Photographic Tips from an Expert

August 28, 2009 - 5:32 pm

You don’t have to have the latest camera or the flashiest tripod around to take some great family photos. All you need is enthusiasm, the subject matter, and a few tips. Well, we can help you out with the last one. Here’s our top ten guide to getting great family photographs that will capture memories for ever.

10. The great thing about digital cameras is that you can play with settings such as white balance in order to change the feel of your photographs. If the atmosphere that you are capturing seems cold and unfriendly, warm up some of the hues in your image, upping the levels of reds and yellows in order to create a richer quality to the photographs. If you do not want to adjust the settings on your camera, why not experiment with tones in a photo editing software package on the computer?

9. Get yourself a tripod. They really don’t have to be expensive, but make the world of difference to your camera work, especially if you’re going to be taking films too. Tripods also give you the flexibility to use your self timer with ease: no one has to be left out of those family pictures any more.

Tripods are very useful bits of kit. You can even get miniature ones in your local poundstore.

8. Here’s a technique which professional photographers have been using for years for wedding portraits. If you’re standing outside, force the flash on your camera to “on”, as opposed to “automatic”. This ensures that the background gets exposed before the subject, causing the subjects at the front to be illuminated and look subtly brighter.

7. Shade is your friend! In order to avoid the subjects from squinting, position them in shade such as under a tree, and use the tip we suggested above. Not only will your composition be brighter, the subject will also look more attractive without squinting eyes: they’ll thank you for it!

6. Don’t be afraid of close shots. Of course, you should be aware that getting too close to your subject will result in blurry photographs, but sometimes moving in closer can help you get the framing right with your shot. It allows people to relate to the subject more, and also avoid the distraction of over complex backgrounds drawing attention away from your intended subject matter. Remember that you can also adjust the framing of a shot at home in some photo editing software.

5. Consider what the lighting is up to. If you want an active, family oriented photograph then consider trying to get your perfect shot in the sunshine. Watch out for unflattering shadowing and flare in the lens if though. If you want to capture a more poignant atmosphere, then consider taking your shot at dusk or dawn and involving other light sources, such as candlelight. Lighting appears “warmer” later in the afternoon.

4. Always look at your subject at their level. Photographs from above or below can make us seem removed from the situation, especially when photographing children. By getting down to their eye level you can capture their smiles and their gaze, in order to create a more captivating picture.

3. Give your kids the camera. Now that you’ve got so much storage on digital cameras, you can afford to have the odd shot of a finger or the floor. But giving your child the camera allows you to get some interesting pictures from their perspective, giving you unusual and sometimes surprisingly stunning shots.

2. Buy a big memory card. One of the most annoying parts of digital photography is when you find that your memory card is full, so you end up missing the perfect shot. Also, a large memory card will allow you to take photographs at the maximum quality that the camera will allow. This will mean that, if you get a really good shot, you could have it printed as a poster or onto canvas with a service such as myPIX.

1. Keep your eyes open. The best photos are the ones that capture the moment, taking photos of people when they’re at their most relaxed and at ease. Spontaneous shots capture both the subject and the atmosphere, and even some surprise delights in between. Remember the photo of the family and the ground squirrel? Now that’s a photograph to treasure.