Photography Tips 101

Hello again!

Can you believe it's March already?

I sure can't.
Time flies when you're having fun!

And the older you get, the faster it goes!

Whatever happened to long lazy summer days that seemed to stretch on forever?

Well, enough longing for more time...

Here's some tips for you on how to get better family photos from your own camera.

Tip One:
Composition.

Composition can really make a so-so portrait look spectacular. Before you take the photo, take a second to really look at the scene before you. If you squint your eyes, can you see any dominant shapes in the lens?

For example, instead of cramming everyone for a group portrait on the couch, take a look at how you can move them around to make a more interesting composition. Put a few people behind the couch, and at different levels. If you look at them with your eyes squinted, instead of a rectangle of heads all in a row, can you make triangles of groupings with their heads? This will keep the eye moving in the portrait, and will make for a more interesting photo all around.

Try to get in closer or to back up too. Notice what a difference that makes to your portrait. Do you notice faces more or less as you back up or zoom in?

Tip Two:
Clear the clutter.

Make sure the front of the frame is clean.

For example, that same family portrait on the couch. Do you have a bunch of stuff on the coffee table in front of the family? That clutter can be distracting and take away from the portrait. The eye will go to the clutter instead of the people.

Tip Three:
Perspective.

Perspective is everything. Take that same family portrait. Take three shots at the same spot. But instead of taking the second shot at eye level, take it from below. Get down to foot level and shoot upwards. What does that look like? And then take the third from above. Get on a chair or the coffee table - without killing yourself or the furniture! :)

Tip Four:
Color.
Or lack thereof.

Color can make or break your family portrait.

If you are shooting outdoors, take a look at the colors around you. Do you notice flowers more against a green background of bushes, or in a mess of color? If you are looking for one flower in a sea of color, you'll have a difficult time picking it out. But notice how beautifully it stands out if against green grass or trees.

This is the principle you want to think about when taking a portrait - professional or amatuer. If you can, get everyone to wear similar tones and colors in your family portrait. That way, the faces (the beautiful flowers) will stand out. If everyone's wearing something different in style, color and design, the eye has no idea what to focus on. The faces will get lost instead of being the focus of the portrait as they should be.

If you absolutely can't get anyone to wear anything similar, try taking the portrait in black and white. The lack of color will help put the focus back where it should be - on the faces. Make sure with black and white to not have a bunch of distractions in the photo around the faces though. (See tip two on 'clear the clutter.')

Of course, the best way to capture the special moments in your family's lives are with a professional photographer. A good photographer will help you not only with all the design elements, but with making everyone look and feel their best.

Well, that's a start, look for more tips to come!

Happy portrait taking!
:)