How to Photography: It’s Supposed to Be Fun!

 Maybe, the greatest pitfall for any type of photographer—beginner, hobbyist and professional—is losing the element of fun. It’s easy to become obsessive about capturing the best pictures at a family gathering or advancing your skills and results beyond the novice or spending hours for that perfect professional image that wins awards or new, high-paying clients. Learn more about poses for boys on our website PhotographyTalk.com.

Photography, like most creative pursuits, becomes much less than what it should be or what you expected when you forget to have fun for any reason. Whenever you suddenly discover that photography is no longer fun then step back and examine your approach and the process according to the following points.

It’s a learning experience.

You’re not born with the abilities to be a photographer; and there are certainly many concepts and techniques to learn that could fill a number of lifetimes. Even the most experienced pros will tell you that often the opportunity to be always learning drives them more than making a buck or receiving an award. Don’t be discouraged if you are having trouble understanding a specific concept or seem unable to make a shooting technique work correctly. Take a deep breath and maybe shelve that concept or technique and move to another one, where you can experience some success. Achieving your photography or any of life’s goals is often the key to having fun. You can also check another post about picture poses for guys here.

 Be wary of the equipment bug.

Like a virus, your enjoyment of photography can be overwhelmed by focusing too much on equipment, especially the items you’d like to buy. Purchasing new equipment is infectious and is often a mistaken substitute for learning how to have fun with the camera you already own. It’s the same for the hobbyist and the pro: the market is full of glittering and often remarkable gear, many of which are meant to compel you to spend money and not necessarily improve your photography or your fun.

Whenever the equipment bug bites you, take control of yourself and your wallet and take the time to consider if you actually need it, or simply want the latest whiz-bang item. A good method to refocus your interest is stop being emotional about you want and become objective. Study the equipment’s specifications, compare them to competitive products and ask others what they think or have experienced with that equipment. The PhotographyTalk Forum is the perfect place to do just that. Think also about the additional costs that you may incur if you buy more equipment: a larger camera bag, additional insurance, another item that may need to repaired, etc.

Too serious by half.

No doubt, photography is serious business for the professional, and even the hobbyist who is eager to produce higher quality images. That seriousness must be in balance with a feeling of enjoyment, even if the results are less than satisfactory. Do you find yourself spending your entire vacation with your eyes glued to the LCD screen on the back of your camera? As a professional, do you think you must carry every piece of equipment you own with you on assignment? Once you recognize these signs, you have likely made the photography process a burden and not an opportunity to enjoy the world around you and the people in it.

Photos are for viewing.

King Midas obsessively hoarded his wealth, unwilling to share it or even allow others to know he had it. Photography will be much more fun when you readjust your mindset and consider the photos you shoot as “community property.” Your images belong to the world, not to you. Social media makes it very easy to share your photos with not just your friends, but people living on the other side of the world. More importantly, you can’t be afraid to have your photos critiqued or receive compliments. One of the best learning opportunities for photographers of every skill level and stripe is to ask more experienced photographers to comment on their results. True professionals don’t hoard advice and guidance, either, and are eager to help beginners and hobbyists have fun with their photography, as they learn.

Stick to your guns. 

Nothing will suck the fun from photography more than relinquishing control of your creative freedom to others, or to current fads and trends. Part of being a professional, of course, is giving one’s clients what they want, and expect. The solution for the professional is to shoot both the “requirements” of the client and alternative images based on the pro’s vision. Clients will often find the professional’s approach better than what they are dictating. For non-professionals, it’s important to develop a unique vision that reveals their true level of creativity than simply shooting what appears to be popular. Also check guy poses for pictures.

Unnecessary equipment loyalty. 

Canon and Nikon, specifically, as well as other brands have purposely created separate cultures for themselves, and then convinced photographers through marketing that they must choose one or the other, and remain loyal. Some manufacturers do a better job with one type of camera, lens or other equipment, while others excel at alternatives. The fun comes from knowing how to use and achieve your best results from any camera instead of thinking that the brand of camera is responsible for your creativity.

This article about the topic "How to Photography: It’s Supposed to Be Fun!" was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/photography-articles/2776-how-to-photography-its-supposed-to-be-fun

How to Pose Men for Portraits?

 

Male Portrait - How To Pose?

I'm a man, and though I don't speak for all men, I can tell you that most of us are not comfortable in front of the camera.

That uncomfortable feeling shows in our portraits, where we look awkward, have a strained smile on our face, and generally feel like a noob.

But, as with everything in photography, there are plenty of solutions to your man photo poses problems.

Mango Street offers up some killer male portrait photography tips in the video above.

Be sure to watch the video in full to see each tip in action, and read about each tip in the summary below.

Try Emphasizing His Jawline

When posing a man, you might consider ways to make the image a little more masculine, and a great way to do that is to highlight his jawline. Learn more about poses for guys on our website PhotographyTalk.com.

The jawline is nice and angular and is a harsher feature that lends to the masculinity of the shot.

To emphasize the jawline, have the model turn to his left or right, so you have a better view of the jawline, as seen above.

To enhance the view even further, find bright, direct natural light or use artificial lighting to cast a shadow of his jawline onto his neck.

Again, doing so enhances the angularity of his jaw and results in a portrait that's pleasing to view and masculine at the same time.

Learn More:

• 7 Essential Tips for More Dramatic Portraits

Give Him Something to Do With His Hands

This is a great tip for any portrait subject, not just for men!

The most awkward thing about portraits is when people don't know what to do with their hands. Usually, that means the go-to is for the hands and arms to dangle next to our bodies.

For an improved look, have your male model do something with his hands.

He can clasp them together as seen above, cross his chest and place his hand on the opposite shoulder, brush his hair out of his face, or frame his face by stroking his beard. You can also view another post about best poses for photography. 

Note how these aren't vigorous or intense actions, either.

Simply instructing him to put his hands somewhere can immediately minimize the awkwardness of the shot, resulting in a far more visually appealing portrait.

Keep the Posture Relaxed

I realize that those stiff-as-a-board formal types of portraits are a necessity sometimes, but if you want to get a high-quality portrait of a man, opting for something that's relaxed will get you much better results.

Whether it's leaning forward on a railing, leaning back on a wall, sitting down or even laying down, having your male subject in a comfortable posture will make him more likely to be relaxed in the portrait.

When sitting down, have him lean forward, perhaps even putting his elbows on his knees. When standing, have him cross one foot in front of the other, or even one arm across his body to his opposite shoulder to keep things nice and loose.

Another interesting tip is to have him pretend that one arm is heavier than the other and that it's dragging his body down on one side.

As you can see in the image above, by having him emphasize the weight of his left shoulder, it has the look that he's in motion, in the middle of shifting his positioning. That results in a nicely relaxed posture, don't you think?

Bonus Tip For Man Portrait: Use the Surroundings and Props to Your Advantage

Obviously, the location you choose to shoot a portrait of a man will have a significant impact on the overall visual appeal of the image.

Like was pointed out in the first tip, finding ways to add strong angles adds a masculine touch to the shot. You can also check another post about poses for boys.

Looking at the image above, note how the two staircases create interesting lines that help direct our eye to the subject.

Also notice how the grittiness of the background helps in creating a more edgy shot that matches this model's look.

The peeling paint and the texture of the iron rails is a nice addition to create a portrait that's relaxed and masculine, but eye-catching and visually appealing at the same time.

What's more, you can also use props to help your male subject get away from having awkward arms and hands.

But the key is to use props in a way that they blend in with the shot.

In the image above, the skateboard is the perfect prop as it fits in with the environment in which the image was taken.

What's more, the skateboard looks like a natural fit for this particular man, giving the image a laid-back vibe.

The point here is that getting a great portrait of a man is possible, it might just require a little extra work.

And though many of us are bad at asking for directions, if you provide your male subjects with clear, straightforward directions for what you want them to do, you'll probably find that you have some pretty compelling shots as a result!

This blog post about the topic "How to Pose Men for Portraits?" was first published on our website here https://www.photographytalk.com/contest-articles/7804-how-to-pose-men-for-portraits