Ultimate Guide To Capturing Emotions in Photographs

Tips for Capturing Emotions in Photographs

Capturing emotions in photographs requires you to create an image that connects emotionally with your viewers. Happiness, despair, surprise and sadness are just a few of the universal emotions that we all feel, share, and experience. Emotions give your images a soul.

So how do you capture emotions in photographs? There are a number of ways to do so.

Choice of Subject Matter

Emotion can be captured in all genres of photography. You can evoke mood into portraits, landscapes, street photography, and more. People connect emotionally to subjects that are meaningful to them.

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Portrait Photography

A good portrait captures your subjects genuine emotions and stories. It’s one of the most important things in a photograph, and can be difficult to capture. In order to let their authentic emotions show, people need to feel comfortable and relaxed. This is the job of the photographer. Capturing emotions in photographs requires you connect on an emotional level with your subject.

Tips For Capturing Emotion in Portraits

• Choose Your Camera – Any type of camera can be used for portrait photography, however DSLRs and Mirrorless Cameras are your best options to have total creative control of your portraits.
• Choose Your Lens – Zoom Lenses and Prime Lenses are the two main types of portrait lenses. Zoom Lenses are more versatile and are available in a range of focal lengths. Prime Lenses are lighter and faster to use, image quality is better, and they produce sharper images. Common focal lengths for portrait lenses are 50mm, 70 – 300mm, 85mm, 135mm.
• Camera Settings – These settings are starting points. Your settings will vary, depending on whether you are shooting in natural light, using flashes or external light sources. For the most control shoot in Manual mode. Use the lowest ISO setting possible for the available light 100 – 200. Increase it in low light situations. Shutter speed should be around 1/200 of a second. This is the maximum sync speed of many flash units that are used in studio shoots. Your Aperture setting will determine how sharp or blurry your background is. An f/1.4 setting will produce an out of focus background. For sharper backgrounds reduce your aperture to f5.6 or f8. Experiment what works best with the lighting you are working with.
• Lighting Matters – Master using whatever light is available. Different lighting setups can affect the mood and emotions of the portrait. Most portrait photographers use natural light, external flashes, studio lights and reflectors.
• Use A Tripod – Not all situations require a tripod, but they can be handy in studio set ups, and when working with children. Young children will connect with you better if you are able to come out from behind the camera. Using a remote shutter release will allow you to do this.
• Location Location Location – Do you shoot in a studio or on location? Your location can have an impact on the how emotions come through in your images. Photographing your subjects in a familiar location helps them to feel more comfortable, and they will be more likely to relax and enjoy themselves.
• Forget The Cheese – Asking your clients to say cheese is a surefire way to get a forced and very fake smile.
• Connect With Your Subject – Capturing Emotions in Photographs by chit chatting to break the ice with your subject. Make them laugh and at ease, so they feel comfortable enough to let their emotions show through.
• Give Direction – A lot of people are awkward when getting their picture taken. Posing can seem unnatural for them. They don’t know where to look, where their hands should go, or which way to face. Giving direction to your subject will help them to relax once they know what to do.
• Focus On The Eyes – The eyes are the window to our soul. We’ve all heard that before. Eyes are expressive and can show some very strong emotions. If you want to capture how a person is truly feeling, focus on their eyes.
• Capture Your Subject’s Mood – Not all portraits need smiling faces. Happiness is just one emotion of many to capture. Don’t be afraid to show others such as sadness, boredom, or surprise.
• Take Candid Portraits – Candid photos are more likely to capture the true emotion and personality of your subject. Be sure to add candids into the mix of your posed photographs.
• Watch For The In Between Moments – Keep your camera ready, and wait for “in between” moments. These are the moments in between poses, when your subject has let down their guard and relaxed. This is when more candid and natural emotions come out.
• Editing And Post-Processing – The most common software for editing is Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Luminar 4. Luminar 4 can be used as a Standalone photo editor & browser or as a Plugin for Adobe & Apple products. Luminar is fantastic for creating perfect, realistic portraits with it’s AI Skin Enhancer & Portrait Enhancer. They offer a free download to try it out.

Landscape Photography

A great landscape photo has the ability to draw your viewer in, feel the heart and soul of the place, and make them feel as if they were there themselves.

Tips For Capturing Emotion in Landscape Photos

• Location & Time – Take some type to research where you want to shoot and the best time of day or year to do it. Different places can have very different looks depending on the season or time of day.
• Choose Your Camera – A DSLR camera will produce an image with more detail and sharpness, making them an excellent choice for landscape photography. Mirrorless cameras also work great for landscapes, plus they are quite a bit lighter to carry around.
• Wide Angle Lenses – Wide angle lenses are generally the best for landscape photography. A zoom or telephoto lens is nice to have for the smaller details.
• Bring A Tripod – Tripods are handy for capturing details, and when you will be shooting at slow shutter speeds. There are plenty of lightweight models available, so there isn’t any need to be lugging around a heavy duty tripod.
• Camera Settings – For the highest quality and sharpest photos you will need to use higher f-stops such as f/16 or f/22. To keep the ISO low you may have to shoot at slower shutter speeds, and will need a tripod to avoid blurry images and camera shake.
• Use Long Exposures – Using long exposures can give your images a dreamy, ethereal effect. You can capture star trails, soft streaky clouds, and smooth silky waters in your landscape photos. Slower shutter speeds can add magic to your photographs.
• Use A Graduated Neutral Density – Graduated neutral density filters hold light back so the brightest parts of the photo, such as the sky, does not overexpose. They are great to have when you are using a long exposure for a scene that is brightly lit. You can also use them to make water smooth and silky, or when you want to create cloud streaks in the sky.
• Use Polarizing Filters – Polarizing filters capture vividness and contrast, darken skies, reduce reflections, and suppress glare from the surface of lakes or the sea.
• Use Minimalism For Powerful Compositions – Minimalism emphasizes simplicity and can be used to create moody images.
• Include People In The Image – Capture emotions in photographs by adding people. They add depth to an image. Your viewers feel like they are part of the story, when they connect with an activity, that they can imagine themselves doing.
• Use Leading Lines – Leading lines are used to draw the viewer’s attention in a particular direction. They give the illusion of depth and dimension, and add visual impact to your images.
• Use Different Textures – Using texture in your photography can bring your images to life and make them more appealing. By emphasizing the texture of a subject you reveal its essence and form.
• Change Vantage Points – Try high angle and low angle shots. Move around to see what works best. Show a perspective that is normally not shown.
• Editing And Post-Processing – The most common software for editing is Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Luminar 4. Luminar 4 can be used as a Standalone photo editor & browser or as a Plugin for Adobe & Apple products. Luminar is pretty amazing. It offers tools for editing your landscape photographs that will enhance the mood of them dramatically. Instantly change the sky and the mood of your photo in seconds, with the intelligent AI Sky Replacement tool. Add a source of sunlight with the Sunrays tool. You can move realistic sunbeams around and watch them magically seep between trees and other objects on your photo. They offer a free download to try it out.

Street Photography

Street photography is filled with opportunities to add emotional depth to your photographs. People on the streets are filled with a multitude of emotions. The most common are feelings of frustration, impatience, embarrassment, boredom, anxiety, and amusement. There is always something to capture. A good street photography image tells a story.

Tips For Capturing Emotion in Street Photography

• Know The Law – The laws for street photography, when photographing people, differ from country to country. Generally you are allowed to photograph most things from a public place. Be sure to check before shooting.
• Respect – If someone doesn’t want their picture taken, find another subject. The streets are full of them.
• Choose Your Camera – The best camera is the one you have with you. That being said there are many options of rangefinders, DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. A lot of street photographers choose compact cameras because they are lightweight and discreet.
• Choose Your Lens – There are two main types of lenses that are best for street photography. A zoom lens allows the change of focal length, while prime lenses have a fixed focal length.
• Camera Settings – Shooting in aperture priority mode is the easiest way to set up your camera for street photography. Street scenes change quickly. By letting the camera make some of the decisions, you are less like to miss a shot.
• Create Pictures That Tell Stories – Capture some kind of emotion that your viewer can identify or empathize with. Your viewer will be able to form a story by their own perceptions of the emotion they connect with.
• Be Prepared To Wait – Find an interesting location or background, wait and let the people walk into the frame.
• Look For Interesting Characters – What makes a person interesting? Look for hairstyles, clothing, body language, behavior, and facial expressions that stand out to you. Watch for emotions and gestures.
• Observe People Interacting – Interactions between people can create powerful images. Look for people displaying affection towards each other such as holding hands, hugging, or kissing. Some other interactions can be anger or even boredom with each other.
• Look For Contrasting Elements – Mix happy with sad, old with young, tall with short.
• Shoot In All Types Of Weather – Weather can set a mood and add drama to your images.
• Capture Silhouettes – Silhouettes are a great way to convey drama, mystery, emotion, mood and add anonymity to your subjects. To capture a silhouette, the background needs to be brighter than your subject.
• Shoot from a Distance – It’s okay to shoot from farther away if you are not comfortable enough to get close to your subjects. Eventually you can get up closer.
• Get Close – Get close enough to your subjects to fill the frame so you are able to notice the little details. 
• Shoot From The Hip – This requires that you have your camera at hip level, and take the photo without looking at the screen. It takes some practice, but you’ll eventually figure out which angle to shoot from.
• Be Spontaneous – Trust you instincts and shoot. Things can happen quickly in Street Photography.
• Color Or Black And White – Don’t be afraid to shoot both. Many street photographers prefer black and white images. The general thought is it’s more artistic, dramatic, and removes distractions from the viewer. There is a lot of fantastic street photography shot in color is well. You can always convert your color images in the editing process and see what works best for a particular image. It all comes down to personal preference.
• The Decisive Moment – Henri Cartier-Bresson, one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century, and known for his style of street photography, said in an interview with the Washington Post, “Photography is not like painting. There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative. Oop! The Moment! Once you miss it, it is gone forever.”
• Let Go Of Your Fear – Street Photography requires quite a bit of confidence. The more you do it the more confident you become.
• Editing And Post-Processing – The most common software for editing is Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Luminar 4. With Luminar you can Create Instant artworks with their Instant Looks. They offer a free download to try it out. It’s a fun way to change the look and mood of your street photography.

Using Light for Capturing Emotions in Photographs

Light is the most important factor in all types of photography. Different types of lighting produce various emotions that will impact the mood of your photograph. Capturing Emotions in Photographs by using light properly. It is a powerful way to creatively convey emotions in your images.

The basic characteristics of light: intensity, contrast, direction, and color all affect your images differently. Each has a unique quality in the emotions it brings forth.

• Bright Light – Happy, Optimistic, Open, Friendly, Gentle
• Dark Light – Ominous, Foreboding, Somber, Intense, Powerful
• Low Contrast – Soft, Subdued, Gentle, Muted
• High Contrast – Dramatic, Edgy, Sharp, Intense
• Light Direction – Backlighting, Side lighting, Overhead lighting, Frontal lighting
• Color – Warm tones such as red/orange colored light creates warmth and positive emotions, while cooler blue tones can create a sense of calmness, and peace.

The Psychology of Using Color for Capturing Emotions

Capturing Emotions in Photographs using color can be used in all types of photography. Color influences our thinking, inspires how we make decisions, and can impact our moods. All colors have an affect on an emotional level, and they can be used to evoke emotions in your images.

Colors are associated differently to various cultures and traditions around the world. Here is a list of colors and the emotions they are commonly connected with.

• Red – Courage, Energy, Excitement, Love, Passion, Anger, Rage, Power
• Orange – Optimistic, Warmth, Happiness, Enthusiasm, Adventurous
• Yellow – Spontaneity, Cheerfulness, Friendliness, Creativity, Hope
• Green – Safety, Harmony, Stability, Calm, Reliability, Balance, Luck
• Blue – Serenity, Cold, Sadness, Trust, Honesty, Peace, Tranquility, Faith
• Purple – Imagination, Spirituality, Mystery, Compassion, Royalty
• Pink – Compassion, Love, Playful, Feminine, Romantic, Delicate, Soft
• Brown – Earth, Wholesome, Simple, Materialistic, Comfort, Endurance
• White – Purity, Simplicity, Minimalism, Innocence, Winter, Good
• Black – Power, Elegance, Mystery, Fear, Sophistication, Anonymity
• Silver – Riches, Glamorous, Distinguished, Natural, Sleek, Elegant
• Gold – Precious, Riches, Extravagance, Wealth, Prosperity, Grandeur

Now go Give it a Try

There is a myriad of ways for capturing emotions in photographs . No matter what genre you shoot, give our tips a try and see if you can improve the mood of your images.

Try our Weekly Photography Challenge – Capture Emotions.

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