Posing through Life

Traveling your everyday life and locations can lead

to precious memories and photos to go with them

Marley Anderson

Chicago, IL

Iris Boateng

Fort Monroe, VA

The location

There are tons of opportunities right near you that will result in amazing pictures!

Find somewhere with a clear background that won't distract from the subject of the photo, which is usually referred to as "background noise" that translates into "noise" that will change the composition of the photo. Minimizing this kind of proverbial noise will allow you to have a more focused picture and will bring the focus onto your subject. That doesn't mean that a busy location can't produce a good photo, your subject just has to be able to stand out and become the focus on their own. Once you've found a spot that you like, look into setting up the scene in different variations because some of your ideas may not pan out. For example, if you are trying to get a specific mood from the lighting, try having the subject posed in a few different ways and take the photo from three or four angles instead of just one or two. This will give you more variety and will also allow you to build a larger collection to choose from at a later date if you need to build a portfolio.

Spicing it up

If you want to try something new, there are tons of ways to switch it up!

For iPhones:

• adjust your settings to store your photos in a RAW format in order to store the most data for better editing possibilities

• shoot in different filters using the preset functions

• shoot using portrait mode and adjust the photo as you go

• use the "live photo" function to its maximum capabilities

• take a video and use the photo function while its recording to get more shots and to create a video of the process

• if you are with friends, use their phones' flashlights to create different lighting and moods=

• take photos rapidly and have the subject moving or move around the subject to get different angles at a smaller change rate

For Cameras:

• Adjust your camera to shoot and store your photos in RAW formats

• take photos rapidly and have the subject moving or move around the subject to get different angles at a smaller change rate

• Adjust your camera's color correcting function to a different color to bring it out more (i.e. if you change it to be cooler/more blue, the photo will be very blue and grey based)

• if you are newer to using a manual focusing device, try that out on your subject when they are stationary to blur certain aspects of the scene

• move away and towards the subject to get a better range of light and more of the background because you can always crop it!

• have it set on a timer and placed on a steady object in order to introduce yourself or another group of subjects while it resets to the optimal details for you

• switch between as many modes as you are comfortable doing if that is how you are learning, take a look at whats changing between each of them and try it out on manual

There are a lot of things that can be done to switch things up and make your photos more interesting, and the experience more fun! Taking the photo and being able to use it in its raw form without editing is the best feeling, but you can always take things to the next level with photoshop or a free editing website called photopea.