Mennonite Church Canada PHOTOGRAPHY PRIMER FOR INTERNATIONAL MINISTRY WORKERS
March 14, 2008-03-14
A few general tips:
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People pictures are preferable to place pictures. Focus on the people with whom you
are involved in ministry.
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Close-ups are preferable to wide shots.
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Pictures of 1, 2, or 3 people are preferable to large group photos.
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Faces are preferable to whole body shots.
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Action/activity/candid shots are preferable to static or posed shots. Posed shots
are the exception when shooting larger groups.
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If taking posed shots, ensure people are close together. Encourage informality
when appropriate.
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Pictures look boring? Try tilting the camera at unusual angles to add interest. Or set
your zoom to the widest angle and move in really close to your subject. Crouch, stand
on a chair – but avoid holding the camera at your usual standing or sitting position.
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Look for interesting background objects/environment to add a sense of place to
an image.
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Avoid images with cluttered backgrounds.
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Think ahead about the context in which an image might be used. If unsure, a
selection of both candid and posed pictures allows flexibility.
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Capture a variety of moods in your subjects: serious, laughing, smiling, gesturing,
praying, worshipping, singing, reflective, pensive, sad, etc. Choice adds possibility.
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Assuming a digital camera is being used, take plenty of photos.
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Set your digital camera to the highest resolution possible (JPG format is just fine).
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If your camera has a rapid-fire mode (ability to take several shots in rapid succession)
use it to capture a variety of candid images.
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Be sensitive to the situation and the subject(s) – but don’t be shy about getting into
people’s faces with your camera.
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Avoid the “dining” shot unless you can make it look really interesting.
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Think ahead about event pictures: baptisms, communion, special days of the
Christian calendar (Easter, Christmas, Pentecost, etc.) and take your camera along.
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Encourage your subjects and affirm their photogenic-ness. Setting them at ease
is very important. Sometimes it is helpful to say something like, “This may feel
unnatural, but it’s going to look great!”
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Meeting photos can be made more interesting by capturing close-ups. Study the
situation, wait for your subjects passionate expression, the gestures, the reactions of
others to a particular speaker. Use your rapid-fire mode.
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Look for the unusual – or what others might perceive as unusual.
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Avoid using your flash unless absolutely necessary.
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Always ask permission to take photos, and permission to use them in print materials,
news releases, videos, and on the internet.
People
close up
action/activity/candid
people are close together
unusual
informal
interesting angle/perspective
interesting background/
clean background
 event significant event
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passionate expressions/
gestures
 faces/eye contact
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 People
close up
action/activity/candid
people are close together
unusual
informal
interesting angle/perspective
interesting background/
clean background
 event significant event

passionate expressions/
gestures
 faces/eye contact
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 People
close up
action/activity/candid
people are close together
unusual
informal
interesting angle/
perspective
interesting background/
clean background
significant event
passionate expressions/
gestures
faces/eye contact
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large group
cluttered background
centred/boring
too wide a shot
static/posed
unwanted flash effects
distorted
poor lighting
people are looking
down/away
Could be improved by:
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 tighter composition
eye contact of all subjects
having subjects sit closer together
unusual perspective, low (or high) angle
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large group
cluttered background
centred/boring
too wide a shot
static/posed
unwanted flash effects
distorted
poor lighting
people are looking
down/away
Could be improved by:
 moving into the thick of things
 getting close ups of people that would hint at the event
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large group
cluttered background
centred/boring
too wide a shot
static/posed
unwanted flash effects
distorted
poor lighting
people are looking
down/away
 Could be improved by:
 tighter composition
 move to the row end to “compress” or give the impression
of people sitting closer together than they are
 more eye contact with camera
 close in on just one or two meeting subjects

lower angle with books, cups, and other meeting
paraphernalia in foreground
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 People
close up
action/activity/candid
people are close together
unusual
informal
interesting angle/
perspective
interesting background/
clean background
significant event
passionate expressions/
gestures
faces/eye contact
People
close up
action/activity/candid
people are close together
unusual
informal
interesting angle/
perspective
interesting background/
clean background
significant event
passionate expressions/
gestures
faces/eye contact
People
close up
action/activity/candid
people are close together
unusual
informal
interesting angle/
perspective
interesting background/
clean background
significant event
passionate expressions/
gestures
faces/eye contact
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large group
cluttered background
centred/boring
too wide a shot
static/posed
unwanted flash effects
distorted
poor lighting
people are looking
down/away
Could be improved by:
 tightening the composition
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large group
cluttered background
centred/boring
too wide a shot
static/posed
unwanted flash effects
distorted
poor lighting
people are looking
down/away
Could be improved by:
 eye contact with subjects
 more unusual angle
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large group
cluttered background
centred/boring
too wide a shot
static/posed
unwanted flash effects
distorted
poor lighting
people are looking
down/away
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Could be improved by:
 seeking more engaged interaction
 tighter composition

finding subjects near a less cluttered background
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 People
close up
action/activity/candid
people are close together
unusual
informal
interesting angle/
perspective
interesting background/
clean background
significant event
passionate expressions/
gestures
faces/eye contact
Comment:
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 Good use of negative
space in composition
People
close up
action/activity/candid
people are close together
unusual
informal
interesting angle/
perspective
interesting background/
clean background
event significant event
passionate expressions/
gestures
faces/eye contact
People
close up
action/activity/candid
people are close together
unusual
informal
interesting angle/
perspective
interesting background/
clean background
significant event passionate expressions/
gestures
faces/eye contact
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large group
cluttered background
centred/boring
too wide a shot
static/posed
unwanted flash effects
distorted
poor lighting
people are looking
down/away
Could be improved by:
 lower angle
 moving in front of subject
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large group
cluttered background
centred/boring
too wide a shot
static/posed
unwanted flash effects
distorted
poor lighting
people are looking
down/away
Could be improved by:
 aiming along the line of people, choosing one
person to focus on
 moving away from the windows to avoid flash
reflection
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large group
cluttered background
centred/boring
too wide a shot
static/posed
unwanted flash effects
distorted
poor lighting
people are looking
down/away
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Could be improved by:
 turning off date/time feature

tighter composition – close in on who is looking at
the camera
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People
close up
action/activity/candid
people are close together
unusual
informal
interesting angle/
perspective
interesting background/
clean background
significant event
passionate expressions/
gestures
faces/eye contact
People
close up
action/activity/candid
people are close together
unusual
informal
interesting angle/
perspective
interesting background/
clean background
significant event
passionate expressions/
gestures
faces/eye contact
Could be improved by:
 tighter cropping
 no flash if lighting
permits
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 People
close up
action/activity/candid
people are close together
unusual
informal
interesting angle/
perspective
interesting background/
clean background
significant event passionate expressions/
gestures
faces/eye contact
Could be improved by:
 better eye contact
between subjects
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large group
cluttered background
centred/boring
too wide a shot
static/posed
unwanted flash effects
distorted
poor lighting
people are looking
down/away
Could be improved by:
 higher angle
 tighter composition
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large group
cluttered background
centred/boring
too wide a shot
static/posed
unwanted flash effects
distorted
poor lighting
people are looking
down/away
Could be improved by:
 selectively choosing highly engaged subjects &
getting close ups
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large group
cluttered background
centred/boring
too wide a shot
static/posed
unwanted flash effects
distorted
poor lighting
people are looking
down/away

Could be improved by:
 trying more angles to decrease perception of
distance between subjects
 capture eye contact between subjects

lower angle – shoot across table
FRAMING SUGGESTIONS
• get closer
• tilt your camera
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