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Tips for Smooth Shooting
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Shoot more
This is probably the simplest and most useful tip. The more you shot, the higher the chance of getting good pictures. This is especially true for people pictures. People are spontanuous. You never know when a smile is at its best, or when someone blinks. The professional photographers do this all the time. With this spirit, we shot over 900 pictures in our Europe trip. Here is an example of how we treated one scene:
All of the above pictures are great. However, with so many to choose from, we selected the one in which both of us look the best.
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Use a remote control
Most cameras have an optional infra-red remote control unit. We have invested in it and found it very helpful. Having a remote control is like having a photographer with you. Once the tripod and the camera are set up properly, you two enjoy the fun of being the models — relax and play in front of the camera. Pressing the button of the remote control repeatedly can let this "photographer" shoot all your fun.
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Make better use of the "human tripod" if you have a digital camera
When we travel, we do not always have our tripod with us. In those occasions, we usually ask passers-by to take pictures for us. However, there is no guarantee that the person is a photography master! So, many times, even after we explained in detail the composition we wanted to the helper, the resulting composition of the picture was not what we wanted.
If you have a digital camera, you can gain much better control of the outcome by first taking a photo with only one of you in the picture, in the desired composition you wanted. You then immediately play back the photo and show the helper what composition you desired. Finally you pass the camera to the helper and let him or her do the actual job. We found that by showing the desired result to the helpers, they got it immediately. This is much more effective than a wordy explanation. "To see is better than to hear". The helper can get what you want right away. This works even when the helper has little photography sense!
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Tips for the Camera
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Use no flash
Camera-mounted flashes tend to flatten facial features. So I always turn off the flash. When it is a bit too dark, I put my camera on the tripod and use longer exposure time.
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Use longer focal lengths (zoom lens)
I have a basic 28-80mm zoom lens but used it mostly in the 55-80mm range during the trip. This is because short focal lengths (below 50mm) tend to distort the human face. Longer focal lengths also give a more shallow depth-of-field, which helps me achieve the effect of a blurred background (see De-emphasize the background).
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Use slow film (low ISO setting in digital cameras)
Slow films — ISO 100 to ISO 200 — generally render colors more naturally and details much finer. For our album, I chose Kodak Portra NC 160, which render skin tone beautifully. I recommend it heartily.
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Apply filter
I experimented with some filters and found the black diffusion filter very suitable for outdoor portraits. The black diffusion filter works magic when it comes to reducing blemishes. It makes the skin look smoother and the subjects radiant.
However, for two reasons, I would not recommend using them too often. First, you can almost always achieve similar effect in Photoshop afterwards. Second, soft filters for portaits tends to "spread" bright light in the scene towards other areas, making the picture look hazy. (see the Our mistakes section).
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Try Different Effects
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De-emphasize the background
 The people walking in the background are blurred because a long shutter speed of 1/2 second was used.
Blur it
This is the most classical way to de-emphasize the background. To blur the background, I use large aperture (bigger than f/4.0) with the lens zoomed to the max.
Move it
When there are people moving in the background, let the movement of the people naturally blur themselves up. To achieve this effect, I switch to the Shutter Priority mode and set the shutter speed to about 1/2 second.
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Tell a story with a sequence
We had fun playing with this. It is very effective in telling a lively story and conveying the liveliness of the subject. However, be careful to use a tripod though!
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Frame the picture with some architectural features
I paid attention to the architecture of the places we visited. Columns, doors and gates usually give a nice sense of frame to the pictures. I always try to make use of them whenever they are in proximity.
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