Don’t Say “CHEESE!” (and other tips)

Posted on September 28, 2010 by bob in Features

Local photographers share shooting tips and tibbits. (L-R) Luke Lucas, Jackie Lucas, David Robertson, Sr., Heath Stone, David Robertson, Jr. Not pictured, Josh Moates. (Studio set-up courtesy Photography by the Robertsons.)

by Lenore Vickrey

Between Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, all within the next three months, the opportunities for taking some memorable family photographs – or some pretty mediocre ones — abound. What’s the difference between a good photo and a great one? Prime Montgomery talked to a few of the talented photographers in our area to get tips on how to make the most of your photographs, especially at holiday times and while on vacation.

Halloween
For Halloween pictures, Josh Moates of Kim Box Photography suggests taking the obligatory photo of children in their costumes (head to toe), but then try a few different angles. “Follow them up to the house and snap some candid shots, from down low and maybe off to the side,” he said. “Snap some of them walking away when they don’t know you’re watching them.

“Snap some when you get home and they have the candy scattered all over the floor. Snap the costumes before they put them on and when they’re getting dressed. It’s always funny to see kids fumbling with their new mask!”

The secret to taking the best photos of children, not just at Halloween, is to “get down on their level,” says David Robertson, Jr., of Photography by the Robertson’s. Don’t be afraid of kneeling down, or just getting on the floor to get at a child’s eye level.

What’s even better is while you’re taking the photo, ask an “assistant” (maybe an older child) to get younger children to laugh, says Robertson. “I get my secretary to blow bubbles,” adds David Robertson, Sr. Generally, children are good for only about three shots in three seconds.

Candid family photos: "Just say ignore me. I'm not here." (Photo courtesy Jackie and Luke Lucas, Little Acorn Photography)

Thanksgiving, Christmas and other times for family gatherings
“A combination of posed and candid shots is the way to go,” says Jackie Lucas of Little Acorn Photography. You’ll want to take the posed family group photo, but you’ll also want to capture folks just being themselves. That could be cousins playing in the yard, grandma cooking, or your uncle dozing in the recliner after a big dinner. If you’re usually the family member with the camera, be prepared for any shot, any time.

“Just say, ‘Ignore me. I’m not here. Then it’s a matter of coming back and getting your shots,” says Jackie. “With children, you can let them do whatever they want. You can talk to them about school, things they like to do.” Then you can frame up the shot while you pull away from the camera and keep talking to your subject.

Her husband Luke, who also shoots for the family business, agrees the key to taking great candids is to do it when people don’t realize you’re there. “Otherwise, they stiffen up,” he says. “The minute you tell a child to smile, they usually don’t.”

For group shots, don’t ask everyone to look at the camera and say “cheese!” Saying the word forces the mouth into a fake grin. A better approach: “Inject a little humor so their defenses drop,” says Luke. “When you’re with your family, you know what your family’s been talking about. Talk about something that happened earlier that was funny. Try to mess with them.”

For children, it’s easy to get little boys to laugh if you use “gross-out” humor. “Daddy has stinky feet,” is usually a winner, according to Jackie. And most folks will laugh if you say something about the person next to them.
Josh Moates tries to get his subjects to relax through laughter as well. “I see my aunt and uncle standing there and I walk up and say, “Hey, you guys. Get close, real close, act like you love each other just for this picture.” They get kind of close, then I say something like, “Honeymoon close!” They perk up, and then I say, “Aunt Diane, grab George’s butt!” They start to laugh and this whole time, I’m snapping away, so I get the big laughs and the real smiles!”

How best to get the whole family together for a shot
Get off the couch, says Jackie. “It’s not a flattering position because the hips go down and the knees go up. It looks completely ridiculous.”  A better way: move the dining room chairs out and seat people in them. Use stools if available. Try to create an oval shape, which is pleasing to the eye. Tall people don’t have to necessarily be in the back, but put people in a variety of poses, including sitting, kneeling and standing.

“Use flattering angles,” she suggests, such as having people turn at a 45-degree angle rather than facing directly at the camera. “It’s the difference between a portrait and a mug shot.”

The 'Golden Hour', front porch, late afternoon sun. (Photo courtesy Heath Stone, Stone Images Photography)

If you’re shooting outside, try to get that family shot at the “golden hour of the day,” suggests David Robertson, Jr. That’s 30 minutes before the sun sets, when the fading sunlight bathes everything in a warm glow.

Heath Stone of Stone Images Photography in Montgomery says holidays are a great time to get your family to dress up in matching shirts or outfits that “can take an image from drab to nice.” He also warns to “watch your backgrounds” because “you don’t want to have trees or poles coming out of someone’s head.” Choose shaded areas as opposed to sunlight, which can cause subjects to squint or your photo to have harsh shadows.

If you are around your grandchildren on Christmas morning, David Robertson, Jr. suggests putting your video camera on a tripod and letting it record the activities. That way you can get involved and not have to worry with the camera.

Rather than posing a child, or anyone, merely holding up a present, get them actually playing with the toy, or wearing the new sweater. While a child is excitedly opening a gift, Luke Lucas suggests using the high-speed button (if your camera allows it) to capture the action in short bursts.

Vacations and pets
When people go on vacations, they sometimes get carried away shooting scenes, famous landmarks and buildings, but are never in their own photos. Their photos could be found in anyone’s album. Be sure to include yourself or family members in your photos, say the Robertsons.

Moates advises getting an entire landmark or building in the photo. “If I want to take a picture of a famous fountain, I would make sure I get the entire fountain in the shot. Back up, zoom out and that will help.” He also suggests using a wide-angle lens for travel photos, to give you a sense of the size of the landscape or monument.

While shooting the larger photos, don’t forget the details: an inscription on a statue, the spiral shape of a stairwell, a pile of shells you collect on the beach. “Keep your camera with you all the time, so if something catches your eye, you’re ready,” says Jackie.

Heath Stone advises always having plenty of batteries and extra memory cards when you go on vacation, so you won’t miss any priceless memories. “It bugs me to have to go through my images and delete pictures because I ran out of room on my card, and it always happens when my daughter is doing something precious that I would love to capture.”

For both pets and children, get on their level for a different perspective. (Photo courtesy Josh Moates, Kim Box Photography)

With pets, the same rule of getting on ground level with children applies. “The best shots of my animals are always when I’m on the floor,” says Moates. “Focus on their eyes and make a crazy noise. For a cat, I do the whistle. For a dog, I just bark at them, and they look at me like I’m crazy, and I snap it and it’s always great. Getting on their level is the key.”

For cats, using a ribbon to make them jump is another trick, says David Robertson, Sr.  And if you can adjust shutter speeds (in manual mode), use a fast one to avoid blurs, and try to have a plain background so your pet will show up better.

While these tips are meant to be helpful, don’t let them stifle your imagination. “Don’t get caught up in the rules,” says Luke Lucas. “The more you try to focus on the rules, the less room you have for creativity.” Jackie agrees. “I had a professor once who said, ‘If it looks good, it is good.” And that’s true. If you like it, you’ve done a good job.”

Buying A Digital Camera
If you’ve not made the leap from film camera to digital, there’s no better time to do so. Prices range from around $100 for a basic point-and-shoot, to more than $500 for an SLR, a single-lens reflex with interchangeable lenses, which functions much like a traditional 35mm film camera.

For basic family and vacation photos, Trey Ward, retail sales manager at Capitol Filmworks in Montgomery, recommends a “medium-range” point and shoot such as the new Nikon Coolpix S8100, which retails for about $300. At 12.1 megapixels, it will shoot five frames per second, making it perfect to capture children running or any sports photos. It has a big 10x optical zoom, vibration reduction (no shaky images), can shoot HD video, and has red eye correction.

Like most new digital cameras, it also features automatic scene recognition. The camera automatically recognizes what type of scene you are shooting, whether it be a landscape, portrait or closeup, and sets the correct mode for you.

A less expensive model, for about $100, is the Fuji AX200 with a 5X zoom, 12 megapixels, and HD video. “It’s the most camera you can get for your money,” Ward says.  For $150, the Canon Powershot A3100IS is another good buy, Ward says. It has a 4X Zoom and the “smart auto” feature which automatically selects the settings you need.

Digital SLR cameras range from $500 to $899. SLR’s shoot a higher quality file (known as “raw” files), Ward says, and are a good choice for the serious amateur photographer.  He recommends the Canon Digital Rebel Series, which feature HD video, different lenses, and offer more megapixels. “SLRs can be as fully automatic as you want,” he says. Lenses can run from $200 up to several $1,000’s.

At 14.2 megapixels, the Nikon D3100 runs about $700, and offers HD video, low-light capabilities, and is lightweight. Ward calls it “an excellent bargain.”

All digital cameras come with a built-in flash, but if you  need light for a subject more than 15 feet away, you’ll need an additional flash, which can range from $200 to $500 or more. “But one of the nice things about these cameras is you can shoot in program mode at ISO 3200 and you don’t need a flash,” Ward says.

Luke and Jackie Lucas recommend using a wrist strap for your camera, storing it in a canvas pouch, and buying from a camera retailer rather than an electronics store.

Every photographer has his or her own favorite brand of camera, but as Josh Moates says, “It’s more important to know how to use the camera than what camera to use.”

Capitol Filmworks offers classes in basic camera usage, digital photography and advanced photography every month. Visit http://gocfw.com and click on the classes tab for more information. Tutorials in photography are also available on Youtube.com.

What To Do With Your Photographs
Now that you’ve taken some memorable photos with your digital camera, what should you do with them? Gone are the days of just getting 4 by 6 prints made at the local drugstore (although that’s still an option). The possibilities for preserving your photographic memories are only limited by your imagination.

Prints: Don’t use insta-print machines at retail stores, Luke Lucas advises. They usually have a shelf life of only five years before they start losing quality. Same for photos printed on home printers. Get photographic prints, which will last 80 to 100 years.

Better option: Take your photos off the memory card of your camera and using your computer, store them with an online service, such as Google’s Picasa software, which is free, fast and easy. You just need a Google account, easily obtainable at google.com. Photos uploaded to Picasa can then be shared with friends, family, and even the public, if you desire. Other online options are www.shutterfly.com, http://photobucket.com, www.snapfish.com or flickr.com.

Photo books, calendars, and cards: Most of the online services offer the option to create books from your photos, either softcover or hardback. Books and calendars make great anniversary, wedding or birthday gifts. A calendar documenting the first year of a child’s life, month by month, would be a gift appreciated by any family member, as are photo greeting cards and Christmas cards.

Mugs, mouse pads, jigsaw puzzles: These can be ordered through retailers locally or online at shutterfly.com, snapfish.com. Check out the puzzle-creating software at http://www.tibosoftware.com/jppcreator.htm or http://www.kraisoft.com/puzzle-games/jigsaw.

Digital photo frames: Unlike static photo frames, digital versions cycle through your photos every few seconds. Prices range from $60 up to $1,000, depending on size and capacity.
Refrigerator magnets: Keep prints protected and ready to display on the frig with adhesive kits, available at business supply stores.

DVD slide shows: Free software, such as Microsoft Photo Story 3 for Windows or iDVD for Macs, allows you to set your photos to music, and then share your moving picture stories with others online.

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