The holiday means a lot of family time, and family time means photos. So whether you're staging a photo to use for a holiday card or you're just snapping for posterity, these simple tricks and techniques will help you bring out your inner Annie Liebowitz—even if you’re armed with nothing fancier than your little basic point-n-click.
Real Light
Natural light is best, so use it to light your photos whenever possible. Shooting outdoors under overcast skies is ideal. If it’s sunny outside, aim to shoot either late or early in the day when the light is more amber. If you must shoot in the middle of a sunny day, find a shady area. Always shoot with the sun (or any light source, for that matter) behind you. And watch out for snow. It can do tricky things to your photos because its whiteness often causes the camera to underexpose the scene. If you are shooting indoors, consider doing so during the day so you still have the aid of natural light streaming through the windows.
Be Specific About Your Subject
Be clear on what you want to be center stage and what you want to be background. If you want Grandma Rose to be the focus of the picture, be sure to center her. If your camera has the capability, shoot just shy of the widest aperture. The overall goal is to keep your subjects sharp and blur the background.
Choose a spot
For posed group family photos, resist the urge to get overly creative about the location. Your needs are actually very minimal. Front steps are great—or anywhere where people can be “stacked” at different levels. There are probably plenty of places in your backyard that are suitable. Even something as simple as a king size bed works—people are relaxed there and can cozy up and be themselves, which is exactly what you want.
Color Coordinate
Matching outfits are odd, unless of course, your family actually dresses that way day to day! You want your family members to look the way they normally look. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do some coordinating. For example, plan to wear colors from the same general category, such as neutrals or brights. Avoid prints, stripes and logos.
Cozy Up
When getting a group shot, make sure everyone gets close to one other. And avoid having people face the camera square on. It’s better to have them stand at slight angles. Think in terms of “mini groups.”
The Dinner Table Shot
For a group-at-the-table shot, the person taking the picture should position him or herself at the far end of the table and step up onto a stool or stair so the photo will capture all the people and the table setting. Your best bet for getting a good shot (with everyone’s eyes open!) is to do just a bit of staging. Tell people what to do and where to look. The only hard and fast rule here is to snap the pics before the food is served. Otherwise you’re sure to get some less-than-flattering mid-bite shots. And you know Grandma Rose won’t like those.
