Bring Holiday Cheer to Friends and Family with our Holiday Picture-Taking Guide

snowmenHow many times do children say, “Why can’t EVERY day be a holiday?” Though there’s not much anyone can do about extending the day itself, pictures offer a wonderful opportunity to keep memories of the holidays alive for the rest of the year. Save that memory and share it with your friends and family by sending christmas photo cards this year. This season, remember these tips and you’ll be sure to have the perfect photos to remember those special moments.

Practice makes perfect

Take the time to capture a few pictures before the holiday action begins. This will allow you to familiarizeksnowbaby yourself with your camera, resulting in better pictures for your Photo Christmas Cards.

Start early

The holiday season starts long before December. Begin to chronicle this time on the first shopping trip or when the family goes to buy a tree. Also, remember to get those great shots after the festivities are over. Photos of wrapping paper strewn on the floors help recreate the mood of the holidays.

Go out in the cold

Don’t expect great moments to come to you — go out looking for them. If it’s cold, don’t forget to put on a hat and gloves and go outside. To capture action-packed sleigh rides and snowball fights on a sunny day, use 100 or 200 speed film. For cloudier days, try a faster speed film.

Watch the background

A beautiful picture can become unintentionally funny if the background is wrong. When you get the photo set up, take a last look through the viewfinder to make sure you’ve considered the background as well as the subject(s). Otherwise, you might end up with an ornament or tree branch “growing” out of Aunt Becky’s head.

Stop at the red

Everyone knows that red means stop, so this holiday be sure to follow a few easy steps to reduce red eye. Before you take the picture, turn on the lights in a room, and consider posing your subject so they are lit by daylight at a window or door. Or, use a camera that has a flip-up flash feature or a pre-flash feature.

Elbow in for that shot

You may value elbow room at the dining table, but be sure to keep family members close when you’re photographing them. A distance between four and six feet is considered optimal.

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