Photo Tips for Father's Day

André Costantini offers his techniques on capturing Dad for his special celebration.

Article By Jennifer Gidman

Images by André Costantini

Experiment with different lenses.
You don't have to limit yourself to a dedicated "portrait" lens for your Father's Day photos. Try out different lenses for a variety of perspectives. For example, some dads might not feel comfortable with the photographer getting too close. In those cases, a telephoto lens such as the Tamron 28-300mm lets you stand back and give them the space they need. A fast macro lens like the Tamron 60mm F/2.0 can also work great for portraits.

Find the right surroundings.
Snapshots are often taken with a pop-up flash. Instead, find a place where there's a lot of natural light, whether that's near a large window inside your home or, ideally, outdoors. Just make sure if you go outside that you're not in direct bright sunlight - look for a shaded area. Also seek out a fairly innocuous background, like a neutral-colored wall with a little texture, where you can focus on the subject and not be distracted by what's in back of him.

Keep Dad comfortable.
Psychologically, you have to ensure Dad or Grandpa wants to be photographed. First, that means making sure the background and lighting are ideal and that he knows you, as the photographer, are in control of the situation and the setup. Putting him at ease that way is the first step to a relaxed shoot.

There can also be interesting relationship dynamics at play you need to look out for. A dad in front of the camera might actually be uncomfortable if his own wife or girlfriend is photographing him but will be just fine with another photographer - kind of like the way a child won't listen to you but he'll listen to other adults. If that's the case in your situation and you're trying to get a picture of your significant other, recruit a friend to actually shoot the picture after you've done the setup so that your subject is totally at ease.

Get him involved in an activity he enjoys.
Don't put Dad in a situation he's not used to or uncomfortable with. Place him in a familiar environment or setting up a favorite activity, whether it's sitting behind a desk in his library if he's a big reader or outside if he's a real outdoorsman. You not only get an image that highlights his personality - you also increase your chance of getting a relaxed-looking image. Involving him in a hobby or activity he loves allows him to be part of the process instead of simply "the subject" of a photograph. If you want to especially emphasize his masculinity while he's doing an activity, have him lean toward the camera.

The shot I took with my Tamron 60mm macro of a grandfather with his grandson on his shoulders is a perfect example of this. I didn't want to simply say, "OK, we're going to go take a picture now, go stand over there and smile." Instead, they went on a hike. An effective portrait shows a certain side of someone or highlights a relationship. Of course I wanted to create a nice composition with that shot, but the most important part was showing that tenderness and interaction between Grandpa and the little guy as they hiked.

Don't stop shooting - but remember to stay engaged with your subject.
When you see a really compelling image, you're not seeing the whole process. Realize that to get that one perfect shot, the photographer probably had to take a series of shots. For the man in the orange shirt standing against the wall, I took about five or six images in that position using the Tamron 28-75mm. You don't need to go overboard and take 800 pictures, but 10 or 12 shots should suffice. When you look through your images at the end, some are going to stand out more than others and you'll have more options.

As you're taking all those photos, though, don't forget to keep interacting with your subject. You don't want to take a picture of him, then look at the back of the camera, then take another picture, then look at the back of the camera. You want to be in the moment with that person and really witnessing what he's doing, not simply "taking his picture." Staying engaged with him during the shoot helps the process along, which will ultimately shine through in the images.

Use special effects in post for images that are timeless.
You can get creative with your Father's Day images even after the photo shoot is done. Give your images a classic feel by converting to black and white in post-production or play with other colors and toning for a unique portrait that Dad or Grandpa will always cherish.

To see more of André Costantini's images, go to www.sillydancing.com.