With Christmas fast approaching many of us will be preparing to dust off our cameras for a happy holiday season of snapping family and friends.
Here are a few basic tips to help you get the best out of your holiday snaps.
Framing
The most common mistakes people make when taking photos is not framing the subjects in the best manner. Many people take photos by centering the subjects face in the middle of the view finder. This leaves a lot of dead space in the frame and potentially leaves out important details.Another common mistake is to take the shot from too far away. Unless you are trying to capture a view or object in the background doing this will also leave a lot of dead space in the frame or unwanted objects.
When framing your shot the subject should take up roughly one third of the frame. This allows plenty of room for you to capture background action but also means that your subject will be clearly visible. Aesthetically it is better to have your subject slightly off center also. The center of the view finder should sit roughly around the shoulder height of your subject.
If shooting in portrait center the view finder around the chest height of your subject and slightly to the side.
The next thing that is important is to check the background of what you are shooting. A quick look around is important. Avoid backgrounds that have clutter which distract from your subject.I have seen many photos of people with poles seemingly growing out of their heads
Lighting
Try to avoid shooting your subject with strong or harsh lighting above or to the side of your subject. This will result in harsh shadows or contrast in the shot. You can use a flash to help reduce this but the easiest thing to do is move to a shaded area like under a tree to take your photo.
Lastly avoid taking photos with strong light directly behind your subject. This is especially important when taking photos indoors in front of windows where the light outside is much stronger than the light inside.
Using a flash will solve this, but this is where it gets tricky. If you are having trouble getting your flash to fire ( possibly because the camera is reading the light in the background) then a quick trick you can use is to point the camera at your subjects feet (this is the best spot to minimize going out of focus). Half depress the shutter button. The camera will read the light in the room then while keeping your finger on the button reframe your shot and fully press down taking the shot.
Whatever happens, have fun. Taking photos is a great way of collecting memories for the future.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas everyone.