Photography Tips: Pictures of Friends

Follow these photography tips to take pictures of friends and create charming and priceless mementos. Shooting friends can be awkward or difficult, particularly if you have friends who are camera-shy or don't seem to listen to your instructions. Follow these steps to make a photography shoot pleasant for everyone with both posed and candid pictures.

Step 1 - Get Your Friends Together

A good way of avoiding the problem of having to take multiple photographs is to get everyone together in the same place. If you use a  studio, you could gather them in there, or you might choose to make it more relaxed by shooting in a living or TV room. Gathering the friends together in one place has the advantage of uniting them all in preparing to have their picture taken, although it can also make some tense.

Step 2 - Get Rid of Red Eye

The problem of red eye is caused by light reflecting off blood at the back of the retina, and is often caused by a camera flash or a bright light source. One way of avoiding the red eye is to avoid bright lighting in the room where the photograph is going to be taken, or make the room as bright as possible, so the lighting is even. You can also try moving closer to the subject and limiting use of the flash. You can also move the flash away from the camera, starting at 6 inches and moving farther away.

Step 3 - Make Them Relax

Candid photography is perhaps one of the best ways for amateurs to take pictures of friends and family. Unlike more formal arrangements, the candid shot doesn't have to be perfect, so there is no need to worry about shadows or good lighting. Wait until your friends are busy doing something else, and then take snaps of them. Candid photography takes the pressure off your friends to pose or look good so they appear more relaxed and natural, and thus at their best.

Step 4 - Give Them a Theme

Another way to make them relax is to encourage them to dress up. This is particularly good at parties, when you can have your friends dress up costumes, or at weddings, when most of the friends and family will be dressed in their best clothes. Make the photographs fun, and assure them that they look great. If they are dressed in costume, it won't hurt to have a laugh with them.

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