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Be Ready
o Remember to take your camera!
o Always have two sets of batteries charged
o Take the charger!
o Keep media cleared
o Take a tripod so you can be in the picture
o Read the manual and practice ahead!
o Let everyone know that’s your job so they don't expect you to cook too!
Compose Creatively
o Off center your main subject
o Move in close
o Make sure you know what your picture is about
o Go macro and get the smaller things
Flash
o Use it outdoors
o Turn it off indoors if possible
o Bounce external flash off the ceiling
o 8 – 10 feet on digital, 15 feet on film cameras
Snow scenes
o Open up the exposure 1 or 2 stops
OR
o Use a preset ‘Snow’ setting
Photographing Holiday Lights
o Best before it actually gets dark - twilight
o After dark, you get good lights, or good surrounding exposure – not both
o In daylight – lights don’t show up at all
o Include as much sky as possible
o Set white balance for tungsten
o Try to find a reflective surface for interest
o Use a tripod
o Shoot every minute or so
o Turn off the camera and enjoy the view!
People
o Get shots of individuals doing something festive
o Avoid busy distracting backgrounds
o Get expressions and activities
o Ask them to raise their chins and turn slightly to the side for the most flattering angles
Capture Preparations
o Food prep
o Putting up decorations
o Wrapping gifts
o Kids getting dressed in holiday outfits
o Setting the table
o Get ‘After’ shots too
Gift opening shots
o Use burst mode - takes several shots in a row while holding the shutter button down
o Remember to shoot the giver too
Group Shot Challenges
o People looking different directions
o Blinking
o Someone missing
o Different moods
o Group too far away or not all fitting into the shot
Group Shot Solutions
o Scope out location ahead
Good light
No distractions in the background
Avoid window or mirror behind them
o Plan ahead for what groupings you want
o Take group shots early in the event
o Take several shots
o Take the shot from several angles – try up high
o Try turning off the flash, turning on the lights
o Try getting the same shot year after year
o Taller folks in the back
o Heads together
o Event focal person or people in the middle
o Remind subjects ‘If you can see the camera, it can see you’
o Smile! A smiling, relaxed photographer helps get smiling, relaxed subjects
Too fun
o Load pictures from past years onto a DVD and show on the TV
o Hook your camera up to the TV and show this years shots
o Let others have fun with disposable cameras
o Set up the camera on a tripod in a Do It Yourself photo booth
After the shoot
o Save in two places
o Organize by year, then by event
o Pick your favorites and edit them
o Share them as prints, via email or on the web
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