Photography Potpourri----NO To "Cheese" and YES to Hatsby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 04 Oct 2007 11:47 PM In the last couple of weeks I've provided tips on how to capture frameworthy shots and what to do when you don't have enough frames to preserve your prize-winning photos. Shooting the perfect picture and organizing the end results... you'd think I would have exhausted all of my advice by now, but you'd be wrong. I have a few additional tips I wanted to share with you.
(When my daughter was an infant she would wear a different hat nearly everyday.) JUST SAY NO TO "CHEEEESSSSE." It's the universal method for getting photo subjects to smile (or least contort their faces into a pose that simulates smiling). Just say "cheese." Visit Disneyland and you'll hear the phrase being uttered from parent to child from Adventureland to Fantasyland. In Hawaii even the Japanese tourists say "Cheezu" before getting their pictures snapped by locals. (Trust me; I have experienced this first hand on countless occasions.) The problem--saying "cheese" often produces an unnatural look that most often neglects to resemble a smile. To elicit a more natural look try telling a joke or finding some way to get your subject to laugh. When my daughter was an infant I used to fan her face with a piece of cardboard and she would instantly smile. WARDROBE Before taking a group shot consider the "look" you are trying to capture. This will help when you are trying to get the troops dressed and ready prior to posing. Whether you are going for a formal look or one that is more casual it's important that each subject reflects this look for the sake of consistency. Simple hairstyles and outfits work best. And when it comes to color, remember lighter colors generally make a subject look larger. Also, in an effort to further tell a story with your pictures you might want to consider adding a few props to your shot. For example, if your son is a star trumpet player, include his instrument in your shot.
(More hat pictures for the "H" page.) PHOTO ORGANIZATION AND STORAGE---"H" IS FOR HAT In my previous blog about organizing pictures I failed to share with you one of my favorite methods to store and display shots. In the years since becoming a snap happy parent I have collected well over 5,000 pictures of my young daughter. There's only so much scrapbooking, framing and archiving a mother can do so to spice things up a bit I put together an "ABC" album. In a single album I used calligraphy letters to head 26 separate pages. On each page I place photos of my daughter with various objects that start with a given letter. For instance, on the "B" page I have pictures of her on her first bike, eating her first banana and rocking her baby doll. And on the "H" page it's all about hats. (As an infant my daughter wore a different hat nearly every day.) The project turned out to be a lot more exciting than I had anticipated. It's a great way to organize and display pictures and young kids stand to learn lessons about letters and words in the process. Related Articles: Telling A Story With Your Shots Snapping Frameworthy Shots Of Your Kids More Common Sense Tips To Capturing A Frame-Worthy Picture Common Sense Tips To Capturing Frame-Worthy Pictures Cameras: Knowing When To Upgrade Digital Photography 101: Getting To Know Your Camera Getting Digital Pictures To Friends And Family FAST! Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantphotography tags User Comments  QueenAngie Central Illinois, USA (59956) 05 Oct 2007 10:20 PMGreat tips! So glad you are sharing. Love the new photo of you and your DD! She has really grown.  Michele Cheplic |
Photography categories |
