Christmas Photo Tips, Part 2

Ok…so mom’s found her camera (part 1), charged the batteries and cleared out the memory card. Now what? Here are a few things that’ll help you snap a few more keepers than you did last year. Ready?

1. Get Close
2. No More Blur
3. Just Pay Attention
4. Be Snap Happy

Get Close-
My professors always preached “Zoom with your feet, not your lens”, and they’re pretty smart folks. By just walking closer to whoever you’re shooting, I promise that you’ll get better shots.  Also, when shooting people standing in front of a Christmas Tree, promise me something.  YOU WILL NOT SHOW THE TOP OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE. Trust me, the last thing you’ll care about in 5 years is seeing what’s on the top of the dang tree.

No More Blur-
There’s nothing worse than wasting your time taking blurry pictures.  Sadly, most people just keep on taking them anyway, thinking there’s nothing they can do about it.

• Turn on more lights! The whole reason for blurriness is lack of lighting. If it’s an option, flip the switch on a few extras. Even better, take some group shots outside.
• Become good friends with the “Night Portrait Mode” or “Slow Flash” or whatever your camera calls it. This is a perfect mode for taking pictures of people standing in front of candles or Christmas lights. The only trick is, you need to make sure that the people don’t move until a good 2 seconds after the flash flashes. You’ll also need to keep the camera as steady as possible, so…
• Get a tripod, or put the camera on a chair/table/stool/etc. You’ll have a rock steady shot that’ll be worth hanging on the wall.
• I almost forgot…use the self-timer! Remember how mom would always accidentally use the self timer & we’d be standing there laughing because she couldn’t figure out what was happening? Turns out, she may have known what she was doing all along. By using the self-timer, (and several cameras have a 2-second timer now…) you don’t have to push down on any buttons while the picture is being taken, and you can just concentrate on keeping it steady. The camera shake caused by pressing the button could mean the difference between sending the picture to the printer or the ‘recycle bin’.

Pay Attention-

• How many pictures have been ruined because of a bright flash in the window or mirror in the background? Easily avoid by taking it at an angle.
• Keep an eye on your battery & memory capacity. You don’t want to miss a really good shot because you’re trying to quickly delete old pictures. You could even buy an extra memory card…they’re super-cheap these days.

Get Snap Happy!
The first time that I ever went overseas I took fewer than 10 pictures. Seriously. You know what memories stand out from that trip to Scotland in 8th grade? I remember the group shot that happens to be on my dresser at home, and I remember wishing that I’d taken more pictures. Fast forward a few years, and last Summer in Ireland I took around 2,000. If I get 20 really good pictures out of 100 then I’m happy. If only I knew which 20 those would be…

• Digital pics are cheap. Get a good memory card, & you’ll be able to snap away a few hundred times without thinking about it.
• Make it a point to take a closeup of everyone there. I can promise you won’t regret it.
• Random pictures like burned biscuits bring back all kinds of memories…
• Don’t just take pictures during the usual ‘group photo’ time–take them all day long. Take as many candids as you can!

Hope this helps! Comment with your favorite tips if you’d like…