Do you want to look bad?
Um, that would be NO, right?
Let's talk about the photos we see on social networking sites. Here are the rough categories:
- Picture of you, cropped so as to not include your SO, BF, GF, Wife, Husband, whatever is to your left in the pic
- The 'solo camera phone shot' where in addition to seeing your head, we see your upper arms in a very unnatural position. Looks like it was a last minute, "Hey wouldn't it be great to take a photo in this location" shot.
- Then there's the "I'm so drunk at the bar/party/dance/concert/" shot.
- And the "Here's me at work in my gray cubicle w/paper, monitor and dead printer" in the background" shot
- The camouflage shot: "This is me 5 years ago at a Halloween party but never mind the mask"
- The 'professional headshot' usually for execs to post on the bio pages at their firm they are leading - usually a little stiff.
- A special one for the ladies: "I just changed my hair color to platinum blonde, blood red, muted purple and I'm SO EXCITED!"
- For the guys: Nobody wants to see you in a do-rag, O.K.?
Now, I know this isn't you, but maybe you have a friend...
A couple of quick tips for a photo that's fun and authentic, but not 'professional':
- Start w/a reasonably good camera. Some people can take great shots w/camera phones, and most of them are professional photographers. With a lot of patience. Most digital point and shoots made in the last 2 years are capable of great shots, so start there.
- CLEAN THE LENS. It's like chalking the cue in pool - just make it a habit.
- Only take shots when you have GREAT lighting conditions: 1st or last hour of daylight (assuming no clouds, or intermittent clouds; back-lighting is sorta important, especially for women (back-lighting means the light is coming towards you as the photographer, and your subject is between you and the light); and remember that the odds of a pic coming out well where the camera's flash was used are a bit slim. Another great time is during the day when we have cloud cover as they diffuse the light so it's not harsh. Opens up your shooting hours markedly.
- Set your camera to use the best possible image capture, which usually means the largest file size.
- Fill the viewfinder with the person in question. People way out away from the photographer don't do much for your audience.
- For subjects who have gained a few lbs & they are self-conscious about it: The camera should be a bit higher than the head, and straight-on, and/or you might want to just tilt your head down a bit. This will help hide any chubbiness below the chin (Check Victoria Beckham, Paris Hilton or any of the glamor girl shots when they know they are being photographed).
- If it's an option, reduce the F-stop setting the lowest possible on the camera. This will help in two ways: 1) Keeps the focus on the person in the shot (assuming you're focusing on them), and 2) Allows you to up the speed of the shot to reduce shake & movement.
Around Seattle, there are some great outdoor places to take photos, usually on the Western side of the water. For example, the parks up on Queen Anne, or Kirkland beach area along Lake Washington, or along the waterfront of Downtown Seattle (Hello Olympic Sculpture Park!). These locations give you wonderful opportunity to take a shot w/great light because there's nothing occluding your light source as the sun goes down.
Finally, have fun! In this day and age, a photo is almost free except for the time you put into it. So, shoot away. When you get a great shot, post it up!

