Photo lunch and learn PowerPoint presentation

1. How To Take a Better
Holiday Photo
Bladen Community College Library

2. Plan
Plan
Have A
Vision
Prepare
Produce
Practice

3. Prepare
Plan
Prepare
Study Your
Camera’s
Manual
Produce
Practice

4. Practice
Plan
Prepare
Produce
Practice
Using props
and your
camera

5. Produce
Plan
Prepare
Produce
The photos that
will be
cherished for
generations
Practice

6. Best Time of Day To Shoot
Golden Hours
Early Morning
Late Afternoon
Outside Christmas Lights…30 minutes after sunset

7. Composition
Before
Better

8. Best

9. Photographing Children
Patience, Patience And More Patience
• Get on their level
• Don't say “say cheese” most children do not
like cheese
• Don’t have several people trying to get them
to smile
• Older sibling holding younger sibling, usually
does not work

10. Composition
Notice Lamp Post
Avoid Putting Your Focal Point in the Center of the Photograph

11. It’s Best Not to Center Subject
Example
Not centering a subject can
make a photograph more
interesting.

12. Photographing Decorations
Before
After

13. Removing Objects
Before
After

14. How To Avoid “Flat” Photographs
Example: Change Angle

15. Shooting Inside To Capture The Magic Of
The Holidays
Flash or No Flash
If you want to capture the mood
and atmosphere, it is better to
turn the flash off, the flash will
destroy the Christmas lights

16. Explore Different Angles
• Before – Notice the paperwork
• After - Moving paperwork

17. Background

18. Composition – Family Shots
Close Up
Distance
• This perspective shows more
details about your family
• This perspective your family is
small but will show more of the
surroundings

19. How To Take a Better Holiday Photo
Eldest members of family in the middle (Always a good idea not to move them)
Adult male children in back with spouses in front of them (always checking to see if
everyone is visible)
Children can be on the ground or next to their parents, however they feel most
comfortable
If there is an infant, place it in the lap of the eldest member, do this last
You, if you want to be in the photo, in your notes you should have made a place for
you, and in your preparing you should have learned how to use your timer

20. Tips
Take a deep breath and hold when
taking a shot, will help with
camera shake
Don’t be shy, move in closer if you
don’t have a zoom lens
On average it takes at least 10
shots to get one acceptable shot
Review Your
Notes Just Before
Shooting
Clean Memory
Cards
Fresh Batteries and
Extras
Remove Unwanted
Objects From Shot
Extra Memory
Cards

21. Bladen Community College Library
Resources
• Books – Handout - Refer to Book List
• Magazines
• Ebooks – NC Live
• Library Guide

22. Diane W. Vitale, Presenter
Contact Information:
Bladen Community College Library
Student Resource Center, Building 7
Phone: 910-879-5641
dvitale@bladencc.edu
www.bladencc.edu