Kyeonghwa Fixing Her Hair

A candid shot of my wife fixing her hair in the mirror. How could I improve this? In other words, what should I be watching for the next time I pop around the corner?

D300, AF 50mm F/1.8D, ISO 800, f2.8, 1/30 sec

Candid snaps are tough, here are a few things, maybe. Either crop the frame to horizontal or add more tilt. Try to get some emotion. One thing I've noticed over the years is that the best expressions often happen right after the photo-victim gets snapped. Either shock, or moderately ticked, or suprised, or a laugh...so shoot one, keep the camera up, and shoot a few more quickly.

I often do this for team/group shots to get them warmed up. I'll say 'look at the camera, on three, one, two..." then take the shot. This always gets lots of interesting expressions and reactions, especially for those of the female side of life. Keep shooting a few because those shots are great!

Then they are warmed up and you can shoot some more now that the first 'snap' is done.

Just some random thoughts.

Thank you for the tips. Photographing people certainly isn't easy but I will take your advice. I like this kind of shot (people doing every day things) but it's something I need to keep trying until I get a great shot. We're a happy couple so I guess I have many years to perfect my technique.