How can I take better pictures of people? The four keys to taking better pictures are to focus on the face, choose the right lens, find the right lighting, and make your subject comfortable. 1. Focus on the face People can make the best and most fascinating subjects of photographs. The mistake amateur photographers most frequently make in photographing a person is to try to shoot the whole person, head to toe. Instead, focus on the face. The eyes and mouth are the most important features. Start there and work out until you have just enough to represent the individual. (Do the same for more than one person.) Crop tightly, and don't be afraid to overflow the frame with the person's face. And, when photographing children, crouch down so that you're shooting at their eye level. 2. Choose the right lens Use a 135mm lens, which photographers call the people lens, or another long lens. (A wide-angle lens distorts the face, although it can be effective for large groups.) Find a simple, mid-toned background for your "model" and use a wide aperture to throw the background out of focus. I like to use tree leaves or a wall as a background and a 200mm lens set to f2.8. Center the eyes in the shot to provide balance. 3. Find the right lighting A standard lighting technique is to position yourself so the sun is behind you and to one side. This will allow the sun to shine light on your subject's face, while the slight angle will produce shadows to illuminate form. Another approach is to put your subject in a shady area with a shadowed background. (Unlike the human eye, photographic film can't easily handle the bright areas and dark shadows of direct sunlight.) Overcast days are usually best for portraits. Use the flash ("fill-flash" or "daylight flash") to add light to the face and fill in shadows. 4. Make your subject comfortable If possible, set up your camera ahead of time rather than making your subject wait. Help your subject relax by chatting with them; they'll laugh or smile naturally. (This article is reprinted from Postcards Magazine.)