This week will be devoted to people photography – by popular request on twitter. Wildlife photography was the second choice. Over at DPE, my friend Juan Pons is offering a week of wildlife photography tips. So you get the best of both worlds!

I took all the photographs for this week’s blog posts on a workshop in Venice, Italy organized by VSP Workshops.

Sunday’s Tip: Make the picture – don’t just take the picture.

Take the time to expertly position a subject or subjects in a scene. Remember, when you are behind the camera, you are the director of the shoot.

It took me about 10 minutes to set up this shot, asking the subject to hold the mirror in exactly the right position so that her face was perfectly reflected in the mirror.

I positioned the subject in the shade and shot close to the subject, keeping in mind this tip: The closer you are to a subject, the more intimate your picture becomes.

Canon 1Ds Mark III
Lens: Canon 24-105mm IS.

For more tips on people pictures, see my book, Face to Face.

Explore the light - and people photography,
Rick