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TIPS FOR TAKING BETTER PHOTOS |
GENERAL TIPS TO TAKE GREAT PHOTOS
- Natural light can be your greatest tool in taking fabulous photographs.
An overcast day produces soft flattering light, while bright sunlight may
cause your subjects to squint and fall into sharp shadows. Get outdoors
if you can, if you can't, find a bright spot in your home without direct
sunlight.
- Turn off the flash! Avoid red-eye by shooting during the day in an
area with natural light.
- Watch where the light falls. You don't want shadows to fall across
your subject's face. Place a mirror or piece of white cardboard just
outside of the camera viewfinder to reflect light into the shadows.
- Get close. Don't take the photos from across the room.
- Choose a simple background. Clutter or busy patterns will draw
attention away from your subject. Sometimes moving yourself or your
camera just a foot or two either way can simplify the background.
- Set your camera to the highest quality setting.
- Shoot in 100 or 200 ASA. Shooting any faster can mottle skin tones.
PHOTOGRAPHING BABIES
- The best baby photographs are taken when baby is well rested, well fed and
has a dry bottom! Attempting to shoot baby when she is tired or cranky
can be both frustrating and disappointing.
- Have the gear ready before you put baby in position. Check the lens
for dust, battery is charged, room on memory card for several photos, props
handy, distractions ready to sooth baby, clothing for costume changes, towels
for little drools and other spills. Is the room warm enough to remove
baby's clothing for a few moments?
- Soft pastel colours work best for baby's clothing and background. No
cute blankets busy with teddy bears - but the background should be a different
colour than the baby's clothing.
- Try placing the baby on a dark solid fabric draped over the sofa or across
the floor. Bare skin against a solid black background with soft natural
light is absolutely gorgeous.
- The most important part of photographing a baby is having a soft natural
light. Turn off the flash, and place the baby in indirect light coming
through a window. Now that that's said, direct rays of sunlight will
cast harsh shadows and you should wait for the sun to move, or move your shoot
near a window with indirect sun.
- Get natural! The baby can't pose, but she'll yawn, frown, suck her
thumb, and do the things she knows how to do. Capture these precious
little moments.
- Don't forget to capture the baby sleeping!
- Get close! Fill the frame or viewfinder with the baby. Shoot
from different angles. Come down to the baby's level.
- Don't forget the little digits. Those tiny fingers and toes are too
precious not to capture.
- Take photographs with other siblings.
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