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A candid photo is defined as one wherein the subject acts naturally, is taken spontaneously, and is not posed. A successfully created one makes you feel as though you are part of the moment the picture was created. Many photographers feel as if a candid needs to be a stolen moment in time that is taken surreptitiously. This doesn’t have to be the case. The subject can be aware of your presence just as long as what he or she is doing is done at ease, is natural, and doesn’t have a “say cheese” feel.

When making candids, it’s essential you blend into the action to be as invisible as possible. If you’re working with kids, it’s a bit easier as they tend to not be as self conscious as adults. Shooting with natural light is a good idea as the popping of a flash makes you stand out. If you’re working in close to your subjects, a wide angle lens lets you shoot from the hip without always having to place the camera to your eye. If you get a bit too much in the frame, you can always crop out the extra information when you make your print.

Some great tips with regards to the technical aspects of candid photography are knowing your camera well, using depth of field wisely, and prefocusing. The more intuitive you become with how your camera works, the easier it will be to capture images at a moment’s notice.  No down time will occur figuring out exposure, focus, etc.  Knowing how depth of field works goes hand in hand with prefocusing. If you know you’re a specific distance from your subject, preset your focus close to that distance so your lens doesn’t waste time searching. Depth of field is impacted by how close you are to your subject along with the given aperture. If you need a lot of depth of field, preset your wide angle lens to f11 or higher to get the desired zone of sharpness.

If freezing the action is important, an ISO setting of 200 or 400 works well with digital cameras. If you’re shooting film, use films commensurate with the above. Point and shoot cameras work fine for making candids. They’re quiet and easy to use on the fly. Be careful that the focusing sensor is aimed at the subject or else it will focus on the background leaving your subject rendered as a blur. If the built in flash has a function that fires it automatically, turn it off as it will make your presence obvious and ruin the spontaneity.

Patience is a virtue when it comes to making candids. Wait for a magic moment or priceless expression and then click the shutter. If you’re shooting digitally, you have the freedom of deleting the shots that aren’t strong. With film, you may want to be a bit more selective. By all means, avoid trying to reenact a wonderful moment. It will break the flow of events. It’s better to accept the fact you may have missed one rather than altering what’s occurring. Another gem will happen as time goes on. Stay ready, have lots of film, blend in, and most importantly, have fun!

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