words of guidance: www.tog-talk.com


Improving your photography
I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to this broadcast and I hope that you have found it interesting as well as entertaining.   If you're looking to imporove your photography and you live close enough to our training centre in Fleet, Hampshire, you could attend one of our workshops (or our longer courses) in both photography and photo-editing.

If you're at the beginning of your photography journey you might find this one-day introduction, just what you're looking for:

• Introduction To Photography (1-day Workshop)

Run four times a year, this one-day photography workshop will equip you with the knowledge you need to move from simply being a camera-owner… to becoming a real photographer!  Whether you're photographing your kids, snapping your holidays or you're hoping to progress your photography to a more creative level, you'll still need a solid grasp of the basics.

Want something more?
Alternatively, If you want a course that raises the bar, something to immerse yourself in for a whole year, you'll want to join our Photography Masterclass.  Run twice a year, with intakes during Spring and Autumn, it is our core workshop.

• The Photography Masterclass (one year course)

Students on the Photography Masterclass will build a solid foundation of technical and creative skills .  They will learn not only how their cameras work and how to shoot with a creative eye, but there are modules on photographing people, working with flash, shooting landscapes, macro photography, as well as two modules on editing.

This is a ten-module photography course with photo-assignments between sessions.  Each session lasts three hours and will include time to examine assignment images and take part in practicals (where appropriate).

Test Your Knowledge

Or you could simply test your photography knowledge and have a go at our free Photography Assessment Tool

Kevin Ahronson is founder of Hampshire School of Photography: www.hampshirephotoschool.com
More teaching and video tutorials are available at the Photography Teacher

Email: [email protected]