| Family Almanac - Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Perspectives on family photography, from a professional
This story was submitted by Paul Tedrick of Woodside, who was recently named Environmental Portrait Photographer of the Year by the Professional Photographers of the Greater Bay Area. The award is given for portrait photography taken in a natural setting, be it home, office or outdoors.
I've been a camera buff since high school. My first photography job was working as a custom printer in a photo lab.
It was really funny. I hardly knew how to work a manual camera but I could tell you everything about your negatives and make suggestions on how to get better exposures.
When I got my first 35mm film camera for Christmas, it was cold and snowy in my native Ohio. I spent hours tracking deer just to snag one good picture. It was so exciting for me, hiking for miles through the snow, observing deer in their natural environment.
I read every book I could find to learn about photography. And I guess I really have a fondness for snow because a few years after high school I got a job working throughout Colorado following the World Cup Ski Circuit.
While I thoroughly enjoyed ski photography, I also wanted to complete my education. I applied to several photography colleges and ended up moving to Santa Barbara to attend Brooks Institute of Photography.
It was there I became fascinated with the idea of "pre-visualizing" the picture and then capturing what I had envisioned in my mind's eye in the lens and onto photo paper.
I graduated with a bachelor's degree from Brooks in 1991, spent two years photographing musicians in Hollywood, then returned to the Bay Area in 1993 to form my own company, Paul Tedrick Photography.
The awards from the Professional Photographers of the Greater Bay Area are particularly significant to me because I love the outdoors, which is at the heart of my passion for environmental photography.
Whether I'm mountain biking or practicing archery, or working behind the lens as an outdoor portrait photographer, I simply feel my best when I'm in "God's country."
For me, great photography is all about capturing and preserving tiny moments of time forever.
Tips on photography
Some people think photography is just point, click, a little luck and that's it, particularly with the popularity of digital, point-and-shoot cameras. That's fine if you just need to take someone's picture. But there's a difference between a snapshot and a portrait.
A portrait is a picture that captures the essence of the subject — the personality and emotion. A good portrait should pull at your heartstrings, and begins with two important elements — relationship and pre-visualization.
To establish a relationship with subjects, take the time to have a brief conversation with them to learn a little about them and put them at ease.
Next, "pre-visualize" the portrait in your mind. In essence, ask yourself: What do I want to "say" photographically about this person? Then work toward creating the picture you have in your mind in the viewfinder of your camera.
Here are some more tips:
• Observe the light. Good lighting is critical to a good portrait. Is the light soft (as on an overcast day) or does it have a lot of harsh contrast (such as high noon on a sunny day)? Choose soft light whenever possible. Shoot during the "magic hours": the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset. This light produces a soft glow without harsh shadow and is the best time for portraits.
• Half press the shutter button to eliminate shutter lag. You will need to lock the focus if you have an auto-focus camera because most of these cameras focus on whatever is in the center of the viewfinder.
• Observe the background. Keep it simple and uncluttered. A busy background is distracting.
• Keep your flash off as much as possible. The flash often makes your subject's face look harsh and shiny. However, if you must take the portrait in a sunny outdoor location, then do use a flash. The flash will fill in shadows under the eyes.
• Test out different focal lengths. Move close to your subject and fill the frame; then zoom out and include some background. Experiment.
• Blur your background. To get the blurred-background effect, back up and zoom in. Choose the Portrait mode on your camera and move your subject away from the background.
• Use a tripod. It provides stability, which cuts down on blurry pictures. If you don't have a tripod, lean against a wall, a tree, or anything that provides stability and allows you to prop up your arms or your camera.
Mr. Tedrick's photographs are online at www.paultedrick.com. He operates out of his Woodside home. He primarily photographs outdoors, along the coast, in park settings, and quite often in people's homes. He can be reached via the Web site or by calling (650) 773-1875.
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