After reading a few comments on a recent photo of one of our family dinners that I posted on my blog, my mind set off thinking about the idea of context and “the overall picture” of our photography.   Sometimes, in working towards the perfect photo–with a lovely blurred background and the right composition–it can become easy to ignore the details that provide us with the time, place and memories associated with that same photo.

I love my childhood photos with the green countertops, funky wallpaper, and odds and ends in the frame. These details help us to recall, and in some cases relive, a particular moment in time or a related memory. These details provide our photos with context–for our own purposes, as well as for the benefit of our audience. But how do you capture context in an appealing way?

It’s all about focus. Focus on a strong subject in the frame so the viewer knows exactly the story you are telling. In the photo above you can really get a sense of what one of our family dinners entails.  The table is set, the family gathered, surrounded by all of our comforting belongings.  While the focus of the photo is most certainly placed on the set table–telling the story of a family dinner–all of the other details come together to really set the scene for a treasured memory.

In this photo, Ian performs his version of the chicken dance. While the story is definitely about him and our new chickens, you can see so much of our life at this moment in the frame. In the foreground is the potato bed, a favorite place to dig for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the background you can see his fort, the compost pile where we’ve witnessed a skunk and a snake, and on the left side of the frame, one of our 17 tomato plants sneaks into the frame. Zooming in on just him wouldn’t have lost all of those details.

Here’s another favorite of mine. Ian is playing Plants Versus Zombies on the iPhone. I’m certain it will be a favorite childhood memory for Ian. In the details of the frame you can see our location, our meal, and the fun art that Ian loves about Capital Dog.

Now my definition of decent and yours may be quite different…but I’m usually willing to settle on a photo that we’re all in and looking in the same relative direction!  To the left, you’ll notice that one of the last suitable photos we took as a family, was in 2006–before our son was even born!  If you are like me and have managed to avoid a worthy family photo for the past 12 months (or longer…eeek!)—then here are a few ideas to help you find the perfect family photo for this year’s Christmas card!

• Read Katrina Kennedy’s article Holiday Cards and The Family Photo! She’ll share six quick tips that will have you arranging the perfectly “imperfect” family photo in no time!
• Skip the trip to the photographers and have a neighbor, family member or friend snap a photo of you and your family in your home or yard.  It will be quick and painless and over before you all knew it!

This photo of my husband and his siblings took all of five minutes to capture!  And while it may not be perfect–in my opinion, it’s certainly Christmas card worthy!

• Noticing a trend in your family photos—like you’re not in any of them?  Unfortunately someone has to take the pictures right?!  To remedy this, test out your camera’s self timer…or you can get creative with your current photos by piecing a couple of them together with Photoshop!
• To take the distraction out of your family photos with busy backgrounds—or even just to bring a touch of the holidays into your average everyday photos you’ve already taken—why not try out a fun frame or photo treatment.

With this photo I added a fun Christmas light photo as an overlay to the back-ground of our everyday family photo, to give it a holiday feel.

• Ask yourself:  “Do I really need the entire family in one photo to capture the spirit of Christmas?” Maybe like me, you’re almost 9 months pregnant and not exactly thrilled at the idea of posing for a family photo that will be immortalized on a Christmas card and sent out to 50 or so of your closest friends and family members…Or maybe the task of getting everyone in one place at one time was simply too daunting! Think about using a fun seasonal photo of your children, pets or even holiday decor.

Sometimes a child’s beautiful smile and snowflake-covered eyelashes really can say it all!

 

• And finally, if all else fails and you must resolve to using a photo of a family other than your own on this year’s Seasons Greetings—I’d recommend against using the family portrait that came with the photo frame you just bought and sticking with the family that brings us all together this time each year ;)

Look for the perfect manger scene to photograph at your local church or holiday festivals!

December! It’s here! If you are taking part in Ali Edwards’ December Daily project or just documenting your month one day at a time, finding inspiration for a photo everyday can have its challenges. There are days you are just too tired to mess with your camera. Days you forget to take a photo until the last minute and there might even be days where you just feel stuck for an idea. The tree? Again?

Here is my 25 December Daily Photo Ideas downloadable pdf for a little inspiration!I am going to use it as a scavenger hunt through the month and maybe even a page title or two! Enjoy!

I’d love to hear which you find and which inspire you the most!

1. Something Red

2. A list

3. The Christmas tree

4. Presents wrapped under the tree

5. Something warm and tasty

6. A candy cane (or many)

7. A wreath with a red bow

8. Stamped and addressed Christmas cards

9. Santa Claus

10. Away in a manger

11. Ribbons and bows

12. Something sticky

13. Reindeer

14. A decked hall

15. Silver bells

16. A hippopotamus

17. Under the mistletoe

18. A cup of cheer

19. Toys in every store

20. A winter wonderland

21. Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow

22. Holiday greetings

23. A shining star

24. Children, sleeping

25. The number “25”

What photos will you be taking for Thanksgiving?

I plan on photographing small details, faces, and the entire table. This is the year I get a photo of my husband, his dad, and Ian, a long over due photo.

Here’s my Thanksgiving shot list — and you can download a printable pdf of it for your own inspiration: Katrina Kennedy’s Thanksgiving Shot List.

HAS THIS HAPPENED TO YOU?

Have you ever taken a photo with a perfectly lit background but a dark subject? Have you wondered how you can get more even tones throughout a photo?

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!

Your camera uses reflected light to create a photographic image. Your camera records more light from the bright areas in a scene while dark areas reflect less light for the camera. The metering mode you choose tells the camera how to measure the light in your scene.

Camera makers use different names for their metering methods. Essentially, they fall into three categories:

1. Evaluative/Matrix Metering

Evaluative/Matrix Metering uses the light from the entire frame, averaging the light to determine the correct exposure for a photo. Evaluative metering may also be called multi-segment, pattern, zone or overall metering.

This mode works well in even light without a lot of contrasting light in your frame. Many photographers use it as their default mode because it reads from the entire frame. It is not as effective when your subject is backlit.

2. Spot Metering

Spot metering determines the exposure based upon the light in a small area of the frame. If your subject is dark against a blue sky, you will likely expose your subject correctly but “blow out” the sky making it white.

Spot metering works well in high contrast situations and when your subject is backlit or in a tricky lighting situation like candlelight. The key is selecting the spot on your subject to meter from.

Use exposure compensation together with spot metering for great results in tough situations. Photographing snow? Switch to spot metering and bump your exposure compensation up +2. Dark clothing? Move your exposure compensation down -2.

3. Center-weighted average metering

Center-weighted average metering works similarly to spot metering but evaluates the light from a larger area than spot metering, concentrated around the center of your focal point.

A quick trick for remembering which one to choose on your camera is to match the shape of the indicator to the area of light you want it to read.

In Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual modes you can choose your metering mode. For the location of your specific buttons for changing your metering mode check in your manual under “metering” or “exposure.”

SO WHAT DO I SET MY CAMERA ON?

Typically you’ll find my camera set to Spot Metering, I prefer the results I get with the light read from my subject’s face, but I do switch it as the light changes.

Play with the three modes to see the results you get. Part of choosing your metering mode is personal preference.

As is often the case with scrapbookers and artists—every photographer’s space in which they create, differs based on their style and their surroundings.  Some of us may have expensive equipment and a professional set-up–but the rest of us aim to make do with what we have!  So here’s a peek at my photography studio and the equipment I use on a daily basis.

First, here’s the kitchen studio…

Notice the $5.00 cutting board in the back. It is a great background and serves as a reflector in a pinch. The wooden cutting board can be maneuvered easily on the counter top. Light comes in from the window behind the set up. Not the ideal light set up, but we make it work.

Here’s how I’ve used this space and these helpful pieces of equipment, in capturing the following photos:

Now onto the main studio, where much of my work takes place…

The side lighting works nicely for smaller subjects I want to photograph. I’d like to try a newborn shoot here. It’s the perfect height and size for a little one. Maybe with it running, I could lull them to sleep.

This is the location where I took the following shots and yes, I get the laundry done here as well!

So, now that you’ve seen my studio–care to share your favorite/quirky studio spots?

Think about this next statement and let it guide your everyday photography:

The photos you take of everyday life are not necessarily pictures from memorable events, but, rather, they are representative illustrations of your life.

What I mean is: you don’t snap that photo of taking out the garbage because it was one very special garbage night, but rather to have a snapshot of a recurring activity in your life.

photo by stock.xchng / CWMGary

Now that I’ve shared my profound thoughts on taking everyday life photos, here are some practical tips:

1) Keep the batteries charged, the card empty, and the camera handy so that it’s easy to take photos.
What’s more – if you’re photographing people, hand the camera (ready to shoot) to them, and ask them to take a couple pictures of you. Get your kids, spouses, and friends in the habit of including you.

photo by stock.xchng / ugaldew

2) Consider and include context.

• That living room décor is going to change eventually, so let parts of it get into the photos. The same goes for parks, restaurants, and other favorite haunts. Take some photos that are farther back to reveal the location.
• If the activity has relevant items, tools, props, get a photos or even ask someone to pick them up.

These photos are from a lunch outing with one of my best friends, her daughter and my youngest son. We ate at a restaurant maintained by the university’s hospitality school that just happens to have been (and now is again) a train station. Close-up shots plus others from farther back let me remember the place as well as the outing.

3) Be the wall(flower).

• Try to be unobtrusive so that your subjects continue what they’re doing naturally. Shoot for a while without saying “look here!”
• Use your zoom lens to stay back and still get closer-in shots.
• Listen to what’s going on—and maybe use it in your journaling.

From past experiences, I knew that while the action here was incredible, the photos probably wouldn’t be. When I suggested a group shot at the end, the group was happy to oblige and now I have a strong focal-point photo to go with the action shots.

4) Make sure to get one good shot.
It can be really hard to get good group activity shots (at the pool, on the basketball ourt, having a snowball fight, playing ball in the yard). You want to capture the moment, but the photos end up with small subjects and lots of landscape. While you should absolutely capture that energy and context, try, also, to take the time to get one good shot. This could be a close-up of one or two subjects, a group pose at the end of the event, or a picture of something important in the environment or activity (i.e., a mittened hand holding a snowball). When you have this one good shot, it will focus your page and make clear what the activity is.

5) When you’re not going to be at the main event take a photo before or after with some indication of what’s coming and use that with journaling– the concert tickets, the sleepover bag packed, the golf clubs in the trunk. The photos here show my youngest son just before he left for his first sleepover.

I didn’t get to go along on my youngest son’s first sleepover, but it was a big deal for all of us. These shots of my son with his pillow and stuffed animal ready to go help recall this milestone.

Taking photographs is about telling your story. Capturing the moments, the events, the pieces of your life that make it uniquely yours. What kind of photographer are you? Do you want to capture the details? Or the events? Do you like  landscapes? Or portraits? Are you capturing the running child or the old dog snuggled in its bed? Or perhaps a little bit of it all.

Knowing what you want before you push the shutter will improve your photography dramatically. Consider four things.

1. What do I see?

I could see the entire bicycle or I could see the road where it meets the wheel and the pure potential it possesses.

2. How does it make me feel?

I could snap quickly and capture my son’s smile. Or I could stop, consider it a bit longer, and grab that connection between a dad and his son as they experience a first two-wheeled bike ride together. The feeling of connection captures the moment best.

3. What meaning does it have for me?

A drop off at preschool turned into a quick moment to capture. In this image my son is clearly important, but, even more important were the too-big shorts and the little feet jumping through the numbers, calling them out as he moved.

4. What does it make me want to do?

I want my photos to capture a feeling that reflects what I was feeling in the moment, but I also want them to compel me. Compel an emotion. Compel an action. Create activity. Provide inspiration.

What do your photos say? What questions do you ask before you press the shutter?

Do they make you cringe? The attempt at clean shirts, clean faces, good moods, good light, great location. All at the same time! Is it even possible?

This year I say, “embrace the imperfect”! Let your family be who they are. Let them wear what they want to wear. Let them make the faces they want to make! Most families are relaxed fun loving people right? Let your holiday cards show that!

Want the best photo? Plan a couple of things keeping FUN in mind!

Find good light: An hour or so before sunset gives beautiful even non direct light.

Go somewhere fun! A park, a playground, out for ice cream, or any favorite family spot! I’d say find a great alley or wall, but that will also require bribing your subjects with a little something after. Choose natural light and stay out of full sun. Keep your sun at your back before you shoot!

Shoot quickly and get it over with! No one wants to watch you fiddle with your settings over and over. Shoot in a mode you are comfortable with and watch your shutter speed (keep it above at least 1/125). Shoot at eye level with your dear ones, they’ll look better. And don’t fear getting close! Avoid clutter, trash cans, and random stuff in your backgrounds for a more professional looking photo.

Lighten up! Tell jokes, say silly things, ask them to tell their stories, let them just be. Make noises. Play games. Shoot!

Give yourself a break! Family shoots are difficult. Don’t worry about everyone looking at the camera or being perfect. Show everyone your real family! Consider having a friend take your photo. Kids always cooperate more with someone who isn’t related!

Add some variety! Do you want to avoid the entire headache? Grab a favorite photo from the year! Last year I snapped this photo the day after Thanksgiving and knew INSTANTLY it was destined for a card! Don’t be afraid to try something nontraditional! It will be a nice surprise for the people who receive it!

Enjoy your holiday!