Try Different Textures: The fall temperatures mean you can pull out all the fantastically colored scarves, sweaters and hats.  Play with layered looks and change accessories to see which items add that perfect pop op color and texture.

Photograph the Kids First: If your family gathering includes fairly young children, consider photographing them first.  Start with individual shots and let them move around and offer suggestions.  Take a few images of them in action—looking at flowers, sitting on a bench or petting the family dog—and show them what you’ve done so far.  When they see the results, kids are likely to be more cooperative throughout the rest of the photo session.

Invite Friends:  For tweens and teenage kids, invite a friend or two.  Photograph the kids and give them the images to use for their Facebook pages or personal blogs. Again, by making the event enjoyable, they are more likely to cooperate when the time comes for the family shot.

Take the Show on the Road: Consider photographing at a local park where you can experiment with backgrounds and use colorful fall foliage.  We often assume our outdoor photographs must be taken by the lone tree in our backyard, but by making it a road trip, your options expand exponentially. Just make sure to test your cameras batteries and double check that you have everything you need before loading up the car!  If you’re going to be at your location for a while, consider putting some water bottles and snacks in the car to help keep the kids cooperative when hunger strikes.

Get it Together: Make sure you know how to use the delay setting on your camera if you intend on being in the shot.  If possible, play with it a few times prior to your outdoor photography session.  And, of course, your tripod will be indispensable

Take a few test shots without the kids so that you have the background scenery and the basic distance and positioning figured out.  This bit of extra effort will help you get your group in order and get the images taken in pretty quick succession.

Things to Bring: If at all possible, bring a tripod and a remote trigger for your camera.  A tripod will steady the camera and allow you to try different locations and angles to see what works for your particular situation.  You will also want your lens cleaning kit nearby to ensure smudges don’t ruin your holiday memories. Better yet—consider our new Promaster HGX filter that has the exclusive REPELLAMAX Element Resistant coating which repeals moisture, dust, and fingerprints. Try the fingerprint test to see how well it works!  http://tinyurl.com/293lxml

During busy holiday visits, you will also find extra memory cards handy.  There’s nothing worse than running out of room on your memory card and trying to impulsively decide which images to delete to make room for new shots.  http://tinyurl.com/ygs4um

Lighting Considerations: When photographing a long table with people seated from one end to the other, proper lighting is critical to making sure everyone is evenly covered.  If your light source is far away from your subjects, the light will fall off gradually; however, if you are shooting close to your subjects (using a point and shoot camera, for example), the light from the flash will fall off quickly and can make those seated further away from you appear darker (because the light from the flash is diminishing and not giving proper illumination).  Here are a few things to try:

• Check available light around the table.  Do you have windows that will offer light and how will this light change when it is time for everyone to sit down for dinner?
• Ask a couple of guests to ‘model’ for you for a few minutes.  Seat one close to the front of the shot and the other at the far end.  Play with different angles and with light sources (lamps, overhead, etc) to see which best offer necessary fill light.
• Try bouncing the flash off the ceiling to see if you can create a more even light stream across the table.

The Kids Table: This is where the real fun happens! If you have a separate kids table, make them the stars in a few photographs.  Try standing on a chair and shooting from the top down while they hold up their water glasses in a kid toast.  With kids, playing with angles is particularly important because you want to capture the event from their perspective so shoot at their eye level—as adults, we often tower above them, especially when they’re seated.

Stage Your Shots: The standard head-on group shot is fine for starters, but here’s a chance to let the kids play a commanding role.  Ask them to create their own scary poses or have them jump out from behind a wall and shoot once they scream “Boo!” Let them orchestrate a scene and photograph each step—your burst mode might come in handy here—and create a series of action photos that tell their unique and spooky story.

Photographing Your Jack-o-lantern: Photographing a jack-o-lantern can be a tricky proposition. Make sure the carvings allow enough light to come through the holes—consider carving a wider smile or eyes if needed.  Most people put a single candle inside but for photography purposes, you’ll need more light to come trough so consider adding one or two more candles per pumpkin.  Better yet—try inserting a small flashlight instead.

You can also up the spook factor by placing your jack-o-lanterns on a reflective surface such as a wood table.  Just be aware of the area behind you; keep the lights dim and move any objects that would clutter or compromise the background.

Make Your Own Lighting Prop: Instead of using a flash, which can be too stark to create the scary feel you seek, try taking a flashlight and covering the front with wax paper and a rubber band.  Have your child point the flashlight toward his face—keep it at waist level and out of the shot—to create a soft and spooky lighting effect.

Give the Kids Presence: Position yourself close to the ground and photograph your subjects while shooting upward.  By playing with your position and their poses, you can create an ominous image and make the kids look taller and more foreboding. They’ll get a kick out of seeming larger than life and the resulting photographs will be more compelling than a standard shot.

Enhance the Details: Does someone have an amazing make-up job or scary mask? Shoot their face full-frame for greatest effect.  Today’s costumes have some of the most remarkable and intricate detail, so if something catches your eye, use it as a focal point for an image.  Maybe it’s a skull bracelet or a prop that grabs you; it’s the small details that often make the most unique photographs.

No Reckless Photo Posting: Remember to never post photos of anyone else’s children on Facebook or other sites without first getting permission from their parents. It can be very disconcerting for someone to come across a photo of her own child without knowing about it in advance.

Happy Halloween!

The current generation of digital cameras does a pretty good job of using automatic settings for white balance, but this gets more difficult in conditions where there is less light available. If you’re in a situation where the lighting leaves something to be desired, creating a custom white balance for a particular place to be used at that time may yield far superior results.

If you only learn a few key features on your DLSR, creating a custom white balance is one that will come in handy in many situations.  If you’re not sure how to do this, give us a call or bring your camera into the store—we’d be happy to help you.  You won’t believe the difference in your photography!