| jumanku | Date: Thursday, 22/09/2011, 3:23 PM | Message # 1 |
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| There are several reasons for the general lack of quality in birthday party pictures today. See if any of these look familiar:
People don't tend to place the same "level of importance" on taking birthday party pictures as they do say, anniversary parties, graduations, and of course... weddings.
Birthday parties for babies are typically a major family event where most of the energy is spent making sure it runs smoothly and the baby doesn't spit up on the birthday cake!
The real shame in this is that baby birthday parties are a virtual treasure trove of photo opportunities, if you know the secrets for capturing them.
For kids' birthday parties, most of the energy goes toward making sure the birthday star is having a good time, and the guests aren't killing each other, not in taking terrific photos.
The people who generally take the birthday party pictures are the busiest multi-tasking people at the party, and therefore feel fortunate to have even remembered to bring the camera, let alone take wonderful birthday shots.
There are unique challenges for taking birthday party pictures that most people are not aware of; hence, the resulting photos come out not as good as they could.
Very little photographic planning goes into taking birthday party pictures. Preparing for the most important birthday party (your baby's first) begins with finding great supplies including first birthday supplies. After that, it's time to prepare photographically.
Preparation!
birthday girl framedKnow The Location: Whether the party takes place in a home, party room, or amusement park; realize that each location has its own photographic "blueprint." Prior to the date of the event...
Determine the source of lighting (natural, fluorescent, tungsten (light bulb), or candles)
Know the best white balance setting for the lighting. Note that when using a flash, switch the white balance to Flash, regardless of the normal source of lighting. When in doubt, use the Auto or Automatic white balance setting.
Determine whether you should be using any exposure compensation.
Is bounce flash appropriate (the smaller the room/shorter the ceilings, the more appropriate it is to use bounce flash)?
Are there obstacles that will get in the way of any birthday party pictures (columns, fixed objects, plants, etc.)? If so, plan your seating or your shooting location accordingly.
How's the background? If it's neutral - use it. If it's ugly, maximize
Seating Arrangements: If rectangular tables are being used, take the birthday party pictures facing the wide end of the rectangle, using a wide angle lens setting.
If you shoot any birthday photos from the narrow end of the table; use a medium aperture such as F/5.6 if you are only interested in the birthday boy or girl.
On the other hand, if you want to get everyone in the picture (while shooting from the narrow end), use as large an F-stop number as possible (optimally F/22 or higher).
However, even if you do, realize that some of the guests will probably still be out of focus (hence, the "shoot from the wide end" suggestion).
Test Shots: Take practice shots the week before the party, using what you believe are the correct camera settings. This allows enough time to see the final result on your computer. Go through the shoot-examine-adjust settings cycle until you are satisfied.
LCD Display: Avoid using the display to check anything other than if you cut off anyone's head. LCD displays should NOT be used to confirm contrast, color, exposure, or any other critical factors.
This is why the computer is needed to evaluate test shots prior to the party.
If you are very experienced, you can tell certain things from the histogram, but to be safe - take test shots and examine the results on a computer (or, ideally a printer).
What do you do when you look at the final images and they are less than you had hoped for? All is not lost. Sometimes it's possible to make an average photo spectacular by editing the image.
You don't need to be a Photoshop guru either! There are excellent easy-to-use packages available that will And it's even free!
Equipment: Have fully-charged batteries, memory cards, chargers, external flash, lens accessories, and tripod ready.
The Birthday Party Pictures List: Jot down the Must Have pictures, as well as the ones you would like to capture, if possible.
Look At The List: As you get swept up in the excitement of the birthday party, you won't remember all the great shots you wanted to take during the birthday party, unless you refer to your list.
Capture Some Shots Before the Invasion
Calmly take some birthday party pictures before any guests arrive. Identify your most gloriously decorated areas and snap some "before" photos.
If you wait until the party begins (or worse yet, after the party is over), your photos will look less like a birthday party and more like a fraternity party.
If there are shiney surfaces or glass, try to avoid using the flash. Boost up the ISO appropriately. If the surface is flat, use the flash. If taking photographs of lights (as above), take photos with and without flash, but check your white balance.
Very often the best birthday party photos will be candids. Since most birthday photos are generally posed, candids take on a special uniqueness.
Candid birthday party photos of sleeping children should always be a top priority. Why?
On a purely emotional note, they are always cute, will typically produce a smile for the viewer, and sometimes even get a laugh.
However, there is an important technical side to candids, and particularly candids of sleeping subjects. The entire point with candids, is to not have the subject know their picture is being taken.
With sleeping subjects, a flash won't disturb them (at least not until the classic photo is captured).
However, if your subject is awake, it is much more difficult to capture a candid birthday party photo because the pre-flash alerts the person.
Therefore, if candids are your objective, crank up the ISO, use as large an aperture setting as possible, use the correct white balance, and then check the shutter speed.
This is critical! To avoid camera shake (that will blur AND RUIN your photo), you don't want to use too slow a shutter speed. And how can you tell what too slow is?
Use the "Inverse Ratio Rule," where your shutter speed should not be slower than 1 divided by the focal length of the lens you are using. You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?
OK, quick tip review - here's 2 examples to make it easier: if you are using a 100mm lens, you want your shutter setting to be faster than 1/100 of a second.
For a 50mm lens, shutter speed should be faster than 1/50th of a second. Make sense now?
If for whatever reason, you are using a slower shutter speed than suggested by the rule, please use a tripod or steady yourself against an object.
The great thing about using a tripod is that you can use a long focal length (200mm and above), a slow shutter speed (1/15th of a second) without a flash, and still zoom in for some fantastic candid birthday party photos!
Use Color
Take advantage of the one thing you have plenty of at the birthday party... COLOR!
Here's a photograph secret: sometimes simply using a lot of color (or colorful objects) in the same picture is enough to make it stand out. Forget about white balance, F-stops, etc., show me the color!
Of course, it also helps to be in focus, but you knew that already. The truly redeeming thing about the top photo is it was taken after the entire birthday party was trashed!
By simply gathering up some of the "dead colorful remains," and semi-arranging them... voila, a very nice birthday party picture!
And if you can add a close up shot of the birthday star's face in the picture, that's even better.
So keep in mind that although the party may be over, you can still take birthday party pictures! You just need to be a bit creative.
And, to start your creative juices flowing, consider...
The birthday star surrounded by all the presents
Mom and dad collapsed with all the torn wrapping paper and ribbons placed (or dumped) on top of them
A few party hats and/or decorations on the family pet
Take Advantage of Any Surplus Time
If it's your child's birthday party, they will never look better than they do before the party starts.
If possible, find a spot where natural light is entering a window and POSE them and the cake for some big smiling photos. (The younger the child, the less chance for smiles, so don't go crazy.)
And, by the way, there will be plenty of opportunity later to take some birthday party pictures with cake and ice cream dribbling out of their mouth.
Each picture is a potential classic so if it's truly important to take each one as well as possible, there's a book that could help. It presents 500 sample photos, tips, guidelines, ideas, and posing secrets for dramatically improving your baby's pictures.
Light The Cake
Play around with different perspectives when photographing candles on a birthday cake.
Of course, the "standard" is where the entire cake fills anywhere from 50% to 90% of the frame. But everybody takes those.
Use a creative angle and have the cake over-flowing the frame. Remember, you can always crop the final photo to accomplish different looks.
Most people use the flash when taking birthday cake photos. Why? Since many people turn out the lights before the cake's grand entrance, the scene is dark to begin with.
And, if you are inexperienced with a digital camera, it will probably be on "automatic," and the flash will fire whether you want it to or not.
Set the camera to a non-automatic mode, use a high ISO setting, and if needed, use a tripod. If you don't have a tripod, set the camera on a solid surface, aim & focus, and take the shot.
If the shutter speed is slower than 1/60th of a second, do not attempt to take the picture while holding the camera.
If you do, you will probably fall victim to camera shake and therefore a blurry photograph.
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