I am so excited to bring you this week’s
Find Out About Friday – Five tips from professional photographer Ed Westwood to
help us all get better photos this Christmas.
I was chatting to Ed about how disappointed I always am with my
Christmas photos and he shared several really practical tips which I know I can
use. Imagine then how thrilled I was
when he agreed to share his top five tips with all of you too – and with the
very special offer he is sharing with us all at the end!
Firstly let me tell you a little more about
Ed – he is a corporate PR and commercial photographer who delights his clients
with event or studio based images. His clients range from multinational
companies to sole traders and he has been published in local media. Ed also has a growing portraiture and private
events business through Memories and Moments by Ed Westwood Photography – oh
and as those of you who have met him will know, he is a really great person
too!
So over to Ed for his Top 5 Tips for taking
better Photos this Christmas
Hello everyone – I hear from a lot of
people that they often feel the photos they take are not as good as they would
like and that they wish they had better photos to help them remember special
times such as Christmas. With this in
mind I am pleased to be able to share 5 simple tips to help you get the best
possible photos this Christmas, whatever camera you are using, Compact, DSLR or
even your mobile phone
Tip 1 - Simple is often better.
Don’t try to cram too much
into your photos as it will all get lost in a very busy picture. If you want to take a picture of one of your
children opening their presents then do just that. Include your child, their presents and don’t
worry about the Christmas tree, cards on the mantel pieces, other guests,
fantastic Christmas spread etc, etc... you get the idea. You can always take another picture of them!
Tip 2 - Move to get the image you
want.
Move
around the room to include what you want and take pictures whilst you are doing
it. Grandpa asleep after Christmas lunch
might look better from the front instead of the side – and you might get a shot
you really like somewhere in between.
Think about height as well as position in the room. A simple rule of thumb is that subjects
generally look better if you take a photo at their eye level. That could mean kneeling if you’re
photographing children or getting even lower if you want that fantastic shot of
a pet.
Tip 3 - Look at the whole picture
before taking the photo.
Everyone has seen those funny images where
someone has a palm tree growing out of their head but it is surprisingly easy
to do. You will be focusing on your
subject and waiting for just the right moment but take a few seconds to look at
around the picture. What’s behind them,
next to them and in the foreground. A
simple step to the right or left might make all the different and turn an amusing
but unusable photo into an amazing one.
Tip 4 - Vary your lighting.
Don’t be afraid to open
curtains or turn on lights when taking photos this Christmas. The flashes that come on cameras are getting
better but are still one directional and
can lead to unflattering shadows and reflections – not to mention the dreaded
red eye. If you find yourself in a dark
situation this Christmas then I would recommend trying non-direct natural light
first (opening the curtains), then overhead lighting and use your flash as a
final resort. No two situations are the
same so if have a chance, try all three, and see which results you like best.
Also, if you find very dark
areas in a well lit photograph then you might have an issue with uneven or
direct light. Try evening the light out
by removing very bight sources or adding a bit more to the dark areas.
Special Tip: If there is not enough light then this will not always show as a
dark image on your camera screen.
Sometimes too little light results in slow shutter speed leading to a
blurred image. Add more light and try
again.
Tip 5 - Take lots of photos.
Once you’ve bought a camera
and memory cards taking extra photos is virtually free so snap away. When I’m shooting a simple PR event outside of
the studio my client worthy shots may be somewhere between 1 in 5 and 1 in
10. So if my clients wants 10 good
photos then I will be taking at least 100, but usually more.
For important moments keep
snapping as you don’t know whether your favourite photo will be the first or
the last.
Look at your images on the
camera screen after the first shot if this moment to check if there is anything
significantly wrong with the images. In
particular that they are not too dark and there is no unwanted items in the
frame. Taking lots of photos is especially important when there are multiple
people as I am continually amazed at how people manage to blink at just the
wrong moment..!
If you are
taking photographs at a particularly import event then see if you can arrive early
and take a few test shots to find the best vantage point and if you are having
Christmas at home you can take some practice shots at different times of day
too.
Bonus tip: Taking better photos doesn’t stop once the images have been captured. Careful image selection, especially if you
have taken multiple photos of a single event is just as important. A good way to do this is to think of the
story you are trying to tell and keep it simple. A photo really is worth a thousand words so
sharing hundreds of photos will overwhelm even the most enthusiastic viewer.
I hope these tips help you get better
photos this Christmas and the most important thing is to enjoy the results of
your photography. There are so many ways
to share your fantastic images so don’t let them just sit on a computer
somewhere.
However you view them, enjoy them, and Ed
Westwood Photography wishes you a very Snappy Christmas and an image filled New
Year.
Thanks Ed! I don’t know about the rest of
you but I can’t wait to put these tips into action and then to have better
Christmas Photo’s to scrap and to enjoy.
Now that special offer I mentioned …
Ed has just stated to offer hands on
photography courses. His day long Digital
Photography, Getting Better Results Course is great for those who want to
learn about what their DSLR or Bridge camera can really do who want to take their camera off automatic. You can read all about it here.
The usual price of a place on this fab
course is £99 but if you quote Feeling Crafty when you book before the end of March
2013 your place will cost just £50 - now
that really is a great Christmas Present from Ed that will keep giving! Places on each course are carefully limited
so book as soon as possible - just email him and don't forget to mention Feeling Crafty to get your discount!
Happy Stampin'
Pin It
.gif "5 Tips for Better Photographs this Christmas - great and practical tips from a professional!")
