Capturing emotions in photography

5 Tips to Add Feeling to Your Photos

A Post By: Peter West Carey

The best photography often conveys emotions, but how do you create emotional photography? How do you add feelings to your photos so you can move the viewer and ensure they connect with the piece?

I’ve spent years honing my ability to infuse photos with emotions. And in this article, I’ll share my absolute favorite techniques – so that you can capture powerful, moving images, too!

Of course, not all viewers experience the same emotions in response to the same photos, so don’t feel pressure to convey specific feelings to everyone. Instead, use these tips, plus your personal emotions, to create powerful, one-of-a-kind images.

Let’s dive right in, starting with my first tip:

1. Identify your mood before shooting

The emotional state of the photographer – that’s you! – has the largest impact on the emotional quality of your photos.

So whenever you head out with your camera, before you take a single shot, or even look for a shot, ask yourself: How am I feeling today? Then let that emotion guide your shooting, and channel it into your photos.

After all, it’s tough to infuse an image with an emotion that you aren’t feeling. If you’re over the moon with happiness, you’ll struggle to find sad or bleak compositions. And if you’re down in the dumps, creating awe-inspiring or uplifting images won’t be easy.

So start by identifying your emotions. Look for compositions that align with those feelings.

At the same time, it’s often worth rechecking your feelings periodically throughout your photoshoot. Depending on the view, the light, chance encounters, etc., emotions can change, and you don’t want to miss out on emotionally resonant shots because you’re searching for the wrong thing.

Make sense?

By the way, sometimes, your emotional state might simply be “bored” or “bleh.” That’s okay; it happens to the best of us. When I look back through my travel photos, I’ll notice a dip in quality, and it often corresponds to my feelings at the time. On days like these, you might consider leaving your camera behind, watching a movie, or doing something creative that doesn’t pressure you to take powerful, emotional shots.

And don’t worry. Your boredom will pass, and pretty soon you’ll feel excited about photography again!

2. Simplify the shot (try using a telephoto lens)

In wide, busy, expansive scenes, emotions often get lost. Yes, the emotion might be there, but the viewer will have a hard time noticing – the image may fall a bit flat, at least from an emotional point of view.

So if you’re looking to create emotional photography, consider simplifying the shot. Exclude elements from your frame. Choose a perspective that highlights a single area of interest, not the entire scene.

An easy way to simplify is with focal length and/or compositional cropping. The longer the lens, the less you include in the shot, which can be a great way to emphasize certain subjects, so consider shooting with a 70-200mm lens rather than a wide-angle option.

That said, you can also simplify wide-angle images. Try getting down low, so that the subject is framed against a uniform sky. Or use natural framing to exclude distracting elements.

And you’re also free to “zoom with your feet” by moving forward to isolate people, natural features, and beautiful details.

3. Focus on faces

Faces are full of emotion. The eyes are the windows to the soul, after all, and often show anger, joy, sadness, love, and so much more.

Plus, faces can convey emotions through puffy eyes, tears, wrinkles, etc. So if you want feelings to really shine through, train your lens on people’s faces!

A word of caution, however: Do not rush up with your lens, thrust it into a person’s field of view, and snap a shot, especially if they’re feeling emotional. Instead, be respectful. Whenever possible, ask permission, especially if you don’t know the person. (I often just raise my eyebrows while pointing at my camera, and it works great.)

By the way, if you want top-notch emotional portraits, make sure to think about the lighting. Learn about lighting patterns and how they affect the viewer, because it’s easy to convey different emotions simply by changing the light’s position relative to the subject.

A final piece of advice: Don’t encourage your subjects toward specific emotions. If they’re feeling sad, take a sad photo; if they’re feeling happy, take a happy photo; if they’re feeling tired, take a tired photo…You get the idea. Yes, it’s good to head into a scene with specific feelings in mind, but you must be adaptable, depending on the content of the scene.

4. Set your camera down and observe

When I tell people to stop shooting and put the camera away, I often get criticized, yet it’s an important part of photography – especially photography infused with feelings.

Setting down your camera gives you time to observe the world. Just look around and see what pulls at your consciousness. Ask yourself: What interests me? What draws me? What do I want to capture? What matters to me about this scene?

These questions only take a minute or two, but they’ll help you identify new, emotionally resonant compositions, plus they might clarify your ideas about a scene and show you the way forward.

Also, when I shoot, I often travel in a bubble. So setting down the camera lets me feel the surroundings and its emotional content, which can, in turn, affect my own emotional state (this matters a great deal; see Tip 1!).

Sometimes, it can be enough to simply sit down or stand in place for a minute or two, just looking around and taking in the scenery. Other times, you might want to pack your camera in your bag and go for a walk. It depends on your mood, and I don’t recommend you force things, but a little break can go a long way.

5. Return to the same scenes repeatedly

Scenes look different on different days, and your feelings are different on different days, too.

Take advantage of that fact.

If you’re shooting a subject that you can return to, then do it. The street or beach or room or person will have a different feel on different days, especially if you’re photographing outdoors and the weather changes often.

Make sure you return to a location with an open mind. Don’t expect certain feelings, or you might be disappointed. Instead, clarify your emotions, then pretend you’re seeing the scene for the first time.

(Pro tip: Try changing up your approach each time you tackle the scene. Bring a different camera, use a different lens, shoot with a tripod, shoot a long exposure, etc. Anything to capture new emotional content!)

And who knows? If you return to the same scene/subject enough, you might even create a series, which can turn into a portfolio or an article or even a book.

Capturing emotional photography: final words

Conveying emotion is a surefire way to create powerful images that connect with the viewer. Feelings will elevate your work and give it more punch.

So remember the tips I’ve shared. Think about your own emotional state. And capture some gorgeous photos!

Now over to you:

Do you have any advice for capturing images full of feeling and emotion? Do you have examples of emotional photos? Share your thoughts (and shots!) in the comments below.

How to Capture Emotion in Your Photos

London, 2013 #suits

The two things which I think make a great photograph: composition and emotion.

There are tons of articles and videos online about how to compose and frame a good photograph. But how do we capture emotion and soul in a photograph?

Why do we need emotions in a photograph?

Paris, 2015 #suits

First of all, I think that capturing emotion and soul is more important than capturing a good composition. Because I prefer a poorly composed photo with emotion and depth, rather than a well-composed photograph with no soul. To me, a photograph without emotion is dead.

Empathize with your subject

Tokyo, 2014 #suits

One of the key ways to create emotion in your photos is to create some sort of empathy with your subject. The empathy can show love and compassion (if your subjects look lost, miserable, or isolated). Or you can empathize with a subject in a positive way (feeling the joy they do, the happiness they do, or the positive energy they do).

So when I look at my own photos, or the photos of others— I look at the subjects in a photograph and ask myself, “Can I feel the same emotions that they do?”

They can show emotions in different ways— through their body language (are they hunched over, standing upright, or leaning a certain way?) People show emotion through hand gestures (how they position their hand to their chin, to their hips, or their face). People show emotion through their eyes— if they are looking straight at the photographer, if they are looking into the distance, or looking at someone else in the frame.

Try this out: look at a photograph you’ve shot (or someone else has shot) that has an interesting hand-gesture. Then mimic that hand-gesture yourself and think to yourself: what kind of emotions or feelings do I get from that subject?

Light and emotion

Istanbul, 2014 #suits

Another thing that brings emotion to a scene — the light. If you capture beautiful morning light, you get a sense of serenity, of new beginnings, and adventure.

If you capture the calm of a sunset, you think of closure, a bittersweet ending, or the end of a good day.

What I love about Alex Webb’s work is that many of his photographs show great emotion through the light he captures.

Golden light brings me feelings of positivity, hope, and love.

Cool light (neon colors late at night, or at ‘blue hour’) bring feelings of melancholy, sadness, or contemplation.

The light of a bright flash (shot head on) can make a scene feel more edgy, dynamic, or intense.

Experiment with different lighting situations. Experiment shooting in the harsh light, during golden hour, or using an external flash. Shoot through soft window lighting, or in situations where there is fluorescent or artificial lighting. See how you can get different types of light to affect the mood of a scene.

Color and emotion

London, 2015 #suits

Closely tied with light, color will change the emotion of a scene dramatically.

Deep reds will bring an emotion of intensity, passion, and love.

The color green can bring emotions of envy, serenity, or of calm (however you were raised culturally affects your emotions towards certain colors).

The color yellow commands attention and anxiety (this is why most traffic signs are painted bright yellow, or why items on sale are highlighted yellow).

The color blue reminds us of the ocean— which is calm and tranquil.

The color purple reminds us of royalty (ancient kings used to wear purple).

The color orange is bright and cheerful— like blooming flowers or a ripe orange.

Think about all the different colors of the rainbow— and how you might think the emotions of certain colors affect you.

Monochrome and emotion

Downtown LA, 2015

When we think of black and white, we think of timelessness, nostalgia, melancholy, and the past.

Generally, the modern public sees black and white photos as more “retro” and “artistic.” For me, I generally see more depressing or moody photos shot in black and white. Generally, colorful photos tend to be more upbeat and happy.

Of course this is a very crude generalization. There are a lot of black and white photos that bring great joy, while a lot of colorful photos which bring great misery.

So when you decide to shoot monochrome or color— don’t think about how it makes the photo look. Think about how it makes the photo feel.

How do your photos make you feel?

SF, 2015 #suits

So once again, when it comes to judging your own photos— don’t think to yourself, “Are my photos good or not. ” Think to yourself, “How do my photos make me feel? What kind of emotions do my photos bring out in me? Do they make me happy and uplifted, or contemplative and moody?”

A photo with emotion is relate-able. A photo that is relate-able is memorable, and stays in your mind an in your heart.

Of course, a great photo should have a strong composition and strong emotions. But when in doubt, aim for capturing strong emotion.

Shoot with your heart,
Eric

445 examples of conveying emotions in photos for girls!

The most successful photographs are obtained if they show real and sincere emotions.

In order not to fall into a stupor in front of the camera during a photo shoot, he suggests taking a closer look at the works of the American photographer Yu Tsai - on them, some celebrities grimaced with pleasure and showed how to express various emotions.

Yu Tsai is an American photographer based in New York and Los Angeles. Yu Cai was born in Taiwan and moved to America at an early age with his family. Graduated from the Art College of Design in Pasadena, California. Works in the genres of advertising, portrait and fashion photography. We bring to your attention a selection of portraits of celebrities from Yu Tsai.

◂ ◃ ◂ Anne Hathaway ▸ ▹ ▸

“I try to treat people with understanding and myself with humor. »

◂ ◃ ◂ Janet Jackson ▸ ▹ ▸

“I never rest on my laurels. I really love my job and I want people to see how much work I put into it.”

Katy Perry

"I used to open my own door and overcome obstacles."

Kristen Stewart

"I think it's stupid that you have to look a certain way to be considered beautiful."

Lea Michele

"Do what you love to do, nothing else matters."

Leona Lewis

Lupita Nyong'o (Lupita Nyong'o)

“What I've learned for myself is that I don't have to pretend to be someone else. I'm pretty good myself!"

Rose McGowan

"I don't care how I look in the eyes of others: everyone has their own opinion, and if I start thinking about it, I will go crazy."

Zoe Saldana

"Glamour is when you feel good in your skin."

Zooey Deschanel

"You never know when you'll be dressed up as a 17th century dairymaid."

Jessica Chastain

Diane Kruger

“I can do anything for a role. Or almost anything.”

Keira Knightley

“If you doubt, you are weak.”

Leslie Bibb

Mila Kunis

“Each of us goes our own way. At a certain stage, someone makes the right choice, someone does not.

Nina Dobrev

“If you wake up every morning with the thought that something good is bound to happen today, then so be it!”

Chloe Grace Moretz

“It seems to me that a person can become an individual if he does not pay attention to the opinions of others and goes forward towards his goal. ”

Julie Bowen

Melissa McCarthy

“I don't care if I look stupid anymore. I just accepted this fact! »

Rachel Bilson

Duffi (Daffi)

Kelly Brook

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Christina Applegate

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Author: LeonaStage

Publication date: 04/20/2017

How to convey the mood and atmosphere in photos

Why is it so difficult to capture the cozy atmosphere of a cafe in a photo? Or the laid-back campfire atmosphere with friends on a summer night? Learning how to capture the mood and atmosphere of a scene is a skill that many photographers elude. This is due to the fact that the finished product is not only about the correct settings and composition. The image should evoke emotion; it must convey the deeper aspects of the scene, the view, the sounds, the smells in such a way that every time you look at the photograph, you can return to that moment.

As always, rules in photography are made to be broken. Therefore, this list is intended to help you explore the creative aspect of mood transfer, and does not provide clear instructions.

Here are some things to consider when you want to convey mood, atmosphere and emotion. Your goal is that when you look at the photo later, it will take you back to that moment.

Naturalness versus posing

The photograph is man-made. That little black box you use to take pictures is always between you and the subject. That's why I'm always impressed by photographers who create amazingly natural shots - as if the camera was not involved in the process.

When shooting, your goal is to take a natural photo where your subject is not even aware of the camera. An image where everyone straightens up in front of the camera distracts the viewer and draws attention to the artificiality of the process.

Enter the camera room and see how people's smiles and postures change. Everyone wants to look good in a photo. But at the same time the mood is lost.

Of course, it is not always possible to take a natural photograph. Therefore, you must have the skills to create natural shots by directing and positioning the subject so that the photo looks natural, not staged.

Consider lighting

Lighting is always the most important part of an image. In order to capture the atmosphere at a particular moment, you must emphasize the lighting as much as possible. Usually a warm and cozy scene implies soft lighting. For example, on a summer evening, the light becomes soft and orange, and the radiant glow highlights people lit by the sun.

So how do you pass it on? Experiment with shooting in backlight. The camera will automatically fight this and make the overall exposure too dark. Try adjusting exposure compensation for a brighter image, or switch to full manual mode and explore the creative possibilities!

Shooting into the sun also often causes flare - you can use this to your advantage. The lens flare will convey a real feeling of summer and warmth in the image.

Photos in low light can also be impressive. The soft glow of a campfire or candle often forms deep and intriguing shadows. To convey this, you need to think about the direction of the light. A face looking away from the light source will be in deep shadow, and this is unlikely to make the image interesting. But, if you turn it towards the light source, you can really bring out the texture and personality.

In low light, the camera will tell you that there is not enough light and switch to the built-in flash. What to do with it?

Disable on-camera flash

On-camera flash is a sure way to give images an unnatural feel in a cozy and warm atmosphere. The main reason lies in the difference in the temperature of the light. Some types of light look warmer, some look colder.

Your flash light is balanced to match the type of light you will find under the midday sun (daylight). Light from a campfire or candle, however, contains more orange hues. In contrast, the flash light will look very blue, and this discrepancy will be obvious in the image.

The flash light is also at almost the same angle as the image. Since we usually don't view people or objects from the same angle as the light comes from, this looks odd. It also affects the disappearance of shadows and textures, which give the image a three-dimensional feel.

Of course, the camera prompts you to use the flash because there is not enough light. And that brings us to our next point...

Use a wide aperture

If you can't add light with a flash, then you need to find another way to get enough light to take the picture. This can be done by opening the aperture wide. Aperture is measured in f-stops, a low f-number (like f/4) means the lens is wide open to let in more light.

Prime lenses, or non-zoom lenses, are usually able to open their aperture wider. Therefore, they are ideal for shooting atmospheric scenes where there is not much light.

In addition, a wide aperture will give the image a finer focus point (shallow depth of field). Whether the focus is on a person or a detail, the viewer gets a sense of the closeness and intimacy of the scene.

Bokeh, or out-of-focus area, gets a nice blur at wide apertures, helping to de-clutter the shot and allowing the imagination to fill in the gaps on its own.

Show the environment

to get a clear view of the scene, whether you should use wide apertures or not Convey the details that will make the scene memorable and put everything in context.

A technique I like to use is to put the subject or person in the foreground of the shot. By creating a frame with foreground elements, I create the illusion of participation in the event. This technique gives a strong sense of depth, making the photo memorable.

Transmitting emotions

Most of our fondest memories are of the people we meet.

For this reason, a good way to capture the essence of a moment is to take a picture of people interacting with each other. It can be cheerful smiles, strong hugs or tears of joy running down your cheeks.

It's not always easy to pick out these little moments, and they disappear just as quickly. Likewise, it will take a bit of observation and creativity to identify moments that really convey drama or happiness.

Highlighting textures

You may not be able to convey sound and smell through photography, but you can appeal to these sensations by drawing attention to details that are familiar to us and remind us of certain sounds or smells.

The crisp texture of stone or the rough feel of sand is very familiar to us, so having these textures will help make the image feel even stronger.

Processing photos

You can often really bring out the mood of a photo in post-production. Whichever editor you use, here are a few tips to help you style your final image.

Consider how color affects your image

Color is important in determining the mood in an image. Subdued or darker colors give a feeling of reflection, sadness and calmness. Bright and light colors, on the contrary, speak of happiness.

Color temperature

The white balance can be adjusted to make the image warmer or colder. The difference between a warm summer evening and a cold winter night should be obvious.

The white balance is set on a scale from yellow to blue. Experiment to find the right settings for your image. If you shoot in RAW, you can freely adjust the white balance without losing image quality. If you shoot in JPG, then you will practically not have such an opportunity.

The strong blues in the image on the left seem soothing and introspective, while the processing on the right seems more energetic. The two versions give different impressions of whether the morning was warm or cold.

Film simulation and B&W experimentation

Some processing styles can be nostalgic. Film simulation lends a sense of timelessness even to those who are too young to remember the days of film photography.

The processing of this image gives it a retro feel, like it was made decades ago.

If you want to try this style, there are plenty of presets and filters to get you started. This style usually desaturates colors, removes contrast, and adds a bit of grain.