What is Candid Photography? – Guide On How To Capture Perfect Candid Shots

Nowadays a term is getting popular in the photography field and it is candid photography. Do many people still wonder what is a candid photo? A candid photo is a photo which is taken when the person inside the photo is not aware of him being shot. Some people also referred to candid photography as natural photography because the essence of this art is to capture the natural act into a photograph. It is very popular because it adds life to the pictures and feels more real compared to the other photos where we know people are doing it just for the sake of the camera and not really at the moment.

Looking at some of the famous magazines like time magazine, you will see a lot of candid photographs which are great examples. Looking for some other examples, you can go to your nearest library and get some of the newest issues of national geographic. Taking candid photographs is nothing short of art in itself, there is a complete profession among this which can range from wedding photographs or any other such events photographs or just random photographs. It doesn’t matter what is the object all it matters is the key to having the right candid photography skills is to be able to capture the most authentic shots as possible. 

Talking apart from professional photography people, in general, are also now focusing on candid photography like for the sake of social media people consider clicking themselves in candid while some people try to make it seem like a candid photo but it’s not a candid photo but the essence is that the popularity is gaining.

If you are a professional photographer of yourself or if you just trying to learn how to take perfect candid photography there are certain things you need to follow. The steps will help you increase the quality of the photograph and the effectiveness of your shot.

Guide on How to Become A Good Candid Photographer

• The first and foremost thing that we recommend you do to make sure that either the object or you are in range. Being in range means the camera should be able to see the object we are clicking.

• Along with being in the positions you also need to make sure that you train your eye to identify and capture the right moment. People often do a lot of things are very fast and you need to be aware when is the right time to click the button on your camera and this can be done only if your eyes are completely trained to identify that position and time.

• The settings on the camera should be appropriate for candid photography. Now, default settings for general photography are not suitable for this and there is a difference in the candid photography because in this type there is a very high reliance on light and the angle from where the photos been taken.

• The key here is to be aware as making observations is a key here. Even if you have the right lighting settings and are not observant of the person or the object, you will not be able to get the right shot.

• The essence of candid photography is identifying the perfect moments and catching them through the camera. These moments could be anything it could be someone’s emotions like tears of cheerfulness or it could be a memorable act. The basic idea is to live the moment through those pictures even after that time has passed.

• We cannot stress this enough that as a candid photographer you need to be observant and aware of nature and the object that you are trying to shoot.

• Another thing is that you should keep your camera ready. As a photographer, you could be as aware and observant as you can, but you could be looking around a million potential photographs in the pursuit of the right moment to click but even if you find the right moment for candid photography, you will not be able to shoot it, if your camera is not ready. Certain camera settings are mentioned before and you need to be ready with your camera so that it can capture the shot whenever you deem fit.

• Taking candid photographs of your family or your friends is likely to be very difficult because they are one way or another aware of your existence and the fact you are in pursuit of a photograph. So, they will try to act as generic as possible, you have to find a moment that was worth capturing to keep the legitimacy of a candid photograph intact. 

• Now in no means, we recommend you hide in bushes and jump in front of people to get their surprise emotions because that is going to deter them from being shot at all which is not good for you as a photographer. You need to be at a position that is suitable for you and them to achieve your objective in the best way possible as a candid photographer.

• If you want to encourage your friends and family to be more natural, you can even encourage them to avoid feeling your presence and talk about the things that they would normally talk about. Because like it or not, that is the best way you can get a natural candid photo without them being distracted. 

• Make yourself positioned in a place where you can see all of your friends and family and capture them but at the same time, you are not in front of their faces with your camera. That will completely lose the essence of candid photography and they will be aware of your objectives.

• The goal here is to make them completely forget about your presence and act completely natural. Another issue that many photographers face during candid photography is that many people are very shy to have their photos taken and they will be very hesitant to act in a certain manner when they are aware of your existence with the camera. 

• As a professional photographer, your objective is to make them feel relieved and not worry about your existence because that is the only way you can get a natural photo out of them, and considering they are your friends you can talk to them about it.

• You might have seen some of the best candid photography shots in sports photography. It is because the photographers over there are very professional and they are completely observant of every action performed by the athletes. So, they can capture the best ones. 

• The key skill here is of observing and having a camera ready to capture some good candid shots. Just like any other art in candid photography as well, apart from having the right skills and the camera settings, you need to be creative, you need to find situations before that time has passed so that you can capture them at the moment.

• Another tip that we would like to give you to become a better candid photographer is that you need to avoid using flash. The flashlight can completely kill the vibe because, despite your all efforts, people will know that they are being shot which will make them unnatural. We know we have discussed the importance of lighting in candid photography but the source of light is also very important you need to make sure the lighting is natural and not from the camera flash. 

• You can focus on the settings of a camera to capture amazing candid shots in low lighting scenarios. Becoming a candid photographer is very interesting but remember that no one can become a perfect photographer just by reading some article you have to go out there and try for yourself that is how you will get aware of your mistakes and your style which will, in turn, make you a professional candid photographer.

• To be able to get some good candid shots, you need to be at a position which is best suited for the job, now it is not against the rules to move around in the search of best shots, but you need to begin with the position where you find yourself most comfortable and from where you can see most of the people you are looking to take pictures of.

• Another great trip is that as a candid photographer there are going to be a lot of moments where you think it is the right time to capture the pictures will turn out to be not as good. This should not discourage you from taking more pictures because the extra pictures can always be removed but it does not mean that you miss out on a shot that you are not able to judge at this moment. 

• We recommend you to take as many candid shots as possible, you can even keep your camera in burst mode so that you can frame every short and after all this, you can go home and choose the best candid shots of them because that is how most photographers will tell you they do it.