Design Crafters

Photo Christmas Cards are often portraits- sometimes of a couple, sometimes of a family, and sometimes of an individual.

When we you think of a portrait, a formal shot taken in a photo studio comes to mind. Portrait photography offers many more alternatives, including many types of group, individuals, and couples shots.

Let’s just say you are a single person, and want to have a photo taken of yourself and say, your cat. Sounds perfect for a Photo Christmas card, doesn’t it?

Before you have your shot taken- especially by one of your friends- there are some issues to consider. Here’s some tips:

1. Use indirect window light to reveal your features.
2. Keep the background simple, to avoid distracting elements.
3. Face yourself slightly below the level you are holding your camera.
4. Use an appropriate facial expression.

The old “say cheese” ritual immediately before you take your shot is still applicable. Some photographers take this a bit further by carrying on an interesting conversation with the subject as they shoot.

If the background in your photo is important, set the aperture value to its highest setting. If you wish want to blur the background and focus entirely on your subject, set the aperture value to your camera’s lowest aperture (or F-stop) setting.

Oh, but what about the blink monster?

Blinking comes natural for most of us, but few people want to have their blinking eyes appear in a photograph. Since the act of blinking usually takes about 1/30th of a second, so setting the shutter speed slower, such as 1/15th of a second, will makes it far more likely that your subject’s blink will not show up in the photo.

Here’s how to make that happen:
1. Set the mode dial to S.
2. Press the jog dial down.
3 Turn the jog dial to 1/15 of a second.

Now, let’s go over some tips for your friend who is going to take your photo you will use for your Photo Christmas Card.

When taking close-up shots of people, there are a wide variety of settings to choose from. In a formal shot, you can use a posing stool to position yourself. In a less formal setting, you can situate yourself in surroundings that express something about his or her personality

Generally, posing stools are adjustable at heights ranging from 21 to 27 inches. Most cost less than $100, and come with levers that raise or lower the chair.

Plainly, a posing stool would not be practical for shooting a baby picture. Consider a posing table; prices start at around $100. Posing tables are also excellent as staging areas for photo sessions involving small objects.

Tomorrow, we’ll cover some other Photo Christmas Card techniques and tips.