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July 29, 2010

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Heh, it’s me. I’m behind the camera.

And it’s been that way since I was in sixth grade, 32 years ago. Every family has a designated photographer, one person who seems to take the lead and record the family reunions, the events and of course, the holidays.

According to a recent study from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), 77 percent of American households now own at least one digital camera.

In 2007, Canon manufactured 2.2 million cameras. Nikon expects to ship a total of 3.3 million units in the 2009 fiscal year. With all these digital cameras out there, you might think there are galleries of great pictures being taken. However, if you’ve ever sat through the family slide show, you know not every photograph is a winner, or even interesting. As the holidays are just around the corner I’m going to suggest a few tips that might make you a master holiday photographer. Or, at the very least, a better picture-taker.

• Buy the right camera

If you already own a digital camera, keep the one you have. If you don’t, make your selection carefully. The biggest mistake consumers make is to buy a camera with too many features. If it’s too complicated, chances are your fear might keep it in the box. Purchase a camera you are comfortable with. There are plenty of quality point and shoots. The point and shoot is the most basic of all cameras. It allows you to shoot without being encumbered by having to choose settings.

• Learn the fundamentals

There are three basic exposure settings when working any camera — aperture, shutter speed and film speed, most likely labeled ISO setting on your camera. Learning about these functions can help you improve your technique. If learning the converse relationship of shutter and aperture and the basics of film speed isn’t your thing, however, you can still make great memories with today’s point and shoot cameras.

Setting your camera on any one of the scene settings that match your picture taking needs will do what years of technical training does for the professional. Well-composed, well-cropped and great expressions still make the best images despite all the technical jargon. (Important note: the “A” setting on your camera is not automatic, it is aperture priority. “P,” which stands for program, is your automatic setting.)

• Taking aim at the children

Whether it’s Christmas morning at the house or Christmas Eve at Grandma’s, you’ll want to capture your memories of the kids. How do you get great kid shots? The answer is simple: get down on their level. Almost any picture of children is better if you’re looking them in the eyes. As they are unwrapping gifts, get down on the floor. The tops of children’s heads are never as interesting as the look of surprise in their eyes.

Abandon the shoulder-to-shoulder posed shot. Instead, offer your children direction. Pose them peeking around the corner, or over a present. Have fun and let go of the boring old ideas that really don’t make good images. Candid photography is almost always more exciting, for them and for you.

It won’t cost any more to shoot 20 images as it does to take two. So if you have a digital camera, go crazy and shoot away. The more you shoot, the better chance you have of getting that award-winning shot. However, before you head to the processor to print your images, edit carefully. Why spend the money to have 100 images printed when only five are suitable for framing?

• Oh Christmas Tree

Have you ever sat in your living room at night and stared at your Christmas tree, watching the magical glow that only a strand of Christmas colored lights can produce? You pull out your camera, poof, a large white flash later and you have an image of your tree minus the soft warm glow. There’s a way to capture that magic, and it only takes a little knowledge and one important accessory.

Whether you are using a professional level SLR or a camera phone, the tripod can be your friend. Invest in a tripod for the holidays. At no other time of the year does any camera accessory become more valuable.

Step one, learn how to turn off your flash. The flash can be turned off on almost any camera. Attach your camera to the tripod, turn off your flash and take aim. These same instructions apply to shooting your outdoor lights. A tripod is almost an absolute necessity. Don’t have a tripod? Just have to get the lights at the David Traylor Zoo in Emporia? Then rest your camera on a small beanbag, your purse, a fence post, even the ground. Remember, turn off the flash, set your camera on a tripod and take great pictures of Christmas displays.

• Get closer, closer still

Ideally, filling the frame with a face makes the best images. Most family photographers stand back and shoot, background, head to toe shots of the family. Everyone already knows what your toes look like, zoom in on those expressions. Most cameras have at least a 3x optical zoom. Use it to get closer. As a rule avoid digital zoom.

• Shoot, shoot, shoot!

Photography remains one of the most popular hobbies in the world. Digital photography has long since surpassed film photography in popularity. While there still remain drawbacks to the digital age, there are some wonderful advantages as well. The most obvious is the ability to see your image instantly. Don’t be afraid to check your screen and if you don’t have what you want, re-shoot.

Now, I do have one piece of important advice for all those folks out there without viewfinders. The viewfinder is that little hole you used to put your eye up to to take a picture. Today the LCD screen has eclipsed the viewfinder as the primary way to get your snapshot. However, those LCD screens consume battery life. It is often a good idea to invest in a larger memory card for shooting and download to a computer to view your images. This will certainly save you a bundle on batteries.

So, are you ready to capture those magical holiday memories?

Remember, your camera’s manual can be a great tool if you want to learn all of its functions. If not, then set your camera on “P” for program. Do learn how to turn off the flash, increase the ISO rating to shoot in available light, and invest in a good tripod for outdoor lights. And this year, skip the posed shots for candid or directed scenes that make the images much more interesting to show and view.

Finally, have fun. And remember, for all you budding master photographers, the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year.

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