The first one that I will introduce you to is Photo Friday! Every Friday I am going to share with you something photo related. It might be my favorite photos from the week, a photo tip or trick, or a new photo technique that I am working on. All that being said, I am just a mom who loves to take pictures and wants to take better ones! I have no real training (I did take one photo class at our local community college) and mostly just experiment. I love to read up on new techniques and use a lot of trail and error. I may not always do things the 'right way' but I do what works for me.
That brings us to today's Photo Friday. I know that Halloween is gone but I know that some of you are going through the photos you took this Halloween and are either loving them or wishing they turned out better. So this is what I did this Halloween to get some great photos.
Take advantage of the great light at the end of the day!! Eat a quick supper and then head out in your costumes and use that beautiful end of day light. Go to your backyard, front yard, or even a park to get those shots. Also take a photo of everyone in character by them self. Have them strike that certain pose so you get the full effect of the costume. If you can remove a mask take some with those off as well. As much fun as it is to get dressed up it's nice to see faces too.
Get a group shot!! If you have a theme for your costumes this is a must, but even if you don't have a theme it's always great to get a shot of the kids or the whole family together. Use a tripod and your self timer or remote to get you in the picture. Ask a neighbor to come snap some if you don't have either of those. We had our neighbor use our remote after I got our shot all set up. Totally easy and stress free.
Don't be afraid to crop!! Use a photo editing program to crop in close and really get that detail. Square photos are big right now with Instagram and you can even order square prints at mpix. Here is our photo before cropping. Not a bad photo but cropping sure does make it better.
Bump up your ISO!! This is something I am always scared to do but tried it this year while we were trick or treating. Yes, you might get a little noise but if you want pictures without a flash in the dark it can work. I bumped my ISO up to 1600 and used my 50mm lens for these shots of the boys and decorations (f-stop and shutter speed below the photos). This look might not be for everyone but I like to look back at my Halloween pictures and have them feel like we are still walking around in the dark. It also helps to get that glow in the decorations.
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| 1/25th at f/1.8 |
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| 1/40th at f/1.8 |
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| 1/25th at f/1.8 |
And one last tip, move!! The boys were walking ahead of us and there was a car with it's headlights on. The boys were almost glowing. I had them stop and got this shot.
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| 1/30th at f/1.8 |
Not horrible but not what I had in mind. But, by moving down to their level and using the boys as a diffuser of sorts I was able to get this shot.
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| 1/30th at f/1.8 |
Much better to me. Yes, it has a little noise but I just love the feel of this shot. So don't just get stuck in one place with your camera. Move and get the shot you are looking for.
I'll leave you with one last group shot. Thanks for stopping and I hope these tips will help you get the Halloween shots you want next year.
These are fantastic photos, Jen! Thanks for all the tips and sharing your pictures. Love them!
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