Capturing Life on Film

Photos can do so much more than document the events, vacations and special occasions in our lives. They can also capture the personality of our loved ones, the mood of a special event and the essence of a certain place. It's true that good photos make better scrapbook pages, but more important, good photos can capture the spirit of our lives!

Not a photographer? Never fear. We've researched simple techniques for taking better photos. Whether you have the latest in digital technology or a disposable camera, here are great tips and ideas for capturing life on film.

First, the technical stuff: lighting, staying steady, and tips on gaining a new perspective. Then we venture into the "artsy" side of photography for some fun, simple ways to take prettier pictures.

Lighting

Lighting is one of the most important things to consider when taking photos. Overcast days offer the best lighting option, especially for photographing people. Bright sunlight will result in sharp shadows—not the most flattering—so on sunny days, place your subject in the shade.

Whatever the weather, always make sure the light source is NOT coming from behind the subject, otherwise your photo will be washed out or the subject will become a dark shadow.

Staying Steady

Ever notice your movements when you shoot photos? Often, people tend to press just a little too hard on the shutter, causing the camera to tilt slightly when the photo is snapped. A good way to control this is to steady your body while you're taking photos—lean up against a tree or wall, or prop your elbows on the table.

Perspective Sometimes the best photo is a straight-on closeup with the subject centered in the frame, but why not pick a different perspective next time you shoot? When shooting photos of animals and children, get down on their level. An arial photo of a dog won't capture as much personality as a close-up shot of the dog's face. Shooting from behind is a great way to capture the subject sitting or strolling away. Shoot upward to get a different perspective. This technique is great with kids! Shoot the subject to the right or left of center. The subject doesn't have to be in the very middle of the photo, especially if you want to capture the subject and spectacular scenery. Shoot your subject to the right or left of center. Shoot the same scene vertically and horizontally. This will help photos fit together on a scrapbook page and gives you more design options when you put your page together. Fill the image area with the subject; less cropping will be needed and you'll get a larger, crisper image with a clearer focal point. Cluttered photos are difficult to scrapbook because they can look too busy.

Taking Great Vacation Photos Even if you don't take a lot of photos of everyday life, chances are you do take pictures on your vacation. Look through anyone's album and you'll probably find lots of pictures with the same set-up: a person standing in front of or next to a notable monument. These photos are great, providing a sense of place while documenting your trip. If you want to spice up the scene a little, try these ideas—let's visit the Eiffel Tower and see how we could photograph a vacationer and the famous monument differently: Tilt the camera at an angle to get a different perspective of the Eiffel Tower. Stand at the base and shoot directly up. Show the relationship between sizes—have someone stand right next to the building. Shoot your subject looking at or walking toward the Eiffel Tower, rather than posing in front of it. Shoot your subject in profile, focusing in close on his or her face, with the Eiffel Tower in the far background. (It doesn't matter if the Eiffel Tower isn't crystal clear—you can easily identify it by its shape! The best piece of advice while photographing vacations? Document what you're doing, not what you felt obligated to see! Did you go all the way to Paris to stand in front of the Eiffel Tower? Or did you go to Paris to sip coffee at a sidewalk café and visit museums? Perhaps a trip to the Eiffel Tower was on your to-do list—great; now ask yourself why you wanted to see it. Then try to capture that feeling in your photo!

Look beyond the subject. You'd be amazed at the background elements that can interfere with the subject: lampposts and trees are notorious for "growing" out of the subject's head. Consider the colors before you snap that group shot. If Jason is wearing an orange shirt and Jennifer has on pink, you might place Katie in the blue sweater in between them. Getting Artsy The trick to taking more interesting photos is simply this: take more photos, from different perspectives. Instead of shooting only the requisite three or four family Christmas pictures, take close-up photos of meaningful items as well: a gift-wrapped package, a place setting before Christmas dinner, a favorite ornament. Nature and weather also provide us with wonderful opportunities to take unique photos. Zoom in on a frost-covered leaf, a puddle with raindrops falling into it, a mittened hand holding a snowball. Why Are You Taking This Photo? Okay, we've all been guilty of taking (or even staging) a photo in order to use a certain paper or embellishment. We laugh about it—but it's actually a very practical way of taking your photos. Do think about why you're taking the shot before you snap it. What do you want to capture?

Get in close to eliminate background and capture the subject's expression.

Zoom in on interesting plant life, as seen here. (Click to zoom in)

Do you want a picture of the kids posed in the park—or would a series of action shots on the swings be better? Do you only want one photo of this event or scene—or would it be better to get several shots and make a double-page spread? Ask yourself what you hope to document in this photo: a typical playday in the life of your child, the fun of the first day of spring, your child's first turn on the slides by herself? Capturing the Real Subject Most people automatically pose when they see the camera coming—they put on a smile, straighten their posture... we all do it, and the result is that people tend to have the same "camera face" in every photo. While posed photos aren't bad photos, it's also fun to capture the "unposed" personality of your subject. For example, small children dressed in their Sunday best are cute... but how much more fun (and realistic) to capture the look of children after that formal Sunday photo is taken, when the jackets, ties and fancy (uncomfortable) shoes come off and the carefully combed hair is disheveled. Taking photos of everyday events is a great way to add some interest to your photos, and provide you with alternatives to the "Sunday Best" photos. Remember, life isn't picture-perfect, so why should your photos be?

A fun way to capture someone's personality is to take a series of multiple photos. Sit down across the table from your subject, steady your camera by placing your elbows on the table, and tell them you want to take photos of them during the conversation. Shoot at least a dozen pictures—it sounds like a lot, but then you'll have more to choose from. (You'll probably get better photos after the subject warms up and gets accustomed to the camera!) Select three or four photos and group them together on a scrapbook page—suddenly, your subject becomes animated, as you've captured the way he or she gestures, laughs and tilts his or her head.

Focus on Your Photos

Most cameras will set the focus for you. This means the camera automatically measures the distance from you to the object in the center of the picture, assuming that the main subject of the photo is in the center of the frame. If you want your subject to be off-center, while your subject is centered, press the shutter halfway and hold it while you turn the camera, then press the rest of the way.

Here's another idea: Do you want your subject to be in focus? Sometimes having the background in focus and the subject slightly blurry results in a better presentation. Imagine a photo of a couple kissing in front of the Eiffel Tower. The photo would be fine with the couple in focus and the Eiffel Tower in the background—but how much more romantic to have the couple slightly blurry and the monument in sharp relief?

(And who says blurred photos are bad photos? Car races, kids running, puppies playing—sometimes a bit of blurriness adds to the "action" theme of the photo.)

Camera & Developing Tips

Have your film processed at a local film developer instead of using a wholesaler. It may cost more, but the benefits outweigh the costs (and many local film developers offer frequent shopper programs to help you save money).

Why? Wholesalers frequently outsource their processing, which means your film gets sent out of the building. Not such a big deal—but many scrappers have horror stories of film lost in the process. Why not establish a relationship with a retailer who knows how important your film is? You'll get better, faster service from a professional—and that alone can be worth the additional expense!

Be sure to look at those photos before you leave the store—and when you do, keep the photos in the same order. That way, if you spot a problem with the results, you can take the photos back in right away. Keeping the photos in order will make it much easier to find the negative that matches the print.

And Don't Forget

Taking photos is a great way to capture the important people, events and occasions in your life, but take care not to fall into the Family Photographer Trap, where you're so busy taking the photos that you don't end up in any of them-or worse, missing out on the activities yourself.

In the end, you might miss out on that perfect photo—but you'll still have the memory.

Special thanks to Mike Jarvey for technical and artistic input!