Candids on the beach or promenade. Best in the last hour of light, when the sun is behind you.
18-150 · 50–100mmNo filterHood on
- Mode
- Av
- Aperture
- widest the lens allows (f/5.6 – f/6.3)
- ISO
- Auto
- Exposure ±
- +⅓ to +⅔ when faces are in shadow
- Drive
- Low-speed continuous
- Focus
- Servo · Whole area · Subject: People · Eye on
Do this
- Zoom to 50mm or longer. Faces look right at these lengths; at 18mm noses grow.
- Sun behind or beside the person, never behind you and straight into their squint. Late afternoon light from the side is the kindest.
- Widest aperture the lens gives you at that zoom — the background softens and the person separates from it.
- Let the camera find the eye. Half-press, watch for the small box on the eye, shoot a short burst.
- Get to their eye level, especially children. Kneel.
If it goes wrong
- Face dark, background bright
- Exposure compensation +⅔. The camera exposed for the bright sea.
- Kid is a blur
- Switch to Tv 1/500. Same everything else.