People-candid

Candid photography is a style of photography that focuses on the moment rather than the technique. It is unposed, unplanned, catching moments of life rather than staging them. It is a notoriously difficult genre of photography, people are almost always aware of a photographer or camera being pointed at them, it is often not just the photographs that are the mark of a good candid photographer, but also their way of being unobtrusive around people and their ability to keep people relaxed.

It could be argued that candid photography is the purest form of photojournalism. There is a fine line between photojournalism and candid photography, Photojournalism often sets out to tell a story in images, whereas candid photography simply captures people living an event.

In the course of my research, i found a good article with help on how to take good candid photographs.

11 tips for better candid photography

well known candid photographers
by Alfred Eisenstaedt (which i love so much i recreated in my own wedding photographs!)


by Robert Doisneau. These photographs do come close to being street or documentary photography, but i think they do fall into the candid genre, due to the 'event' captured rather than the story behind them.

for my own candid photography i am very lucky in that i am a working wedding photographer. Candid photography is a large part of photographing weddings and I work very hard to catch those moments. Sometimes i catch them unexpectedly, whilst photographing i might spot something and quickly shoot to try and capture it (which doesn't always work!) and sometimes i lie in wait, waiting for the moment i am sure will happen. A good example of this is the shot of the groom waiting for his bride at the altar. No matter how confident, how relaxed the groom seems to be, he ALWAYS shows some outward sign of nerves at some point during this short (but, i am sure, seemingly very long) wait. I always try and make it seem as though i am photographing something else so as not to make him self conscious, or, if this isn't possible, i train the camera onto him and i literally wait. I know he knows its pointed at him, but if i wait long enough, a couple of minutes, he will forget i am there and will show that nervous side i love to capture so much.

i have below a few examples of my candid photography, and, if needed, a small explanation into the circumstances behind it and what lighting was used for each shot.


a typical example of a nervous groom! I had to lie in wait for this one. Natural light.

This wedding was organised in 2 weeks as the groom found out he had terminal cancer. I've never witnessed a more moving first dance, and the tenderness in this photo gives me a lump in my throat. Natural light.

One of those moments where you know the Best Man is telling some humiliating story about the Groom! Fluorescent Lighting.

I was following the bride downstairs and quickly shot this when i saw how beautiful and elegant she looked. Mixed lighting.

It never fails to surprise me how many cool, calm and collected brides break down during their vows. Yet another example of a moment that always makes me tear up. Natural light.