Candid photography has produced some of the world’s most famous and influential works of art.

Taking candid photos allows you to notice things you may have never noticed before.

They enable you to see nuanced sides of subjects that may have otherwise been implicit or not obvious.

Candid photography can be the most effective away to capture a moment, especially at events like weddings.

As there are typically many people at these events, taking candid photos lets the photographer roam freely around the event, capturing relevant moments that would otherwise be lost.

The difference between candid photography and posed photography

Posing for a photo has its merits. Many people have smartphones with cameras that they can use to pose for group shots and selfies no matter where they are.

But the major problem with a posed photo is its lack of authenticity. Obviously, it’s nice to have a photo where everyone is smiling and looking at the camera, but this moment is planned.

There is often very little room for emotional nuance in a posed photo, and they don’t always make for very powerful memories.

A candid photo is quite literally a snapshot of a very specific, unique time.

The image you capture in a candid photo can never be reproduced. That’s what makes them so special.

You are literally the keeper of the moment. It’s power that is beautiful to behold.

A posed photo, while creating a perfect representation of a moment or an event, is a false fragment in time.

It represents merely a fraction of the range of emotions that humans can experience.

Often, posed photos represent a single emotion: happiness.

But it is crucial to be aware of how intense sorrow, anger, and jubilance really look. That’s what connects us to people, the real emotion that illustrates our similarities.

Once you take the photos, you can choose to manipulate them using various photo tools. Photoshop can be a great way to make you final product look spectacular, especially with people as your subject. 

Try it yourself.

If you live in a major city, go out on the street and take pictures of interesting people and places.

If you are from a suburb, go to the local hangout, business district, or watering hole.

Sharing pictures of people should, of course, be done with their consent.

Connect with your surroundings and be aware of your place.

A candid photographer does not disrupt moments in time, he or she is merely a conscious observer of time.

The art of taking candid photos is very much about the subject in question. You are attempting to capture how they interact with others and their environment when they aren’t aware of the camera.

You should try taking candid photos if you have ever wondered about the nuances that make people complex, interesting and beautiful.

It is those moments of understated beauty that candid photographers seek to represent. There are the real, raw moments that make us human and stay with us forever.