Family photos to get excited about
For some people, large families and loud gatherings go hand in hand, no matter how lovable your relatives are. If your family gatherings are notoriously quite noisy, intense and full on, one great way to step back from all the mania and still enjoy everyone’s company is to designate yourself to be the photographer for the day. You’ll get to be slightly removed from the action, while capturing some beautiful memories with the most special people in your life. Here are some hints to ensure you’ll be relaxed and able to enjoy yourself while taking some happy, candid shots of everyone having a good time.
• Keep it candid – An album full of posed photos of people smiling will quickly get very boring. While it’s okay to have some posed photos, it’s the candid snaps which will really capture the essence of the event. To make sure people don’t automatically turn around and smile whenever they see the camera, use a zoom lens so you can zoom in on any action from further away.
• Action! – If you own a good quality HD video camera, you may want to consider bringing it along too. Try to take candid video of your loved ones laughing and chatting, children playing games outside, and any emotional moments that may occur.
• Use your photos – Don’t leave those important snapshots sitting on your hard drive for months. A CD, large print or printed album with a selection of your snaps from the day can be a great gift to your relatives who you may not get to see that often. You can also use your photos to make personalised Christmas cards for your family members.
• Have fun– Take time to enjoy the day’s activities, mingle, enjoy the food, dance, drink and be merry. Remember, if you have a digital SLR camera, great, but you can take beautiful shots on a compact digital camera, too.
Meanwhile, photography enthusiasts can also take advantage of some helpful tips presented by the pros including the best equipment to use in different scenarios.