Holiday Photos Mini Guide.pdf

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THE HOLIDAYS
12 Tips for Memorable Shots of Your Celebrations
HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH
a
mini-guide
by Lauren & Rob Lim
Pg. 1
Is there any better event to
photograph than your very
own holiday celebrations?
There’s a certain magic to photographing the holidays. Everything is
beautiful, your favorite people are all around you, folks are happy
(most of the time) and there’s a seemingly endless supply of things to
shoot. When you look back at photos of holidays past, you can relive
the joy of sharing these special celebrations with the people you care
most about in the world. It really can be wonderful.
Until it’s not...
Screaming toddlers. Reluctant and sullen teenagers. Bad light. Being
ordered to shoot “grip and grin” portraits for days on end. Totally
overwhelming.
Well fear not, my friend. Despite the challenges, photographing
the holidays can be everything you dream it to be. With a little
preparation, some organization, and a bevy of tips and tricks in your
photographic tool belt, you’ll be able to document your celebrations
in a beautiful and meaningful way. You’ll create cherished images
that are valued for years to come. And you’ll have a blast too!
The best part of all? While the photos in this mini-guide for dPS are
from our own Christmas holidays,
these tips apply to any holiday,
any celebration, and any event.
Use these tips often, and you’re
sure to create awesome photos of your own.
Pg. 2
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Hi! We’re
Lauren & Rob,
and we love capturing the
magic of the holidays. When we’re not dressing up in ridiculous outfits to create
awkward holiday cards (see more later), we teach photography to fun folks over
at
Photography Concentrate.
We’re super excited that you’re right here with us
now to learn, and can’t wait to share and help you take magical photos of your
own. So let’s get going!
ALL CONTENTS COPYRIGHT 2015 © PHOTOGRAPHY CONCENTRATE & DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY SCHOOL
No.1
camera at the ready
CLEANING, CHARGING, AND THE BEST
PLACE TO KEEP YOUR CAMERA
Preparation is key to
successful holiday photos.
Your camera is the link between your ideas and your images, so you
need to make sure it’s in tip top shape before a shoot.
First up, make sure your camera is clean. Use a rocket blower to
get any dust off your sensor, and a Lens Pen to clean your lenses.
Then ensure your batteries all fully charged, and your memory cards
cleared. Check that you have extra batteries and memory cards too.
Have more than you think you’ll need – you don’t want to run out of
space right at a critical moment!
Once your gear is ready, the most important thing to do is
keep your
camera in a central place so that you can grab it and shoot at a
moment’s notice.
We like to keep ours on the kitchen counter, right
in the middle of all the action.
Use more than just one camera as well! Your DSLR is great for
portraits, your camera phone is perfect for spontaneous laughter
over dinner (make sure to clear up some storage space on it before
the holidays!), and a point and shoot is handy if you’re heading out to
skate on the pond and want something portable.
The most important thing is not
which
camera you have, but simply
that you have a camera on you, and that you
use
it. Choose the one
you’re most likely to use, and then get shooting!
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FURTHER READING:
•
How To Clean Your Camera Sensor & Lenses
•
How Should I Clean My DSLR’s Lens?
•
The Ultimate Guide to Buying a New Camera
No.2
Find The Great Light
USING WINDOWS, MIXING COLOR
TEMPERATURE + FLASH TIPS
The holidays are chock full of
lighting opportunities.
Open your eyes to the variety of different light sources that the
holidays present. It might be the lights on the tree, a bonfire, or
candles in the window.
Start to consider every source of light as a
potential way to illuminate your images, and you’re on your way
to some memorable photos.
During the day, windows can be a fantastic source of natural light
indoors. To really take advantage of them, make sure to turn off
any artificial lights (like overhead lights) so you avoid mixing color
temperatures of light.
At night look for other light sources, like tree lights or fireplaces. Turn
off both the room lights and your flash. Then increase your
ISO and use a low aperture value to get more light into the camera.
Now try shooting with the available light around you. It can add a lot
of atmosphere to your shots! 
If you need to use a flash, try to improve the quality of that light.
Direct flash (when the flash is pointed directly at the subject with
nothing in between them) can be quite unflattering. So use a diffuser
to soften the light and make it more flattering (you can buy them at
a camera store, or make a DIY one by taping some white paper over
your flash). If you have an external flash, point it up to the ceiling, or
back over your shoulder to soften the light and give it more direction.
Pg. 4
The lights from a Christmas tree become a creative way to illuminate a portrait.
Just be sure to supervise young children around them, so they don’t get tangled.
SETTINGS:
ISO 800, f/2.2, 1/100s, Canon 6D, 50mm
FURTHER READING:
•
Life In Natural Life - eBook
•
How To Bounce Your Flash
•
The Awesome Light Hiding In Your Home
•
Fantastic Fundamental Light Skills Tutorial
No.3
shoot to tell a story
THE STRUCTURE OF A GOOD STORY,
AND A QUICK WAY TO TELL ONE
The trouble comes when
photos are a jumble.
A mish-mash of moments, in random order, isn’t very much fun to
look through. In order to create a set of images that your friends and
family will really enjoy viewing, you’ll want to try to
tell the story of the
event.
Here are a few tips on how to do that:
opening their presents, the flurry of cooking the big meal), and
then find a way to show that the story is over (gift wrap covering
the floor, your relatives driving away, the kids passed out in their
beds).
•
Use the “Wide, Medium, Tight” trick:
A super fast way to tell a
•
Understand story structure:
A good story sets the scene,
story in any moment is to shoot one shot wide (to set the scene),
one shot medium (to give a sense of the action), and one shot tight
(to show the details that bring the story to life). Using this trick
can help you find the story in all the great moments that happen
during the holidays. 
introduces the characters and relationships, has building action,
and then a conclusion. Find ways to do this with your own holiday
photos. Shoot the preparation and get detail shots to help give
a sense of the scene (like wrapping the gifts, or putting up the
decorations), document the characters (your friends and family
that is!), look for action to bring excitement to the story (the annual
and highly competitive game of Trivial Pursuit, the kids wildly
FURTHER READING:
•
Greater Storytelling Images By Shooting Collections
•
Storytelling Tips for Better Halloween Photos
•
5 Lessons Comic Books Can Teach You About Photography
Pg. 5

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