Read more: Local, Darn Good Question Better Pictures
You may have gotten a new camera recently.
You've taken hundreds of pictures of the family...but still can't quite get the kinds of results you are looking for.
Don't blame it on the camera. The problem, most likely, lies with the operator.
How can you take better pictures? We asked professional photographer Jennifer Mott to give us some tips in this week's Darn Good Question.
Her best advice is to avoid direct sunlight, as it tends to overwhelm your subject and create a lot of shadows on their face. Instead, find some shade and face your subject out toward the sunlight to help eliminate shadows and produce a more even light across their entire face.
Be careful of your background. While you don't want something as stale as a white wall...you don't want something overly busy either. Watch that you don't have a tree, pole or other object sticking out of the subjects head.
With kids...shoot them at their level. Avoid the "look down" shot by bringing the camera down to their level....or by bringing them up to you.
And while the formal "sit down" shot is always okay, letting the kids roam free produces a more natural result.
For especially "active" kids, giving them a wagon, toy or other object to hold their attention can help to keep them still for a few seconds.
Framing is always important. The best portraits fill up the entire picture with the subject...and practice the "rule of thirds", which simply means instead of centering your subject, visualize your view as being split into thirds vertically and horizontally...then place your subject's face on one of those intersections.
Lastly...bright eyes make your subject look alive and perky. Keep moving around and adjusting your location until you see them. You'll be much happier with the results.
And if you simply want to hand the entire project over to a professional, Jennifer is available for hire. You can always visit her website: www.jennifermott.com.
