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| © Robert Clark/National Geographic Society |
| Click photo for more images from The Camera Phone Book. |
Don't zoom and reframe a lot in video: Frame your subject and keep the framing until it doesn't work anymore, then try to reframe by zooming or moving the camera just once. If your subject is moving, try to follow the motion with your camera phone, keeping the subject in the same spot on the LCD. Keeping the frame still and letting your subject walk into or out of it can also work.
Ask for names and comments: Any news organizations you submit your images to will want the names of people you photograph, and they'll probably appreciate having some information about the people's relationship to the event you're capturing (player in the tournament, witness to the crime, etc.), as well as their ages and occupations. It wouldn't hurt to have a relevant quote to send along too. Use video capture or the phone's voice recorder to gather this information; and ask people to spell their names.
Get good sound: People generally tolerate poor image quality more readily than bad sound. If you're shooting video, make sure your subjects can be heard clearly and try to eliminate loud background noises. Shield your microphone from the wind. Try not to make distracting noises or remarks yourself.
Capture B-roll: Professional videographers often capture what they call B-roll footage along with the main video. It's generally used at the beginning of a clip or in transitions between different segments of the video to set the scene. So if you're doing an interview on a busy street, take a wide shot of that street for a few moments for B-roll.
Look for a perch: If you're shooting an event where there's a crowd or a chaotic situation, try to find a high place to shoot from. It can also be interesting to treat a street scene as a landscape instead of focusing on interactions between people. Shooting from above -- or from another unconventional perspective -- can shift the viewer's attention to the place itself and away from the individuals who pass through it. This approach can be especially effective with video or with a series of photos that show the changes that occur in a particular location over time.
Use a continuous shooting mode: Some advanced camera phones offer a continuous shooting mode that will capture a sequence of photographs when you hold the shutter release down. If you're photographing an animated interaction, a sequence can help tell the whole story. A continuous shooting mode can also be useful when conditions make it difficult to hold the camera steady or maintain an uninterrupted view of your subject.
Automatic Street Photography
If you're looking for a new approach to street photography, want to know what's happening behind your back when you're strolling around, or are just plain lazy, check out WayMarkr. It's software that will take pictures for you while you're window shopping. When you activate it on your camera phone, WayMarkr captures a continuous stream of photos and sends them to your account on the WayMarkr Web site. You'll get the best results if you strap your camera phone to your body or a relatively stable object with you, so it doesn't jiggle around. On the Website, you can make your images public or link them to a map showing where they were taken. To use Waymarkr, you'll need a compatible camera phone and a data-service plan.
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