Facial Expressions

I went to a newspaper conference about a month ago, where I attended several workshops. One was on photojournalism, and one of the tips I picked up was the use of facial expressions in photography. Our clinician placed "faces" alongside principles like lines, the rule of thirds, texture, etc. This highlighted to me how important he though they were.

He also gave us a few examples of photos with great facial expressions. They absolutely can make an otherwise boring photo very interesting to look at and engaging. A photo with a good expression will hold your attention much longer, and draw your eye much more effectively.





click to enlarge, or see it on Flickr
Aperture: f/6.3
Shutter Speed: 1/500
ISO: 100
Focal Length: 55 mm
Handheld


I've learned that there are few times better for getting a great face in your photo than during a high-action activity like Ultimate Frisbee.

This is from the same shoot as yesterday's photo, so I hadn't quite figured out that I need faster shutter speeds for these. But there will definitely be more games for me to shoot in the near future.