Holiday Photos

The holiday season is a great time of the year to take pictures of family and friends… whether its grandpa sleeping off the effects of tryptophan from the 2nd helping of turkey, or little Johnny sneaking into the kitchen to steal a deviled egg before dinner, there is an abundance of photographic opportunities to capture.

Below I have listed a few things to keep in mind while you are at the family gatherings…

Capture everything from a different POV

Since it’s a festive time of year and people will be surrounded with food, snacks, presents etc. oh ya, and that perfectly cooked turkey, you might want to your focus on people instead. If it is slightly higher or lower than the eye level, something that offers a different POV, well IMO, that is a perfect shot.

Compose in the camera

The main subject should be framed properly in the viewfinder. Make sure that the background is not too distracting or there is nothing behind that might ruin the entire picture… something like a bright window, or your favorite uncle is giving you the finger.

Remember your rule of thirds when composing and check your light meter to ensure proper exposure.

Get a Little creative

You are the director of this event, and people like to have their photo taken for the most part… so pose them, direct them into positions… the end result will be far better than just snapping off a few hundred photos… trust me… been there, bought the t-shirt…. It could be as simple as offering a suggestion on what you want to be captured in the pictures.

On the flip side, yes I am speaking out of both sides of my mouth… LOL… you can also take pictures while people are caught unaware you are photographing them… wait… anticipate the moment, then throw off a few frames of your aunt drinking straight out of the gravy bowl before she washes it out.

Lighting The Scene

The celebration is usually indoors so if the room is too dark or if the lighting is too low, put on as many light sources as possible. You can customize the white balance setting so it will match with the main source of light. You can also adjust the digital camera sensitivity mode to get bright and clear shots of the subjects and events. But if you think that the daylight would suffice, open up all the windows and let the sunshine in.

Or, pop open the built in flash or throw on the flash and light the scene using organic lighting and flash lighting…

Best of all… don’t be a camera snob… Include yourself in some images…
All cameras have a delay… and you might own a remote trigger… Nothing is stopping you from setting up the camera on a tripod or on the counter, focusing, framing and running over and posing in a photo or two… show those pearly whites or chase the kids…

Photography is all about capturing the moment… and it’s a festive time of year… go and create images that family members will laugh about for generations to come… just like that old black and white of crazy Uncle Fred wearing a suit with a hula hoop twirling around his waist…