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        New Message Board Archives >> 2007 General Board Posts >> say cheeese!   photography question
        
(Message started by: PollyPocket on Dec 12^th, 2007, 5:39pm)

Title: say cheeese! photography question
Post by PollyPocket on Dec 12^th, 2007, 5:39pm

I am a complete lamer when it comes to taking pics of people and we're going to be snapping some christmas photos soon.

Some of you are amazing with cameras and could probably help me with this. What is the best way to take good "posed" family pics? How to light the subject? Flash or no flash? Overhead light or indirect? Any tips would be appreciated.

Title: Re: say cheeese! photography question
Post by Jonny on Dec 12^th, 2007, 5:44pm

Place the family where there will be no bright lights behind them.

Delta?....Your turn! ;;D

Title: Re: say cheeese! photography question
Post by purpleydog on Dec 12^th, 2007, 5:50pm

Jen,
Since you will probably be inside, you should use a flash, with whatever lighting you have in the room. You don't need to turn on every light, just leave on what you have.

Try to get everyone to relax for a group shot, see if you can make them laugh. Also, I catch people when they are talking to other people, they are concentrating on the other person, and don't usually notice me, and you can get some really good shots that way. Also, if you are getting a couple of people, wife and husband for example, you don't necessarily need them to pose, if you can catch them sitting or standing together, while looking at something else. These kinds of shots make for nice relaxed framable pics, at least for me.

Also, close ups are good.. head shots, or shoulders and heads work well.

Just carry your camera around with you, and soon people will forget you have it.

Also, outside light is the best when it is overcast, or at dawn, or at dusk. Colors are more pronounced, and things have a better quality to them. Check it out next time it rains in the spring, or is cloudy.

Anyway, I hope this helps. I used to play around with my Nikon 35mm years ago, and supported my camera habit by selling my pictures.

Have fun!

Title: Re: say cheeese! photography question
Post by deltadarlin on Dec 12^th, 2007, 7:34pm

Sorry Jen, I don't take pictures of people that often. Chris gave you some excellent advice.

Also, what kind of camera will you be using?

Here is a website that you might want to look at.

http://photography.getitdone.biz/photographing-people.html

Title: Re: say cheeese! photography question
Post by Melissa on Dec 12^th, 2007, 7:43pm

Natural light is always best, but if it's too dark, use the flash. What kind of camera will you be using? I have a Sony and it has a setting for Slow Synchro flash that works well for gathering as much light as possible into the lens in order to illuminate the subjects, but then you have to deal with some blurring if your camera has no image stabilization.

Anyway! Overhead light will dim their faces, so indirect light works better.

What I normally do for posed pics is I turn on as many lights in the room as possible and turn the flash off. If you need more close up pics, move the camera closer to your subjects. Many people make the mistake of putting the camera back too far and then using the zoom.

If I think of other stuff I'll let ya know, right now I gotta take Lily to karate. :)

Title: Re: say cheeese! photography question
Post by Charlie on Dec 12^th, 2007, 10:40pm

Quote:

Also, close ups are good.. head shots, or shoulders and heads work well.

This is great advice. Closeups are memorable and overhead, bounce, or other non-direct lighting is good. Try several ideas and good luck.

Charlie

Title: Re: say cheeese! photography question
Post by AussieBrian on Dec 13^th, 2007, 12:29am

For posed shots, particularly groups, stand behind the cameraman and start taking pictures a second or two after his flash goes off.

Title: Re: say cheeese! photography question
Post by sandie99 on Dec 13^th, 2007, 2:45am

If you have a digital camera, then you can check if you like the pic and take few more just in case if you didn't. :)

I try to take few snaps every Christmas, but back in our house it's a challenge, because a) lights are dim, b) people move all the time and c) most of them do not want to be photographed... ::) ;)

Sanna

Title: Re: say cheeese! photography question
Post by barry_sword on Dec 13^th, 2007, 6:40am

I am not much help with this one as I am still a rookie with a camera. When I bought my camera I asked the clerk for a PHD (push here dummy) camera but wish I knew more about photography but am learning. ;;D

The beauty of digital is that I can take tons of pics then delete all the bad ones!!! [smiley=laugh.gif]

Best of luck Jen.

Title: Re: say cheeese! photography question
Post by Monty on Dec 13^th, 2007, 12:08pm

I get best results with an external slave flash bounced off the ceiling or a wall or with a diffuser.

For about $15 or $20, you can get a little cube called an optical slave. This goes on the bottom of a cheap flash (from a pawn shop or flea market), and when the little flash on your camera goes off, the slave cube sees it and triggers the attached flash to fire. This occurs really fast (1/10,000 of a second or something ridiculous like that) so the slave flash fires while the camera is taking the picture.

You can also put some tape over the on-camera flash to soften that or reduce red-eye if you want to. The one problem that some people have is that their point and shoot camera has a pre-flash, and this can trick the slave into firing.

Experiment with the external flash - you can sit it on a table, hold it in your left hand while you take a picture with your right hand, etc etc.

Although this is not quite as good as the umbrella lights that a pro uses, you can really improve photos without spending a lot.

Here's another explanation with pictures:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/ms-1.html

Title: Re: say cheeese! photography question
Post by PollyPocket on Dec 14^th, 2007, 1:01pm

Great suggestions! Thanks so much. I think we'll do some pre-pics to check different lighting and see what looks best

Title: Re: say cheeese! photography question
Post by echo on Dec 14^th, 2007, 2:06pm

on 12/12/07 at 17:39:05, PollyPocket wrote:

Any tips would be appreciated.

Remove the lens cap.

Hope this helps.