A candid photo of a cute child shot on a job for a social services agency brochure.

 Two kitchen workers at the Alhambra Sr. Day Care Center. Shot for my Client Catholic Charities a few years ago.

 I do not use telephoto lenses when shooting people. I get close and personal and do not spy on my subjects. What I love are the reactions that people have or how they pose. It very telling. When I ask, most of the time people agree to be photographed. If they do not, I walk away respecting their privacy.

Very cute child at a day care center. Just gorgeous.

 

 A picture of cute kids will always be appropriate to post

 Just an informal candid with a digicam

 On the number 7 line. NYC subway. Kodachrome.

You just got to love that smile

  A candid portrait shot digitally. It's always interesting to note the subject's reaction.

 Very pretty young face.

 A fisherman and his friend sitting in the shade in Scopello, Castellammare del Golfo Sicily, I used my first Leica, an M-4 with the 50mm Summicron F2 lens. The film was Kodak Tri-X. I never use a sneaky telephoto to photograph people. It's a cowardly way. I like to engage the subjects and their reactions tell  much about themselves. Once someone asked Cartier Bresson why he never used a telephoto, he answered that if he needed a telephoto meant that he was too far away. I'm in no way comparing myself to that great master but I have always used this mode of photographing people.

 A candid portrait shot with a digicam and converted to black and white with Photoshop. 

     An Agfachrome slide dating from 1972. A fisherman making a small crate to trap fish. The colors on this slide film weren't as stable as on Kodachrome. The location is Scopello, Sicily. I used my Canon FT with the Canon 50mm F 1.4 FL lens. It's a nice candid.

 

    COUSIN GRACE. This wonderful woman was my father in law's cousin who lived in Washington DC or as she called it, the District. I shot this image with my first Leics, the M-4 and the Summicron 50 mm F 2 loaded with good old Tri-X. I just love this image and the look on her face. A real character.

Have a great Martin Luther King day

Candid portraits

In my years as a pro, I took many portraits. I usually preferred to capture people at their work doing their work. This made the shoot more natural. Very little lighting equipment was used and may times such as this one I used available light. As simple as possible but not more so. This woman was a social worker at an institution on Long Island, NY. After formal attempts, the simplest shot was the best.

Candid portrait

This young woman was captured in an instant. Point the camera wait for her reaction and shoot. The light was naturally overcast so it was very flattering. The subject reaction to the photographer is very important.

Candid portrait

This photo sort of just happened. I was attending a friend's birthday party and this woman was sitting in the next room. I used the Nikon DH 2. This is also an available light shot.