OK, so you don't have a photographer's eye, and after the holidays, you end up with more pictures of your thumb than you'd care to admit. Sadly, hiring a professional to photograph every little moment in your family's life is just not practical or affordable. The good news is you can improve – you just need a crash course in digital photography to get your family's scrapbook (well, photo box) started.
To help you avoid amateur mistakes and take pictures you'll actually want to show, here are some tips from The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby, and the experts at Panasonic.
1. Know your camera
First, you've gotta know what your camera can do. Read the manual. You'll be surprised how much it can do (check out features like red-eye reduction flashes, timers, lighting options, etc.).
2. Pick a focal point
When shooting a single subject, the best place to set your camera focus is the eyes, writes Kelby. If you are taking a group photo with people standing in rows, he recommends focusing on the eyes of the people in the first row. It's important to make sure you are at the same level as the people you are shooting, so squat if you're framing a group of kids.
3. Avoid blinks
"When you're ready to shoot the shot, have everybody close their eyes, and then on the count of three have them all open their eyes and smile. Then, wait one more count before you take your shot," explains Kelby.
4. Reduce red eye
To avoid photo-ruining red eye:
- turn on more lights
- use your camera's red-eye reduction mode
- ask your subject to look slightly away from the lens
- move closer to your subject
5. Keep it steady
Obviously, using a tripod is the most fool-proof way to avoid blurry shots, but when you are catching candid moments through out the holidays that just doesn't work. Instead, try these tricks:
- tie your camera strap tightly around your arm, helping to make your camera more stable in your hand
- lean against a wall to steady yourself
- create a makeshift tripod using a table or shelf
6. Light it right
With all of the different lighting levels used to create atmosphere during the holidays (tree lights, candles, etc.) it can be difficult to avoid over- and under-exposure. Rather than using your flash to compensate for dark lighting when shooting indoors, try turning on an overhead light to brighten the room slightly. This won't ruin the beauty of candle and tree lights. You can also increase your digital film speed (ISO) to compensate for low-lighting, but you must remember reset the speed afterwards.
7. Edit, edit, edit
Get in the habit of editing your pictures as you go. If you get rid of poor shots right away, you'll have more room on your memory card for great shots.
8. Buy multiple memory cards
Another valuable piece of advice, rather than splurge on a large 8G memory card, buy a few smaller ones. This way if a card gets damaged or erased you haven't lost all of your photos.
9. Setting the right image size
The most important factor to consider for image quality is megapixels. If you are shooting for standard 4 x 6 or 5 x 7 images using 3.5 to 5.5 megapixels should be more than enough to yield good-quality photos.
