It is really hard to take a good picture of yourself. Take a look at all of the profile pictures on MySpace and you'll see what I mean. There are people looking up at the camera as they hold it out at an arm's length. Not. Very. Flattering.
So how do you take a good picture of yourself when you have no one else around? Try this:
Go to the bathroom and stand in front of the mirror.
Point your camera at you so that you can see the back of the camera, and the LCD screen in the mirror.
Position the camera so that you can see your face framed in the LCD screen.
Snap the picture.
This way you know what you look like before you snap the picture and you know that your face is in the frame.
Taking great pictures of kids with a SLR depends a lot on what film speed you are using. Film speed is a measurement of how sensitive the film is to light. The longer it takes the camera to collect light onto the film, the longer it takes the camera to take the picture. So, the lower the speed of the film, the longer it takes your camera to take the picture. On the other hand, the lower the speed of film, the more light you will have in your photo.
To find the speed of film, on the package of film it will say a number followed by ASA or ISO to indicate the film's speed. For example, the package may say 200 ISO or 200 ASA.
If you are taking indoor shots, such as a school play or a birthday party, you may want to choose 800 ASA/ISO. This is a fast film and is best used in darker places. You will still have to use a flash, though.
400 ASA/ISO film is a great all around film. It is good for most situations, including those with movement and lower light. It is also great for sunny days, so if you are unsure of what you want to shoot, this is best.
200 ASA/ISO is best for taking shots where there is lots of light, like on the beach. Be warned: you will need to keep your camera very still, on a tripod, to avoid blurry pictures with this slow speed.
Tips & Warnings
A perk from using 200 ASA/ISO film is that the pictures look really sharp when they are enlarged.
Showing motion in photos can be tough. Sometimes there is too much blur, but often, there is no blur at all to show motion. I had this problem with one of my latest photos I took of a local hoola-hoop competition.
So, I uploaded my digital photo and used Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 to add some blur. I used my smudge tool set to 50% opacity and 50% hardness to blur the area around the girl. Even though she wasn't moving much, the effect gave the photo a groovy wavy effect that made it seem like she was about to spin away any second.
Take photos of the characters with all of their halloween costume on and without the headdresses or masks. You'll want to be able to match the costume with the person in the years to come.
Catch kids off-guard. Children (and most adults) are more photogenic when the photo is candid.
Only use a flash if you are around three feet from a person. Otherwise they will be washed out.
Take photos of your jack-o-lantern at night with a candle inside for some great photos. Set your digital camera to night mode and use a tripod.
Take pictures of your jack-o-lantern from the inside for spooky pictures.
I just found a great article over at Kodak Gallery called Top Ten Tips for Taking Halloween Pictures.
I particularly loved the tips for how to make a person look like a ghost in a picture. To do it, you basically set your camera exposure to eight seconds and have the person move out of the way at five seconds. Of course, this will take a tripod and a camera that can be set to manual mode. Here are some examples of my ghost pictures.
Check back tomorrow for one of my own Halloween photo tips!
As well as being a photographer, I am also a writer. A lot of my articles are about food and I usually need photos of the the food to accompany the article. So, I've developed some cheap photography gear and techniques that I can use in my kitchen for food photography.
First, set up a make-sift light box by putting a sheet of white foam core under your dish and behind the dish. Make sure the seams are lined up well to prevent lines in the photo.
If possible, scoot your food far enough away from the background so that you don't get shadows.
Avoid using your flash. If you have to use your flash, back up so that it doesn't wash out the colors of the food.
Use a simple plate or dish. You don't want to distract from the beauty of the food.
I love to make homemade photography gear. I also love finding new solutions to photography problems. Photo Click Chick is a blog about all that and more. So, sit back, try some stuff and share some of your own tips! Let's click, chick!
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