The Phocaccia Podcast is out! + Holiday portrait tips
2010-10-14 20:31:39
I am proud to announce that finally my Photography Podcast in Spanish is out! The Phocaccia Podcast will be released every two weeks from now on and I will be bringing in a variety of topics of all things photography, interviews, equipment reviews, technical and aesthetics tips.
Please feel free to pass this on to your photo-enthusiast friends, IT IS FREE!
This first episode I am honored to have Fernando Carrizales on the show, a great photographer and educator talking about the process of teaching and learning photography. You can listen to it, subscribe to the RSS feed and find links to Stitcher and iTunes at the Phocaccia website.
That time of the year again, Halloween is a couple of weeks away, then Thanksgiving and everybody's own flavor of December holiday. With these, coming together of families and also, the grand American institution: the holiday family portrait, here 10 tips to have an image that will make you proud and maybe even generate some envy...!
1.- Don't wait until last minute. You need time to select, edit and mail/email your portraits! You should start the process well in advance if you want to be ready for mid-December. October sounds like a great time to start.
2.- Get props. To make an interesting holiday portrait, get some related props. For Christmas, glass balls, red and green, candles, stockings, etc. The Menorah cannot miss for Hanukah! All of these will help to create an ambience for the shot.
3.- Create a "set". Place your backgrounds strategically in a place where the whole family can sit without a problem. Create a "Portraitscape", some of the items in front of the "sitters" and some to the side and behind. Do this beforehand so that kids don't get bored during the sitting.
4.- Look for a large window on a side, find a place with a simple background. SIMPLE IS BETTER!
5.- Take that flash off the camera. If you can -and if you absolutely have to!- use a bigger flashpack and bounce it off a surface, such as the ceiling or a wall. Set up the camera in place with a tripod so that it is ready! (Talk to the wife -or husband- before and let her know what you are intending to do! :-)) Figure out the timer/wireless remote thing before you even set this up!
6.- Take the family for dinner. Plan for it, schedule a fun activity BEFORE to create the mood (make them write their wishes? call grandma on the speakerphone?), make it a happening and snap the portrait just before leaving the house, everybody will be more relaxed.
7.- Color coordinate clothing. It is easier to get a better picture when colors match.
8.- Take LOTS of shots. Especially if you are photographing a large group. It is very common to have eyes shut, or just not the right pose. Taking lots of shots will increase your odds of getting "the one".
9.- Once you are done, don't be afraid to aggressively crop the shots.
10.- Hire a professional. It is not about you, it is about looking good on the portrait. This will allow you to be more relaxed during the shot.
Take that lens cap off!
Huba Rostonics is a Madison, WI-based Photographer. He is constantly looking for new things to put a frame around. You can check his work at http://www.rostonics.com, you can also follow Huba on twitter @ http://www.twitter.com/rostonics.
