Photography: In Your Face

If your mother taught you to stay out of people's faces, she was right... except for when you have a camera in your hand.  That's the time to get close.  Sure I love the photos of my little guy in his favorite superhero costume, but it's the pictures like the one above that make my heart stop.  

But before I get all sappy on you, let's look at an example of why face shots are great.  The first picture was taken at a soccer game.  Sure, I captured a shot of my parents and my brother (with a guest in the background), but it looks like a photo taken at a soccer game.  Nothing more.    

But look at the awesomeness difference when I zoom in on their faces:

 Squeal!  It goes from ho-hum to frame-worthy!
Now that I've convinced you, let's look at some great angles to try out:

1. Get them on the ground:

Kids are much more likely to go for this angle than adults, so go for it.  Tell them to giggle, wrestle, snuggle.  Be ready to snap those shots.  Some of my favorite head shots are from this angle.

2. It's okay to chop off the top of their head:

I wanted to capture her chocolate lips that matched her chocolate eyes.  Who cares what her hair looked like that night?

My man loves a baseball cap.  Unfortunately, they usually have a logo plastered across the front.  No problem... go for the face!

 3. Side Swipe

There's just something so natural about a profile shot.  They aren't posing for the camera; they're engaged in the moment.. the moment I want to capture.

 That's snow, not dandruff  ;)

4. Not everyone has to be looking in the same direction.

This is one of my favorite shots.  It's not staged.  I don't know what kind of shoes they are wearing.  You can't tell where the photo was taken.  It is real life.  I didn't tell him to kiss her, so her reaction is genuine.  It's an up close shot of life being lived.

Sometimes you will capture a shot that you will be so glad they're not looking at the camera.  Sniff, sniff.

I took this shot at the beach about 7 years ago with a point and shoot.  It's my all time favorite.  Next time we'll talk about cameras.  I need a tissue after that stroll through memory lane.

Now go get in their faces!