This is a great time of year to take pictures. Here are some tips for getting better photos that will preserve your memories of these celebrations.
Of course, it’s not just Christmas, but Hanukkah as well. The Buddhist and Chinese New Year is also near. Eid Al-Fitr and Diwali takes place at the end of the year. Whatever religious holidays you observe or celebrate, there is an opportunity to preserve our memories of them in photographs.
Make your subject look great
We often don’t plan for beautiful photos, but just take a quick snapshot to preserve memories. However, there’s no reason we can’t do the little things to make sure those snapshots are worth looking back on.
Christmas is a special time for children. For many photographers, that’s when they want to capture private family moments not to share with the world but to look back on for years to come. These are not studio shots but intimate documentary shots of your life on a special day. Luckily, there are simple things you can do to make your photos memorable.
There is a long tradition of dressing well on religious holidays. Children and adults look great in portraits when they are well dressed. Even if you are not religious, by dressing up, you are helping to sustain an important cultural festival. Dressing politely not only shows respect for your religion or culture, but it also makes festive days more special and in doing so you’ll see magic reflected in your face. of the children in his photo.
Down with children to take pictures; Portraits often look much better when shot at eye level. Try to position so that the light is reflected into the child’s eyes. Get ready for that moment when their faces suddenly burst with joy.
You should put the camera around so other people can take pictures. Your family also wants to see you in the picture. Furthermore, you can inspire another family member to take a photo. What better gift could you give than that?
Camera and exposure settings
Using a standard kit lens works well, as the focal length in that zoom range is what you need for most of your shots. However, a faster lens works just as well. The affordable “Nifty Fifty” 50mm f/1.8 on full-frame, 35mm f/1.8 and 25mm f/1.8 for Micro Four Thirds perform well. With these settings, I knew I would get great photos when I took out my camera and photographed children opening presents.
Test your camera a few days ago. Make sure the lens is clean, the battery is charged, an empty memory card is inserted, and that you have dialed the necessary settings to take the picture. The last thing you want to do is change the settings on the camera and miss the action. If your camera has a custom mode, you should record the settings there.
There are many ways to position your camera. Children move quickly and those movements can be blurred at slower shutter speeds. Therefore, I prefer to use my camera with aperture priority with auto ISO. I set the minimum shutter speed to at least 250 seconds. Use manual mode if your camera doesn’t allow you to set a minimum shutter speed. Set your shutter speed to 1/250, wide aperture (lowest f-number, e.g. f/3.5 on many kit lenses), and your ISO to auto. If you live further south and you will be shooting in daylight, you need to increase your shutter speed.
If you’re not sure about those settings, there’s no reason you shouldn’t use your camera’s automatic night mode if you’re shooting indoors in low light.
At least some of your photos, if not all, will be taken in low light. If you’re not familiar with it, find out how your camera performs by taking some test shots a few days earlier. Newer cameras give excellent results at high ISOs, but older models can be more limited and produce too much noise. However, the latest AI-based noise reduction does a great job of cleaning up noisy images.
High ISO allows you to take pictures in low light without the need for a flash, and subjects illuminated by the lights of a Christmas tree can look mesmerizing.
Using flash
If you must use flash, remember that it will produce strong light. Light from candles and fairy lights will be lighter in comparison. I try to avoid flash when possible, but sometimes it’s necessary. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to improve the harsh effects of flash. Adding a diffuser will make the light less harsh. This could be a small piece of greaseproof paper pasted in front of the pop-up flash. Years ago, I built my own flash emergency diffuser. I cut and folded a plastic milk bottle; it works fine.
Use of a diffuser may require an increase in exposure compensation for flash output. This setting can be on the flash or camera settings. I usually add +1EV, but this will vary depending on your system. Some great low-light shots can be achieved by combining flash with in-camera exposure reduction.
If you have a hot shoe flash, it may have a tilt or swivel head so it can bounce against a wall or ceiling. Please note that the light intensity of the flash hitting the subject will be reduced and you may have to increase its output accordingly. If possible, attaching an off-camera flash and firing it from a distance, you can also achieve better lighting and avoid red-eye in your photos. Make sure you have enough AA batteries for the flash. Your kids won’t thank you for taking the battery out of their new toy!
Creative camera effects
There are special effects that you can use to enhance your shots. An old trick is to stretch a black sock over 100 der through the lens. It creates soft, dreamy looking portraits. Alternatively, cut a small star or heart into a piece of paper and secure it in front of your lens. Unfocused highlights will appear in the shape. Try with portraits with fairy lights in the background.
Get close to the tinsel or attach it around the lens around the edges of the lens. Use a single focus point to focus on subjects further away. This way the decor will lose focus.
If you’re going to produce a Christmas photo album, shoot close-ups of the tree, decorations, and gifts. They add context to the collection.
Going out on Christmas
Going for a walk is an integral part of many people’s celebrations. However, if it’s winter where you are, you should take some precautions.
First, the air inside your home is relatively warm with high humidity, especially if you’re cooking a festive meal. When you attach your lens, you are trapping moist air inside. Therefore, when you go out in the cold, that water will condense. The inside of the camera may get hot from your hands and electronics, but the glass of the viewfinder or lens will remain cold and water will condense on them. This is especially a problem with weatherproof cameras, where moisture is trapped inside the camera and has no chance of escaping. Try to find a dry, well-ventilated room before installing or changing lenses. Avoid kitchens where cooking is taking place.
Likewise, before you go for a winter walk, it’s a good idea to protect your camera in a plastic bag with a silica gel packet or a pack of kitchen paper towels. Leave it for an hour in a dry room to acclimatize before opening any ports or removing lenses. This helps prevent water vapor condensation that damages electronics from forming inside your camera.
But most importantly, put down the camera and enjoy the day with your family. Photos are great, but the special memories your family wants of you are far more important.
We wish all the best for the season and a peaceful New Year from everyone at Fstoppers.
