Search Results for: blog more common sense tips to capture a frame worthy picture

Make Your Own Spooky Shots

Halloween pictures don’t have to only include trick-or-treaters and pumpkins. If you are looking to add some mystery to your All Hallows’ Eve photos, then look to the sky. The moon phase for Halloween 2011 is Waxing Crescent which means you won’t have a full sphere to document. Still, the light from a Crescent moon will easily help to cast an eerie glow on your holiday subjects. However, before you shoot at the sky, consider that there is a distance of approximately 240,000 miles between you and the moon. Unless you have special equipment you probably won’t be able to … Continue reading →

Halloween Snaps

If you are like me, then you try to get the most use out of your kid’s Halloween costume as you possibly can. In my family that means frequenting Halloween events at the children’s museum, the zoo, school, the public library and other public and private venues. However, regardless of where your little ghouls or gremlins go to get their sugar high, frame worthy photo opportunities are lurking around every corner. If you are looking to snap keepers of your kids this Halloween, consider the following tips: Get Creative: Rather than have your Wolverine clad son pose stiffly next to … Continue reading →

Taking Shots at Your Little Shooter

Some photographers refuse to snap photos outdoors at high noon on cloudless sunny days. Sure, the lighting conditions are not ideal. You’re forced to contend with harsh shadows and squinting subjects; however, after spending two days this past weekend trying to photograph my neighbor’s 9-year-old participating in an intramural basketball tournament, I would gladly shoot midday on a sunny day rather than in a gym lit exclusively by fluorescent bulbs. Now, that’s agony. In case you are caught in the same predicament this season, consider the following: First, scout out the location prior to shooting. I didn’t… and I paid … Continue reading →

The High Price of Cute Kid Shots

For most parents, the sky’s the limit when it comes to budgeting for professional photos of their children. Of course, these days you almost have to dig deep if you want personalized pictures of your kids. Professional infant photography has come a long way since the days when naked babies were placed on bearskin rugs and mom and dad cooed in the corner as the photographer snapped a few cute shots. Today, baby photography is a sophisticated genre which aims to produce high-quality artistic images that will last for generations. Still, there are a slew of camera-wielding parents out there … Continue reading →

High-Action Fall Photographs

High school football is a huge deal in our small city, and with Homecoming week festivities kicking off today, I expect snap happy parents will be working overtime this weekend. In addition, to the big dance and big game, the local high school is hosting a massive pep rally where cheerleaders will take center stage. Our neighbor is beside herself right now as her daughter is the captain of the cheerleading squad and is on the Homecoming court. Basically, my friend will be living with a camera attached to her face the entire weekend. I don’t think she has to … Continue reading →

Capturing the Flavors of Fall

Sure, the vibrant autumn leaves are stunning and the portraits of kids in their Halloween costumes are delightful, but there are other signs of fall that also yield frame worthy shots. Are you ready for some football? More importantly, are you ready for some football cheerleading? Not for nothing, but I have daughter, and unless there is some cataclysmic event that suddenly allows girls to join high school football teams, then I will likely be focusing my camera lens on the sidelines in order to snap action shots of my girl being thrown in the air, all in the name … Continue reading →

Breaking Into Photojournalism

I’ll never forget the first time video I shot aired on the evening news. It was 1992. U2 was in town for a concert at my alma mater the University of Wisconsin-Madison. More than 65,000 rabid Bono fans crammed into Camp Randall Stadium to see the Irish rockers jam out every hit single from Achtung Baby. The concert went off without a hitch. It was the post-concert activity which led to my photojournalism debut. Some drunken idiots, who didn’t have tickets to the concert, but sat outside the stadium to soak up the residual sounds decided to pick fights as … Continue reading →

Lights, Camera, Action!

Don’t let summer draw to a close without snapping some action shots with your digital camera. Take a break from posed portraits and start snapping action-packed images of your kids swimming in the pool or your partner running down the beach. However, before you wear out your finger pressing your camera’s shutter button, be sure to keep the following tips in mind: Aperture: Manipulating my camera’s aperture in order to stop action has been one of my biggest downfalls this summer. Using a low aperture will allow the most light into the camera. This is extremely important if you are … Continue reading →

The Importance of Camera Position

When was the last time you shot the same image vertically and horizontally? Most hobby photographers shoot in the moment. They point, shoot and let the image develop as it may not thinking about how a photo could look if the camera was held a different way. Most beginner photographers don’t realize that the way the camera is positioned can make a huge impact on the tone of the shot. The way you hold the camera, vertically (up and down) or horizontally (left to right) helps determine the way your subject is framed. Camera position also helps you get as … Continue reading →

Let There Be Light

Finding the perfect light for your photos is not always easy. This is especially true if you are shooting outdoors and are at the mercy of Mother Nature. Still, there are ways to capture frame worthy pictures with just the right light if you know how to work with the elements. The sun is the source of all natural light, so learning to work with sunlight is something photographers need to master. Rather, than fighting the sun’s rays let them work for you. For example, if you are taking shots of your son playing in the sandbox at high noon … Continue reading →