An explanation of candid photo, meaning photos that are not staged, may not be as simple as one may think. But in this discussion, I am going to do just that. Candid photos capture the moments as they happen. This is why they are usually worth more than posed photos because they are more natural and realistic.
For decades, candid photos have been the only way to capture the true emotion of a moment in time. These photos often go unseen in albums because they are never shared on social media.
Thanks to the advent of social media sites like Instagram and Snapchat a new trend has emerged people are posting candid pictures taken by their friends. Candid photos are becoming more and more popular in the media. It used to be considered a bad thing to take candid pictures, but nowadays, people are snapping them every day.
What Does Candid Photography Mean?
The distinction between a candid photo, meaning one that is unstaged and one that is posed, is that in the former, the subject is unaware they’re being photographed. It’s most often used to describe an informal family portrait, where the subjects are caught in natural poses. Something like the picture above.
There is no time for posing, there is no time to get to know the photographer or react to the camera aiming at you. The picture is taken even before the subject can react.
In most cases, the reaction can result in something weird, sometimes even funny. But in almost all cases, it’s nothing like the posed pictures that you normally see. A candid photo is all of that and more.
Compare that with an image like this (below) where the subject is looking at the camera and posing. Can you spot any differences between these two images?
Of course, the subject is looking in the direction of the camera. Plus, she is posing, by the stance of her body. But beyond that obvious difference, there is something else. Can you spot it?
The first one looks more natural. The second one looks a wee bit ‘artificial’ or posed. Even though the photographer tried hard to make the second image look like a candid pose it’s apparent that it’s a posed photo.
I’d prefer the first image. Which one would you prefer?
A candid photo means more than just a random capture. At times a lot of thought and planning goes into making one. Photographers would at times be ready with their composition and then lay in wait as the final missing piece walks into the frame, quite literally.
Many budding photographers feel candid photography is like laying in wait in the bushes. It’s not that. At times though it’s just about being at the right place at the right time.
Why Is Candid Photography in Demand?
When you see so much posed photography all around you, especially when people want to appear perfect in every aspect, why is candid photography in so much demand? Couples planning their wedding employ a special candid photographer to capture unposed photos. When they get their photos back, they can purchase a photo book with a unique wedding album design that reflects the candidness of their big day.
Canva PhotoBook Maker is a popular tool for making personalized photo books, scrapbooks, and other visual projects. It is a feature within the Canva platform that allows users to design and create personalized photo books using a variety of templates, design elements, and customization options. When it comes to photo editing and album production, Canva’s photo book creator is a useful tool for both beginner and expert photographers, considering its price, ease of use, variety, and customization options.
We can draw similar parallels from other events. So, while the top teams in the league battle it out on the field, the best shot from the day turns out to be the mascot taking a tumble in the stands.
Candid photography evokes emotional responses that ‘normal’ posed photography cannot and that’s precisely why they’re in so much demand. These emotions can never be similar to the original one even if you’re to implement carefully choreographed candid picture poses.
How Do I Take a Candid Picture?
Now that we understand what a candid photo is, the next question is how to take one? Candid photographers employ certain techniques starting with choosing the right gear that ensures that they can capture such images at a moment’s notice.
Let’s quickly go through a few candid photography tips to improve your game –
Tip # 1 – Choose the Right Gear to Shoot With
The best candid photos are the ones where the photographer is not in the immediate vicinity. Remember, the cardinal rule for taking a candid photo is to make sure that the subject is not aware of the presence of the photographer or the camera.
Therefore, if the photographer is using a lens with a short focal length, say 35mm or 50mm, chances are he or she is within recognizable distance from the subject, and that’s a no-no.
The best lenses for taking a candid photo are the ones with a longer zoom range. Start with a 70-200 zoom lens. It’s, by far, the most popular lens for a wide number of photography genres, including weddings, engagements, corporate events, etc. It allows the photographer to sit back and shoot from a distance while still being able to fill the frame with a subject.
This lens is ideal for events where it’s not always possible to be close enough to the subject, but it allows you to overcome that distance and capture beautiful candid moments.
There could be moments, however, where the subject may choose to ignore the presence of the photographer. That allows you to get pretty close. But I won’t count those as candid photography. Candid photography is about real emotions by real people and not controlled emotions by professional models or actors.
Tip # 2 – Experiment With the Camera Angles
The cliched time-tested process to shoot is to take your camera to your eye level and press the shutter button. One way to change everything and bring an element of surprise to your compositions is to change the camera angle.
You can shoot from the hip or shoot without even looking at the subject. For many photographers, it’s not easy to photograph a subject without getting noticed, especially if they’re not using the right lens and have to get in close. Shooting from the hip or shooting without looking are great ways to overcome that challenge.
Tip # 3 – Enhance Your Photos With Colorcinch
Editing photos has never been more popular. With Colorcinch, you can turn your images into something magical. But don’t let the technical jargon fool you—learning how to edit your photos doesn’t require any specific skills.
Below are some tips on how you can enhance your photos with just a few adjustments to brightness, contrast, highlights, and shadows.
Step # 1
I used the upload feature on Colorcinch to upload this photo.
Step # 2
To adjust Exposure I clicked on the Exposure tab
Step # 3
Within the Exposure tab are the following adjustment options – Brightness, Contrast, Highlights, and Shadows.
I tweaked each one of them subtly.
Step # 4
To save the changes I clicked on the Blue Apply button.
Next, I wanted to tweak the color of the image and make it a monotone one. I started to experiment with the Color tab on Colorcinch.
Step # 1
Click on the Color tab.
Step # 2
I tweaked the Saturation slider to convert the image into Black and White.
But I wasn’t finished yet. I still wanted to give this image one last tweak. I wanted to give it a Sepia tone to mimic the old worn-out printed photo look.
Step # 3
So, I tweaked the Temperature slider.
And voila, this is what I get.
All this took me less than 20 seconds to do right from uploading to saving a copy of the edited image on my desktop.
Tip # 4 – Observe, Observe and Observe
A candid photographer is an observer first and a photographer second. For those trigger-happy digital camera owners, it’s a concept that’s very difficult to grasp. They would shoot first and think later. A candid photographer does the exact opposite, though you would think that he or she would also shoot first and think later.
The thinking happens much before the shot is made.
A candid photographer is someone who is born with the gift of finding something unusual or worth photographing in an otherwise chaotic scene. Most don’t have that gift or that trained eye. They only see the chaos.
Candid photographers see more than that. They can often find something unusual, poetic, or even mysterious in this world that escapes the untrained eyes. As such, training your eyes is an important part of the job of becoming a candid photographer.
When they see something unusual, these questions will come across their mind –
- How does the subject interact with the rest of the frame?
- Are you directly in the subject’s line of sight or at an angle?
- Is the subject conscious of you as he/she is interacting with others in the scene?
- How is the light and is it possible to capture a meaningful image from where you’re standing?
- Are you carrying the right equipment? An interchangeable lens camera with a fast zoom lens is a must-have combination for candid photography.
- Is your camera set to the right settings? Aperture priority with auto ISO is the best setting for candid photography.
Concluding Thoughts
Candid photo meaning is not always to shoot in discreet mode, lurking behind walls or bushes. Sometimes, though it’s about taking the right approach at the right moment such as – shooting from the hips, or not even looking when shooting, that makes a subject feel less conscious.
That said candid photography is more than that and there are other approaches to it as you will discover as you progress. So, keep shooting and keep experimenting.
