Having your picture taken and taking pictures is a part of the holidays, why not do it right? To help take the angst and anxiety out of the exercise and help you have some fun successful business woman, artist, subscriber and Master Photographer Kimberly Simonetti, of Kimberly’s Fine Portraiture shares her thoughts and top tips for great holiday pictures below.
This is the time of year family and friends gather to share merriment and good will. What better time to put down the camera phone and dust off your photography equipment and capture the magic of the season? You don’t need a professional camera to get fun shots and groups.
Here are 4 of my Top Photo Tips:
• Move as close as possible but keep the subject in focus.
• Use natural light when possible along with a flash to make sure there is enough light on faces. If possible, walk to a window and turn people to natural light whenever you can.
• When photographing groups don’t put people in one big straight line that forces you to step back so far the faces become small. Instead, arrange people sitting on floors, chairs and standing behind the chairs for best results.
• Again, don’t forget to move in as close as possible side to side and top to bottom.
See the difference a little planning makes?
You never want the regret of not having a photo to capture a special moment, so if a cell phone camera is all you have, then use it.
I have an iPhone 5 that gives me pretty good results for quick snap shots. Here are some of the techniques I use:
• Once you get your subjects in place, touch the screen on the face of the main subject. This tells the iPhone where to focus.
• The volume buttons on the side act as a shutter release as well as the button on the viewing screen. Sometimes it’s a lot easier to use the buttons on the side than to try to touch the screen.
• Exhale when you are taking the photo to allow the camera to be more still.
• The Auto flash setting is often good, but sometimes you may want to manually override to get the results you desire. For instance I happened to be at ‘My City 4 Her Jingle Bell Bash’ and wanted to capture an image of a friend and myself after our beauty treatments. The flash was set to Auto and not flashing because the phone thought there was enough light on our faces. However, that was not the case. I changed the flash to On and got much more flattering results. The flash mode can be changed by tapping the lightning icon which then cycles through Auto, On, and Off.
Hopefully these ideas will work for you and make your photos more treasurable for generations to come. And with the family in town, if would prefer a professional touch, I will be scheduling portrait sessions the week before and after Christmas. Have a blessed Holiday season what ever you celebrate!
About Kimberly Simmonetti
Kimberly is a Master Photographer and has been a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur for over 20 years. She is considered one of the finest portrait photographers in the region. Kimberly also does corporate headshots and extends a special offer to fellow MyCity4Her subscribers. To find out more visit her web site at kimberlyportraits.com.