HAPPY HOLIDAY PHOTO TIPS

With the holidays come photos and I wanted to share a few tips on how to capture great holiday photos. Some of these tips are for those of you who know their camera and some are for those who just have fun with their camera. Either way, have a wonderful holiday and don’t forget to take lots of pictures.

THE CAMERA

A few things to remember before you even take that first shot.( If you’re not sure where to find these settings, dig out your manual, do a quick flip through and get your camera ready. Of course, if you’re not comfortable with all this or don’t have time to check out the settings before hand, stick to your normal settings and get technical after the holidays.)

• Red Eye Reduction – Don’t forget to turn it on.
• Batteries – Have extra batteries available. If you use rechargeable batteries, make sure they’re charged before the big event.
• Memory Cards – Make sure you have plenty of memory for all the photos you want and remember to clear them before the event so they’re ready when you need them.
• ISO Setting – Adjust your ISO setting for faster shutter speeds and fewer blurry shots.
• White Balance – Properly set your white balance setting. If you’re shooting indoors, set to incandescent or indoor lighting. If you shooting outdoors, set for sunny or cloudy days.
• Exposure compensation – This one here is all about snow. If you believe you’ll have a white Christmas and you want photos of everyone playing in the snow, use exposure compensation or a manual exposure to force a stop or two of more light to reach the sensor. Otherwise, your snow will have a blue cast and we all know snow is white.

THE SHOT

Now that your camera’s ready, here are a few hints on how to get the perfect shot.

• Stay Eye Level with Kids – When shooting the kids opening their presents, get down on the floor with them. Get the full feel of the moment. Shooting from above often makes an interesting image, but if you’re just getting the heads, you lost the moment.
• Backgrounds – Beware of cluttered backgrounds. Find an empty area to take semi-formal shots of family and friends or use the Christmas tree as your background.
• Posing – Go natural. Forced posed images can make your subject uneasy. Keep your eyes open for warming embraces, fun family antics and Mom and Dad sitting next to each other on the sofa smiling about having all the kids home again.
• Go Off Center – It isn’t necessary to center your subject in every photo. Try catching bits of the holiday spirit by taking you’re subject off center using the gifts or the tree as a backdrop.
• Fill the Frame – Otherwise known as the close-up.  Whether you’re aiming at people or the decorations, don’t stand so far back so that when you see the photo, you can’t find the subject.
• Lighting – Lighting during the holidays can be tricky. Use as much natural light as possible. Turn on the lamps. Use flash if necessary, but soften the glaring effect either by bouncing the flash off of another surface (ceiling or wall) or use fill flash.
• Don’t Make Them Look – Often times, the best shots are the one’s no one knows you’re taking. Go for candids. When you’re dealing with the opening of presents (especially with children), just shoot. When you have the kids look at you for every shot, you might be disappointed at some of the looks (glares, scowls, funny faces) you get.

THE FUN

And make sure you and your subjects have fun.

• Pass the Camera Around – If you have a high dollar camera and don’t want to do this, grab a point and shoot or disposable camera and leave it on a table with a note for everyone to take photos. Why should you have all the fun?
• The Photo Booth – Create a photo booth or corner where you can gather your subjects for individual or group photos, for crazy shots like a real photo booth or for those who prefer to have a more formal picture from the event.
• The Food – Don’t forget to shoot the food. You’ll want to remember that feast before it’s gone. Also capture shots of serving and eating. You could end up with some fun images. My favorite is the guest whose fork is almost in his mouth and he suddenly sees he’s being photographed.
• The Gifts – Capture a before and after of the gifts; whether they’re under the tree, on a table or in a corner of the room. These are wonderful photos filled with color. And don’t forget to shoot the presenting of gifts and the unwrapping.
• The Decorations – Decorations can make for some fun and artistic shots. This is a great area to fill the frame for close-ups.
• The Group Photo – Don’t forget the group shot. As you’re part of the group, for a group photo you’ll need a tripod and you’ll need to know how to use the timer on your camera (see your manual). Group shots can be formal or fun (or both). Take group shots around the tree, at the table, wherever you want and have fun with posing. If you’re fortunate enough to have a white Christmas, take the group outside and have a blast.

Most important, don't forget to have fun!