<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nCapturing images of your subject in familiar surroundings helps them to feel at \u2018home\u2019. \u2018Home\u2019 doesn’t have to be where they live although it can be, home can be a restaurant they like going to, it can be the football field, it can be the gym or it can even be at work. As long as they feel comfortable and relaxed enough to freestyle poses for the camera. A great tip is to ask them to show you their best spot in this \u2018home\u2019 and ask questions on why that\u2019s their best spot, for instance, it could be their favorite restaurant because that\u2019s where they had their first date or they love a spot on the beach because it\u2019s the perfect place to watch as the waves surge to the dry ground. Having such conversations would make them come alive with emotions. Human beings love to talk about themselves after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPhoto by Favour Otunji on Retna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>2. Keep on shooting<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThis just means to keep on taking random pictures of your subject without intervention. Asking them to pose can stifle their emotions a bit. Allow them to be in their natural element so you can easily capture the emotions. But you can direct them on how to place their legs, where to put their hands, or how to tilt their heads so the poses don\u2019t end up being unprofessional but don\u2019t be too uptight about it, be flexible. Furthermore, guidance on how to pose is better provided at the beginning of the shoot so when they finally ease into the mood, it\u2019s easier to capture emotions but anything otherwise won\u2019t give you the emotions you want because it\u2019ll feel like a chore for the both of you. It\u2019s important to note that emotions can manifest through face and hands so make sure to focus on those while taking your shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPhoto by Ufoma Ojo on Retna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>3. Connect with your object<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nBefore you even pick up your camera and start the shoot, connect with your subjects. Ask your subject how they are, if they\u2019ve had something to eat(so they don\u2019t feel weak and tired during the shoot), if there was traffic on their way to the shoot etc, this builds familiarity with you and makes them feel comfortable for your shots. Ask them what song they are feeling at the moment, and play it for them using a loudspeaker, you\u2019d agree that everyone has their own songs that put them in that mood no matter how gloomy they feel. Make sure there\u2019s adequate ventilation and the location of the shoot isn\u2019t stuffy or filled with too many people, because this might make your model feel nervous or tense.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPhoto by Muhammad Taha Ibrahim on Retna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>4. Simplify the shot<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThis simply means eliminating any form of distraction from your background. This allows all the focus and attention to be on the subject. If you don\u2019t keep this in mind, you might end up creating an image with the precise emotion you wanted but no one will notice because they are too busy looking at the background because it\u2019s distracting. While you need to be careful about using a distracting background, a well-chosen background adds emotion to compliment the image. A sunny or brightly colored background can help to compliment a happy moment while a dark and gloomy background could compliment a sad or fearful emotion. Shooting indoors and with props also provides an opportunity to customize a feeling of what you\u2019re trying to portray, for instance shooting someone sad in a room of happy people would convey the feeling of sadness faster than shooting them alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPhoto by Ato Aikins on Retna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>5. Nail your lightning<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe lighting you use and the shooting environment can have a big impact on how your photos convey emotions. It may be beneficial to take pictures on a gloomy day if you want to give the shoot a somber atmosphere, but it’s not the best option for happier photo shoots. Consider the ideal time of day before taking a picture of someone else. Golden hour, for instance, will make people appear younger and evoke feelings of liberation, joy, and optimism. Also, it’s crucial to consider the direction of the light in your portrait. Whether you place the subject lit up with their back to the window or gazing towards it, window light, for instance, can help to add a hopeful or thoughtful atmosphere to a photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPhoto by Melvin Ankrah on Retna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>6. Consider color<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe expressions “seeing red” and “feeling blue” are very common because it shows a connection between colors and emotions. You can take advantage of the emotional connections between colors when photographing people. The colors in your picture can help the viewer more strongly experience the emotion depicted, whether it’s with the backdrop you shoot against or how you adjust colors in post-processing. The rules for using color to evoke emotion are generally the same as those for using illumination. Darker, more muted hues have a tendency to appear, well, muted. Blues, grays, and dark green are some examples of darker, heavier hues that will tend to give your images a heavier feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPhoto by Ayodeji Alabi on Retna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/span>7. Focus on the eyes<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe eyes are a great way to caption emotions up close. Taking headshots and zooming in on the subject helps to capture how your subject is feeling. Just as it sounds, you enlarge the subject’s face so that it fills the entire frame. This naturally puts the entire emphasis on how people are feeling, and it is successful in producing a profoundly emotional portrayal. A person that\u2019s smiling may not necessarily have smiling eyes until you take an up-close shot and that\u2019s why the eyes are so important. But there are situations when the eyes can be closed as a result of a powerful emotion. When experiencing intense emotions, such as sobbing, agony, or tremendous delight and contentment, a person may frequently close their eyes. Another point is you shouldn’t force emotions out of your subjects, if they\u2019re feeling sad, you either take a sad picture or try another time because if you force them to show a happy emotion, it would always reflect in their eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPhoto by Good Faces from Retna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Photography is a storytelling tool that can be used to convey the emotions of your subject. 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