PRO TIPS FOR GREAT CHRISTMAS PHOTOS
Lots of you will be receiving new iPhones for Christmas and what better time to practice taking pictures. You are sure to be taking tons of photos of family and friends and all the Christmas decorations and the excitement or presents being opened! I thought I’d share a couple of ideas for some special images of your children in a quiet moment. So, here are a few ideas:
See if you can catch the magic of Christmas through the eyes of a child. I saw the image of the Christmas tree in the eyes of this baby totally absorbed by the dancing lights. Could you envision the dreadful results if I had commanded “look at me and say Cheese!” No! That’s my first professional rule: Let the subject become totally engrossed, stay quiet and keep out of the way. That’s how you can capture those special intimate moments.
(D5 with a 70-200mm lens (at 200mm). ISO 20000, aperture 3.5 at 1/250.
The Nikon D5 does a good job with high ISO numbers. You’ll notice some pixilation in the background, but that high number was needed because I did not use flash (that would have killed the mood completely. Notice how crisp the eyes are (and the lights of the tree in his pupils).
Leave the child alone, but quietly add some packages in the background to keep viewer’s eyes focused on the child and not “busy” backgrounds.
(D5 with an 85mm lens. ISO 4000, aperture 2.8 at 1/320.)
After a few hours of frantic excitement, it was time for a nap. Mom laid her baby down on the sofa, but I suggested we lay him down on the ground below the Christmas tree. We then very carefully placed the train set next to him and I backed up a bit to catch more of the scene. I wanted to fill in some of space behind his knees, so we added two boxes. We had a pretty scene and all that remained was for me to turn the camera sideways and include more of the Christmas tree in the photograph.
(D5 with a 70-200mm lens (at 82mm). ISO 4000, aperture 2.8 at 1/320.)
(D5 with a 70-200mm lens (at 70mm). ISO 4000, aperture 2.8 at 1/320.)
(D5 with a 70-200mm lens (at 70mm). ISO 4000, aperture 2.8 at 1/320.)
(D5 with a 70-200mm lens (at 82mm). ISO 4000, aperture 2.8 at 1/320.)
GENERAL INFORMATION:
I used available light (from windows, overhead lights, and lights from the Christmas tree for illumination). All of the images were hand-held: I used 1/250th of a second to keep camera shake to a minimum. I used a Nikon D5 camera with an 85mm and a 70-200mm lens. I did not use flash because that would have killed the mood instantly and would have created strong shadows and burned out “hot spots.” The aperture setting of f3.5 allowed a lot of light to enter and produced a “soft” look to the background.
We wish you all a great Christmas and hope these hints will help you record a memorable day with all your family members.