Master Class
Point Of View
Add Camera Position To Your List Of Pro Techniques Page 2

Emotion Rules!
There's no question, impact is what it's all about. Even for this "candid" shot of the couple I still went for his profile over the 2/3 camera position of her. Okay, I didn't get either. But, the expressions make up for it, don't they? Yes! Go for exact camera position, but don't let it hold you back from shooting spontaneously.

In the meantime, if you go away from reading this article thinking that the camera position is where you actually see a full face, 2/3 view, or a profile, you'll be richer and wiser. Even if you have a near miss you'll probably still be a lot better off than had you not been aware of this professional technique.

Sometimes, a picture doesn't have an exact angle of the face. Sometimes, it's a little bit "off." Does that mean it's no good? No, of course not! I love this portrait. Yes, it's a great profile of the bride, but the groom's face is not exactly a 2/3 view. As a matter of fact, had I turned his face to an exact 2/3 view he would never have been able to look back at his bride. I saw that when I was creating the portrait and decided to go along with it, because I liked the way both of them looked when I took the picture.

It definitely helps to be aware of the three exact camera positions, but this doesn't mean that you have to use them each and every time.



Here's an example of a portrait where there's just no way you're going to get everyone perfect. It shows great profiles on both sides, but some of those 2/3 views are cutting it pretty close. Nowhere near the exact ideal camera position. But what's most important are the expressions and the connection between them all. Portraits can work even when you don't get the exact camera positions you'd like to have. Would the picture have been better had we gotten a perfect 2/3 view of those people? Not necessarily. The expressions here are wonderful--they're what counts. I could never have taken this image repeatedly to get exact facial angles. They would have given up long before I could have achieved that. I was thrilled to get what I did...and
in seconds!

And what about this picture of the bride and groom hugging? Ruined because of "improper" camera position? Absolutely not!

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