Overturned Shopping Cart

Kids are often so intense in their play activity that you can take photos without them even noticing.


Make-believe “king” directs his friendly subjects to pull their makeshift rickshaw, a shopping cart equipped with mattress and rope, until he leans back too far, the cart tumbles over, and they must right it to start over (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
Passing a school playground, I saw three boys playing with a shopping cart. I stopped and watched as they took turns letting one kid climb into the cart and get pulled along by the others. As I pointed my camera, one boy started acting like a king, ordering his subjects to pull him along. The other two boys pulled him extra quickly and extra hard, to get it moving very fast and teach him a lesson. As it raced along and they yanked it again, the cart fell back and the boy playing “king” fell backwards out of the cart. This gave me a funny series of three pictures -- the boy being pulled, the cart tipping as the boy riding in it fell out, and the three boys trying hard to right it. Either the first or last photo alone would be strong by itself, but the series told the most interesting story. I briefly interrupted to tell them I took the pictures and get their names, but they immediately went back to their fun, and my shooting turned out to be a minor interruption. I didn’t stick around to see if the “king” got revenge on his friends later.

3 Tips:
1) Spend enough time watching kids play to see if a great photo opportunity happens.
2) Try taking candid photos without the kids noticing you or interrupting their play.
3) Sometimes a series of photos tells a more compelling story than one single shot.

A Shower of Rice

You can find many great wedding photo opportunities, but one of the best is the newlyweds being celebrated as they exit the ceremony.

Groom and new bride happily exit the church after being married as they are showered with rice and confetti (© Michael Maher).

The Photo:
There are many traditional photographs to take at weddings, but you should create your own original ones, too. From early in the day as the bride and groom get ready, to the actual ceremony, through the reception, there are limitless photo possibilities, but aim for a mix of expected and unexpected pictures. If possible, during the ceremony, you want pictures of the bride and groom exchanging vows and rings, the first kiss after being pronounced man and wife, and any spontaneous reaction or facial expression that occurs. You can also photograph them exiting wherever the ceremony is held, being congratulated by well-wishers, climbing into the limo and waving as they head away. Then there are all the options at the reception. At this wedding in Cape Cod, I took many photos, but one of my favorites was the newlyweds leaving the church, smiling as they are showered with rice and confetti by joyous well-wishers. The situation was ideal – a bright overcast day without harsh sunlight shadows, a perfect alignment of people waiting on both sides of the church entrance, and an unobstructed view of the couple and well-wishers so I could get a clear photo.

3 Tips:
1) At weddings, take a mix of expected/traditional photographs and unexpected ones.
2) Photo opportunities abound -- as the couple gets ready before the service, during the ceremony itself, at the reception festivities, and practically every step in between.
3) To fully capture the happiness of the day, be certain to include the both wedding guests and the newlyweds in your photographs.

Ted Kennedy For President

Photos of politician require props, gestures or spectators to make them interesting.


Ted Kennedy addresses his supporters after winning the 1980 Ma. Democratic presidential primary over President Jimmy Carter (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
Ted Kennedy seemed like a strong candidate for the 1980 Democratic Party presidential nomination, until his candidacy was derailed by a terrible Roger Mudd TV interview and Jimmy Carter’s strategy to remain in the White House during the Iran hostage crisis. On this March evening, he had won the Ma. primary, and I shot many photos of him speaking very animatedly to his followers about his vision for the country. He didn’t interact with the crowd, leaving quickly after he spoke, so I had to settle for the traditional shot, speaking at the podium. When covering politics, it’s essential to get close-up photos of the key people, preferably with compelling gestures or expressions, and Kennedy was at his best that evening, speaking with passion, vision, and confidence to his supporters, while providing animated gestures for all the photographers. I also included his famous nephew and niece, John, Jr. and Caroline, supporting him in the background.

3 Tips:
1) Politicians, because they are famous people, are great subjects for personality pictures.
2) Gestures demonstrate personality traits and make ordinary photos more powerful.
3) Include elements like the podium, other supporters, family and signs to provide more detail and depth.

Me and My Shadow

Shadows enable a whole new dimension of creativity as a photographer decides whether to include the subject, only the shadow, or a mix of both.

Eric Bradbury glides through the air on his tree swing, as his shadow follows his every move (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
When I saw a boy playing on his tree swing, I noticed how the bright sunlight left a clearly defined shadow on the ground under him. To capture the shadow I needed a high vantage point, so I climbed the tree above him and his swing. Now I could shoot down at the shadow and the boy on the swing. I made the shadow the central focus of the photo, with the boy and the swing secondary-- the opposite of a typical photo where the subject is central and the shadow secondary. The image came out wonderfully, and I learned the value of finding unusual ways to employ shadows in pictures. This is an example of a photo where the unusual perspective made people wonder where I was standing when I took the photo.

3 Tips:
1) Using shadows creatively will make unusual photographs.
2) Try making the shadow the primary subject of the picture.
3) Use a high angle for a shadow on the ground, or line the shadow up against a wall background.

Foul Ball

Sometimes a clever caption creates an additional meaning to make a picture more powerful.

Foul ball gets batter right where it hurts during high school baseball game in Pelham, N. H. (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
I wanted an unusual photo of a batter, so practically all I photographed at this high school game were hitters swinging. Close-up photos of baseball batters making contact require a little luck because it’s difficult to precisely time when a hitter’s bat and a pitched ball meet. You’re shooting at shutter speeds of 1/500, 1/1000, or 1/2000 of second, while both the bat and ball can be moving over 100 miles per hour at the moment of impact. Framing the batter’s full body, using a 180MM lens and a 1/1000 shutter speed, I repeatedly tried to time the swing of different batters to capture the ball being hit. The key is to take the picture as the batter begins to swing the bat forward. I already had some strong images of the batter making contact with the ball, when this high schooler hit the ball and fouled it off his protective cup. I timed it just right to get the picture, but what the photo doesn’t show is that it barely grazed him, and he wasn’t hurt at all. He only reacted slightly, mostly in surprise, instead of falling to the ground and needing medical attention as you might expect. When you publish a shot like this, a creative caption helps convey the humor – we eliminated bad ideas like “ball three” – but “foul ball” summed it up.

3 Tips:
1) Always photograph some hitters batting.
2) Time your photo as the batter starts to swing.
3) Use a very fast shutter speed (1/1000 or 1/2000 if possible) to capture both the bat and ball in motion).

Bird in Flight

A pro basketball dunk usually has both a powerful facial expression and acrobatic action, all in one shot.

Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird slams one down at the front end of a fast break during the season opener against Cleveland (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
Larry Bird isn’t normally associated with slam-dunks because his strength was shooting and passing. However, early in his career, he would finish off some Celtic rushes down court with a slam-dunk, albeit not too frequently. This game was the season opener, and Bird was excited to start a year in which the Celtics would contend for (and later win) the championship, so the first time he got a breakaway down court, he dunked to charge up the Boston crowd and his teammates. On this shot, I sat perpendicular to the basket with a longer lens to catch his drive to the hoop and facial expression. Strangely enough, during the years I covered the Celtics, I shot several photos of Bird dunking, and he had his eyes closed like this in every one.

3 Tips:
1) Sitting perpendicular to the basket gives you a great angle to photograph players driving to the hoop.
2) Use an 85MM or 105MM lens and focus on the rim area.
3) Look for shots with players in the air showing intense facial expressions.

First Lady Rosalynn Carter

Avoid harsh lighting effects and instead create a natural look by bouncing your flash's light off the ceiling; then eliminate eye shadows by flaring a little extra light toward the subject’s eyes.

First Lady Rosalynn Carter speaks to a group of supporters in Pelham, N. H. at a campaign visit for her husband Jimmy Carter a few months before the 1980 Granite State Presidential primary (© Michael Maher, The Lowell (Ma.) Sun).

The Photo:
During the 1980 Democratic Presidential primary season, President Jimmy Carter did not go out on the campaign trail, remaining in the White House to concentrate on the Iran hostage crisis. In Carter’s absence, the First Lady repeatedly campaigned for her husband, and on this evening, she was addressing several Democratic supporters at a private home in Pelham, N. H. I arrived about 45 minutes before her, as the Secret Service cordoned off the area. Once inside I met the hosts and was able to help plan where she would be standing for her speech, to ensure the best pictures. The lighting was not sufficient to photograph without a flash, but I didn’t want harsh direct flash shadows, so I planned a bounce flash effect off the ceiling that looked like natural light. I also attached a piece of white paper slightly over the end of my flash to flare some direct light toward her and eliminate shadows under the eyes. I managed several photos of her, all nicely lit, and got a chance to meet and talk with her in this intimate surrounding. It was exciting to meet the First Lady, disappointing that it wasn’t the President himself, but rewarding that I had a natural-looking lighting effect. (Note: the President’s campaign strategy to stay in the White House worked for him in the primary, but not in the general election, when he lost to Ronald Reagan.)

3 Tips:
1) For very famous people with tight security, map out the event and plan your photo in advance.
2) If the light is low, avoid direct flash if at all possible, using bounce flash instead.
3) Famous subjects may be reserved about showing expressions, so watch for gestures to help bring their personality to life.