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How to Take Great Christmas Pictures
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The holidays are a time for festivities and bright, brilliant
colors and lights. They're moments you'll want to capture on
film and share with others for years to come. Most people want
to use both cameras and camcorders for still photographs and
live action footage.
So what's the best way to catch those special moments in time?
You don't need to be a professional. We offer some simple tips to get you started. Remember to stock up on color film
long before the holidays so you can snap pictures spontaneously
and remember fun and humorous times you wouldn't have otherwise.
Cameras
For amateurs, traditional 35mm cameras with color film are the
most popular, some even opting for disposable ones. Today's
digital cameras are more expensive but they're coming down
in price. The benefits are outstanding. They have many more
options for picture-taking and you can review your shots in a
window. These cameras help you see the final picture, allowing
you to delete and re-shoot the image.
What's great about digital cameras is that you can plug them
right into your computer and edit the pictures with software if
you wish. Then, you can send them to family and friends via
email attachments. If you have a color printer, you can print
them off on special paper. Newer TV's have a jack you can use
for plugging in the camera and viewing slide shows. Another
alternative is to upload directly to your website or a photo
storage service such as photobucket.com. Then, all you have to
do is send the URL and people can view the photographs at their
leisure. Keep in mind that by doing this, your pictures are
there for the world to see.
Taking Christmas Pictures
Don't wait until Christmas day to begin photographing. Prepare
for the holidays in advance by taking practice shots of tree
lights, outdoor lights, decorations and candles so you can
determine when you need a flash, the flash range of the camera,
and what shutter speed to use. Be creative and decorate areas
specifically for the family to pose. Backgrounds are very
important. Avoid direct sunlight, busy surroundings, and
too-dark backgrounds.
Be sure to get some shots of the children playing outdoors. It's
unfortunate how often this is neglected. Imagine looking through
your photo album years from now and you have the weather
conditions for Christmas and New Year's Day of every year
documented -- right there in the pictures. It will jog memories
and tell you if it was sunny or cloudy, or whether there was
snow on the ground.
For group photos, don't be reluctant to nitpick. Most people are
not aware of where you want them to stand, the angle, and poses.
Consider adding humor to your shots with props. This will be
sure to get some smiles and laughs when revisiting the past.
When you tell them exactly what you want, you'll end up with
better photos.
Developing
When you take your negatives in to get developed, get double
prints to send out to friends and family. If this is your first
time with a digital camera, read the directions for removing the
card. If you're still not sure, take the camera in to the photo
shop and they can show you how to remove it.
Save the negatives for those who want more copies and
enlargements. Many places have Kodak do-it-yourself stands where
you can make copies without assistance. Just take your time and
read the directions carefully. Once you get the hang of it,
you'll be the guru photographer for all holiday celebrations!
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