Candid portraits

[theqspeaks]

Here's a couple of my favorite candid portraits:

A kid having fun at the Maryland Renn Faire
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theqspeaks/5055254913/#

Another Renn Faire attendee
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theqspeaks/5061808077/#

A Communist sympathizer
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theqspeaks/4453686254/#in/set-72157623668853168

An angry woman at the 2010 Glenn Beck rally in DC
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theqspeaks/4944691233/#in/set-72157624836727518

A patriotic woman at a 2010 Tea Party rally at the Capitol
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theqspeaks/4456168208/#in/set-72157623550298395

A girl at a bar
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theqspeaks/4617002685/#

Jane Rigby of NASA, at the TEDx MidAtlantic event (what perfect light!!)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theqspeaks/6334033668/#in/set-72157628102038646

For most of these shots, I was planning on getting candid, spontaneous pictures, so I usually preset my camera to be prepared for when the moment arose. These days, that either means setting my shutter speed to something that I know will freeze the action w/o costing too much in noise or setting the aperture wide open to decrease DOF and maximize shutter speed and ISO.

 

[smirkypants]

Canon 7D & 70-200mm/2.8 II & 580EX II. f2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100 with high speed sync on camera flash. AV mode, -1 exposure to the background, 1/4 color temperature orange gel.

Next time I'll shoot this with my new 5D3.

Edit: I swear it doesn't look that crappy and gray on my computer. Any clues what the upload problem could be?

 

[briansquibb]

Michael Laverty, British Superbike rider in the pit garage at Brands Hatch.

1D4, 400 f/2.8@f/2.8, iso 400, 1/250 on tripod/gimbal

 

[Narcolepsy]

5D2 24-105 1/640 f10 ISO400
Shot in RAW - NikSoft RAW presharpener and Dfine. Cropped

 

[keithinmelbourne]

Here are three candids of greengrocers in the Melbourne market

 

[briansquibb]

Handheld, uncropped, no pp

 

[rcarca]

Here is a candid photograph of my daughter...

This is my first attempt at posting here. Be patient while I get this sorted!

 

[Crapking]

I enjoy checking back from time-time to see what others are seeing. Still curious as to the 'go-to' settings people use. I just set up my Custom functions button on my 5d3 this AM as a trial to:

1/120s,
F5.6,
auto ISO (limit at 3200),
Single shot AF with center point and surrounding 8 point expansion

and will be doing some 'crowd' shots at a VB match tonite - hope to have some to display

 

[dans_perspective]

From a recent trip to Jerusalem.

 

[JR]

Lots of great shot posted recently here. Sure is different from talking about equipment delays! Nice to look at some nice pictures for a change...wha am I saying, am going back home and shoot some of my own now! Lol

 

[KitFireburn]

Here are three candids of greengrocers in the Melbourne market

Oh wow, i absolutely adore that third shot, amazing lighting!

 

[bornshooter]

One of a little girl from i party i was photographing the venue was extremely low light this was taken with a 5d mk2 + 70-200 f2.8 L is usm mk2 at 6400 iso.

Dreaming by abledestroyer, on Flickr

 

[CHL]

Barcelona, Canon 40D, EF 70-200/2.8 IS @ f/2.8, 1/3200, ISO 200

 

[Crapking]

My 'preset' candid settings didn't work out as planned, but in a break in the action, I caught one of the players messing around with the ball...maybe not exactly a candid, but shows off the 5d3 135/2 combo.

Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Exposure 0.001 sec (1/800)
Aperture f/2.2
Focal Length 135 mm/F2 lens
ISO Speed 2500


SV5D0316 by PVC 2012, on Flickr

 

[the-ninth]

Two candids from a recent trip to Iran.

 

[untitled10]

Setting up an event for next week, I was 'checking the light levels' when this person 'walked infront of the camera' ;D ;D

I really like this, little less motion blur would be wonderful, but hey, its candid, what can I say?

 

[briansquibb]

One from Wednesday - she was just walking by our shoot

 

[lady]

Exif data can be found here.

 

[jtee]

From the 2012 Kentucky Derby

 

[dturano]

good point, I love the thread, nice posts, always interested in the settings. I have some great candids that my wife grabbed with my 5dmk3 while im not home, she is trained to always spin it to "green" and fire away, if the flash is mounted to turn it on. Im curious to see others settings or what they used in a pinch. While not all candid are completely random and can be captured with some pre thought to settings if they are in manual and require an adjustment. For example a 2nd/3rd shooter whose goal is a photo journalistic approach is setup for getting great candids, im assuming your goal in getting settings was making adjustments in a pinch. even an expected situation requires an adjustment. Although, I had a good laugh with a friend who is an amazing photographer, he handles sales for a photography studio and found out he has a gift for grabbing shots, he does branch into manual settings but has no problem when doing 2nd/3rd shooter, especially 3rd using all auto and jpg. When all the shots are reviewed with the clients they (like many today, whole diff post, take for granted of good portraits and posed shots at events and are thrilled by the shots from a 3rd shooter off in the distnace capturing random moments.) use most of his shots for the album or request digital proofs to show off and post on facebook/etc

anyway sorry for the long reply, nice thread, keep the photos coming.

Don't forget to include camera settings, situation, etc. We are trying to learn from each other how to quickly capture candid moments, NOT how to set up lights, position models, etc.