The park was beautiful. It wasn’t crowded. The dry season had done a number on the greenery, despite the best efforts of the grounds-keeping staff.

The breeze, barely noticeable, kept the visitors from getting too sweaty and leaving the facilities early. The lighting was too harsh for a photo session, but CV and her photographer had made plans and were not going to deviate from them.

The point of the shoot was to play on colors and blend a bit of fashion with nature. CV had several heels and handbags ready for the shoot. A few change outfits as well to add variety to the mix.

Creating Candid Town

Each of the shooting segments were focused work. There was a plan. There were poses to strike and many pieces to cover in each of the sessions. The two worked like a fine tuned machine and churned through the agenda.

From the photographer’s perspective, the physical agility required to get all the various angles was a great workout as well as a reminder of the vanishing 20s.

The first two breaks were welcome moments to regroup. Camera down, towel out to mop off the sweat, and a chance to sit and chat.

However, the subsequent breaks went differently. More ideas were discussed, concepts tested, and plans for the next segment solidified. Breaks were no longer just breaks.

Then, nature called. One needed to find the facilities to refresh. This opened up the door to try doing some candid shots with the help of nature’s finest Geese.

These lovely creatures do love their personal space. Getting good shots meant blending in and not startling them from their comfort. The photographer learned a few lessons about standing still or walking very slowly to get into position.

As CV was returning back with fresh ideas, the photographer decided to take a few shots of the grand return. They came out surprisingly well. During that time of his career, taking pictures at 45 degree angles was a thing for him. Framing the subject in post edits to make a statement.

The look of thought and quiet introspection made for great photos of CV. The photog made the assumption that the thoughts that flickered across her face had something to do with her blooming relationship… but didn’t ask for verification.

As the shoot continued, incorporating a few candid moments between poses proved to be quite fun and created a few lovely captures for the album project she had in mind.

The very last session of shooting was nearly entirely candid in nature. The conversation flowed as the mood changed and danced about… the shutter snapped and caught it all.

The shoot was one of the longest done testing gear and lens. The lessons were profound. The understanding of harsh sunlight was starting to feel like second nature for the photographer.

Conclusions

The full shoot was sadly lost in one of the older hard-drives fails. Currently looking for the backup files. It’s been a while since the shoot and the backup methods were not as good as they are today. The site where the finished work lives has long disappeared and getting back in touch with the owner is not easy.

When doing candids, practice makes perfect. The more you do it, the easier it gets. The more natural it feels. With time, you’ll fully appreciate your gear and know what it can do. Like, how many frames per second really feels like compared to what you think it is. Three frames a second is not as fast as you think it is.

There are ways to pose a photo such that it looks totally naturally candid. That is why having a great model is so important. They can strike any pose and make it feel like a natural candid. All you have to do is snap the shot.

When dealing with people who aren’t professional models, be patient. Your feelings about how they should look to appear candid will telegraph to them and show up on their faces. If you’re nervous, they will show it. If you’re angry about them not getting it, their face will reflect that too. Be cool. Understand you’re asking them to do something that doesn’t feel natural… to pose as if you’re not posing yet posing.

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The Candid Town Blog Post

Linked here is the post that setups this project page. There, you’ll learn a bit more about taking candids. Feel free to share anything you’ve enjoyed and click like at the end… to encourage your writer to keep sharing his thoughts with you.

Keep your aim sharp as you capture candids. Have a great rest of day

1. Candid Town - Some lessons are just candid. Some can be staged. The mixture of both styles makes a shoot a lot more fun.
2. Creating Candid Town - A little behind the scenes of a photo session with Claire aka CV A bit of look into some of the creative process and candid photography

Editorial Note: This post was originally shared on the project side of the blog on June 27, 2018. As part of the site audit, it’s been moved to the blog. Links updated

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Here are other posts and projects with CV