Christmas !!! Help

shutterbugjo · Nov 25, 2010

Hi All,
Looking for advice as my daughter wants me to take a photo of her family to have made into Christmas cards. Funds are short this year so we are hoping this works out :meh:

I am as as "green" as grass to photography but I am trying.

I would appreciate any tips, advice on everything from clothing color to what we could use for a nice background.

I just don't know where to start

Thanking you all in advance for anything you could do for me.

Hugs
Jo

Big Mike · Nov 26, 2010

Well, it would help if you could give us something to go on.

A few tips:

Try to have everyone in similar clothing. They don't have to be matching outfits, but keep them within the same tonal range and color palette. Another way to put it, don't have everyone wearing brown, except for one person wearing bright pink etc. You usually want to avoid 'loud' colors or patterns.

Be mindful of your background/setting. A cluttered background will distract attention away from the subjects, while a clean & simple background can let the viewer focus on the subjects. The weather around here has warmed up a lot since the cold snap last week, so it might not be too troubling to shoot outdoors. This should help with lighting and hopefully you can find a nice place to shoot. You don't necessarily need to look for a great view or stunning backdrop...just look for something that isn't distracting. Shooting out in the snow might be good for Christmas card photos, just make sure that you set your camera to expose for the subjects, and not the snow, otherwise you will end up with underexposed photos.

Shooting outdoors (during the few daylight hours we have) would probably be a good choice for lighting...but if you do have to shoot indoors, try to do it during the day and try to use a large window for lighting. Indoor house lighting is actually quite dark and would probably require the use of flash, (and unless you can bounce the flash or get it off-camera, it should be avoided).

When it comes time to pose them, think of their faces and oval shapes on a blank page....then arrange them so that the spacing of the ovals is pleasing. In other words, try to have them someone evenly spaced, don't bunch them too close or stack one directly over another. It can be a real pain if there are small kids but just do your best.

shutterbugjo · Nov 26, 2010

Hey Big Mike,
Thanks for your quick reply.
Sorry for the lack of information. Too ignorant to even think of this as yet.
I have beginner equipment.

Canon Rebel T1i 500D
18-55mm IS f/3.5 5.6
Canon zoom EF-S 55-250 1:4 5.6 IS
Canon 50mm f/1.8
Tokina SD 11-16 F2.8 ( IF DX
Canon Speedlite 430 EX 11
Optics 58mm C-P-L
Hoya HMC UV(c) 58mm

Zero experience

That's what I have purchased so far. Now I have to learn how to use it :wink:

Could you advise on which lens would work best for this Christmas photo indoors and out.

Regards
Jo

Big Mike · Nov 26, 2010

Ah, that's better.

If you have the room (space) I'd suggest trying to use your 50mm lens. That one has the best ability to give you sharp photos, both because of the nice optics and because the larger max aperture can help to give you a faster shutter speed.

If you have to shoot indoors and you don't have enough space, then the 18-55mm will have to do. I'd avoid using your super wide lens, it's not ideal for portraits.

Since you have a good flash, I'd consider using it, indoors or out. Indoors, try bouncing it off walls or the ceiling. Outdoors, just shoot it straight at the subjects but turn down the FEC if it's too much.

Really, the most important thing will be that you get a comfortable, happy looking family. So concentrate on that, as much or more than what gear to use etc.