One of the trickiest subjects to photograph is older people. This is because there are sensitive issues at stake when we take pictures of people that show some age. Issues like lines and wrinkles, or age spots, or bodies that aren’t what they once were. The reason it’s tricky is because we as a society are so heavily focused on youth that quite often older people feel they are less attractive and are therefore sometimes less confidant in front of the camera. It’s also tricky because we as the photographer have to make some decisions about how best to go about capturing the essence of the person we are trying to photograph. For example, while we as the person holding the camera might be interested in capturing the beautiful history written across the face of a loved one, our subject might be less than thrilled to see what you’ve highlighted. Therefore, the smartest thing you can do when photographing older people, is to sensitize yourself to the feelings and emotions of your subject. Talk with them. Tell them what you’d like to see. Ask them what they’d like to see. Try to come up with a strategy that can make both of you happy. Below are ten tips on how to take good pictures of older people with your digital camera.
1 – Pick a type. One of the first things you’ll need to do, is to pick the type of photograph you’re going for. Do you want something candid to catch the personality of the person, or do you want something more formal and posed. Do you want to highlight the subject’s age, or hide it? What sort of mood are you going for? While it’s true you won’t always be able to capture what you can imagine in your head, it’s a very good idea to have a close approximation, otherwise, you’ll be fumbling about as your proceed and your subject might not be as patient as you’d like.
2 – Lines and wrinkles. When people get older, their skin changes. Some get lines and/or wrinkles. Some lose tone. Sometimes skin gets more reflective. Also, there are sometimes age spots or other blemishes that appear. Also, depending on age and how well the person has taken care of themselves, peoples bodies change. Some get more sinewy, others more pudgy. Some get shorter. All of these factors come into play when you pick up your camera. The central question is, do you and your subject wish to show off these badges of age, or do you wish to hide them? Everything about how you photograph older people will be based on this choice.
3 – Lighting & Staging. Once you’ve made your choice about what type of photographs you want, you need to set up the proper lighting and possibly staging. In general, the more light the better when using digital camera. And while this is still true if you wish to capture the texture of your subjects skin, it might not be, if you wish to do more concealing. One of the interesting features of digital photography is, the more light, the more clear the resulting picture. Which means the opposite is also true. If you want to smooth out wrinkles or hide blemishes, all you have to do is reduce the available light. Staging comes into play when choosing the type of lighting. Having your subject sit beside a window for example, uses only the available light that passes in from outside. This is an excellent way to show your subject in a soft and flattering way.
4 – Posing. Along with choosing the type of lighting, you’ll need to decide if you want candid type shots or those that are posed. Choosing one or the other will depend on what it is you wish to capture. In this instance it’s a private choice between subject and photographer. But a conscience choice nonetheless that needs to be made to insure that the photography session goes smoothly.
5 – Black & White. One very common option that many people consider when photographing older people is that of using black and white, instead of color. This is so because shooting in black and white gives more stark results, which when shooting older people, generally means highlighting lines and wrinkles. The goal is to capture character.
6 – Flattery. Another common option that people use when shooting older people is to use special lenses or filters. This is much more common in a studio, but it is still one that is available to non-professionals. In short, filters are used to hide lines and wrinkles with the intent of making the subject appear more perfect. A good example of this is when you watch old movies. Quite often when they went for the close-up on the starlet, they used special filters to give a more ethereal, star-quality like image. In addition to using low lighting and filters, digital photographers can also use software programs to airbrush the results of their efforts.
7 – Rustic. One other less common option you might consider when shooting older people is something called the “sepia” option. Not all digital cameras have this option, you’ll need to check your manual. What the sepia option does is capture images in dark brownish and whitish grays. It’s a technique whereby your camera tries to make pictures that look like they were taken when cameras were still in their infancy. They give a sort of rustic effect. If you’re not sure what this all means, just try it out. You’ll see right away, then decide if you think it might be something you’d like to try with your subject.
8 – Clothing. As with any type of photography, you might want to consider the outfit of your subject. If you’re trying to capture them as they are, there is obviously no need to ask them to change into anything else. If you’re going for something more formal however, you might want to suggest something you find particularly flattering. When doing so, keep in mind that certain colors look better on some people than on others. This is even more so with older people as their skin tends to be a bit lighter than younger subjects. The same thing applies to hair color. It depends on whether your subject dyes their hair or not obviously. If not, you need to be very particular about lighting because quite often, if a person has very white or pale skin and has pure white hair, it’s sometimes difficult to actually see the person’s features in a photograph at all. In such cases, consider using lighting that adds some color enhancement.
9 – Attitude. Another important things when photographing older people is the attitude of the photographer. We all have our opinions and tastes and those are not always the same as those of the people we photograph. In addition, it’s difficult at times to remember to take others opinions or feelings into consideration when we’re on a mission with our camera. To get good pictures, you’ll need to though. Happy subjects are more comfortable. They’re more natural. And subjects that are treated with respect, tend to give more open and honest expressions which make for much better pictures. Also, if you want to get more personal pictures, you have to earn the trust of your subject, not just expect them to provide it for you.
10 – Time. Finally, one of the most difficult things in photographing older people is time. This of course depends on the age of your subject. For those getting on in years, you might find they are not as willing to sit as long as you’d like. Or they may not have the patience. It might have to do with mood or the fact that they are physically uncomfortable. The bottom line here, is, prepare as much as you can, then take as many pictures as you can in as short amount as time as you can. Both of you will walk away from the experience happier and the results will probably bear that out.
These ten tips on how to take good pictures of older people with your digital camera can be used by anyone that wishes to apply them. Taking pictures of older people can be a very fun and rewarding experience for all involved. If you are someone planning to try, I wish you all the best. Good luck and have fun.
