As the holidays are quickly approaching, I thought it might be helpful to provide a few photography tips!
- Think about the memories, activities, and traditions that make the holidays special for you. Photograph those things, not just a group photo. It’s not necessarily the posed photos that will matter the most to you later. Get the spontaneous in-the-moment shots!
- Get close. Sometimes if you shoot from too far away, the image will be too impersonal. You’ll want to see smiling faces and special memories up close. Plus, as you get closer, you will be more likely interacting with the person(s) you are photographing and will more likely get genuine smiles.
- Go low. If you photograph kids, photograph them from down at their level. Rather than standing up and looking down on them, get down on the floor with them!
- Pets are family too! Be sure you include photos of your furry family members!
- Photograph the preparation phases as well.: the setting up the tree, the meal cooking, and all the other parts of the holiday experiences.
- Make sure your battery is charged and have a spare!! Also spare memory cards will help ensure you don’t miss out on those special moments.
- If your photos are turning out too yellow in your living room, find your camera’s White Balance setting and switch from Auto White Balance over to the Tungsten or Incandescent (light bulb) setting. Just remember to switch it back to Auto White Balance the rest of the time!
- Use a higher ISO or Auto ISO for handheld shots, to ensure you don’t get blurry images due to hand movement.
- If you are photographing Christmas lights or a decorated tree, try shooting with a tripod, and shift the aperture to a higher f/stop like f/16 or f/22. You’ll see the lights have a starburst effect which can be nice.
- Using a flash often produces harsh unflattering light. If you own a flash that mounts on top of your camera, point the flash toward the ceiling or a wall to bounce the light. It will be softer and way more pleasing and natural looking.
- Sometimes the best camera might actually be your iPhone / smartphone for some of your photos. Your smart phone camera is more likely to be with you at all times. If you don’t have your camera with you at that special moment you want to remember, you won’t get the shot.
What’s important is not really whether you get the “technically perfect” shot, even though that is a good goal to shoot for. More than the technical stuff, what will really matter most to you later on are the memories. The photos will help you remember the stories as memories fade.
I wish you very happy and blessed holidays.
Kevin
By the way, my photography classes and private instruction can be given as GIFTS! This might be the perfect gift for that photographer in your life (or maybe that’s YOU)!
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE CURRENTLY OFFERED CLASSES
P.S. My book has more tips for creating better photographs! It’s available on Amazon in print and as a Kindle book.
