Camera Settings
1. Indoors
ISO 1250, f/2.8, 1/80 sec, 24mm
ISO 1000, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, 24mm
ISO 1000, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, 50mm
ISO 1000, f/2.8, 1/80 sec, 45mm
ISO 2000, f/2.8, 1/80 sec, 70mm
ISO 1250, f/2.8, 1/80 sec, 24mm
ISO 1250, f/2.8, 1/80 sec, 70mm
ISO 1250, f/2.8, 1/80 sec, 70mm
ISO 1250, f/2.8, 1/80 sec, 62mm
ISO 1250, f/2.8, 1/80 sec, 32mm
2. Holiday Lights
ISO 1600, f/3.2, 1/80 sec, 70mm
ISO 400, f/1.8, 1/30 sec, 50mm
ISO 640, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, 50mm
ISO 800, f/1.8, 1/80 sec, 50mm
ISO 400, f/2.0, 1/50 sec, 50mm
3. Outdoors
ISO 200, f/2.8, 1/800 sec, 70mm
ISO 200, f/2.8, 1/500 sec, 70mm
ISO 200, f/4.0, 1/640 sec, 70mm
ISO 400, f/4.5, 1/640 sec, 70mm
Basic Flash Tips
Direct flash, ew! Let’s fix that…
Set your exposure
- Set your shutter speed between 1/160 and 1/200 sec
- Set the aperture to around f/2.8-f/8
- Set the ISO to around 100-400. Take a test shot to make sure you can’t see any existing light in the image. Lower the ISO if you can still see some light in the shot.
Set the flash
- Set your flash on TTL auto mode. You may need to dial the flash down to keep it from being too harsh. Try changing the flash compensation setting to -1.3 to -0.3.
- Turn your flash so it’s bouncing over your shoulder and slightly up towards the ceiling.
Shoot away!
Tips on Getting Photos of Siblings
1. Ask them to squish their cheeks together
2. Sing a song with the wrong lyrics
3. Get their heads close together
4. Tickling!
5. Silly faces
6. Fake laugh
7. Dance party
8. Bum wiggling
9. Let them do the things they like doing together
Ideas for Documentary Style Holiday Photos
- Baking cookies together or other holiday traditions
- Have your kids capture what the adults are doing
- Take photos incognito
- Don’t forget the detail shots
- Be patient and watch for moments and laughter
This Month’s Assignment: Twinkle Lights
Capture a photo or series of photos that incorporate holiday lights in an abstract or “thinking-outside-the-box” way. Bonus points for having a composition with interesting layers of foreground, middle ground, and background. Good luck and have fun!
Thanks for the awesome tips and tricks. Can’t wait to get my twinkle on!
Beth
p.s. How come your family is playing “Go Fish” and not Euchre?
Hi,
Thanks for coming to speak tonight. I really liked the flash tips. That is the one thing I struggle most with.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the wonderful tips you shared with us last night. I can hardly wait to decorate our house for Christmas so I can start playing around with photographing with twinkle lights!
Lindsay, thank you so much for the photo tips! Knowing how to work with lighting is such a huge help, especially for capturing those warm, holiday moments. Fun to have a homework assignment, too! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Thanks so much for coming out and sharing so many great tips. I especially liked the specific ideas of how to identify a great shot – through the tree, twinkling lights, getting the people giggling… great stuff!
Thank you so much for volunteering your time to share so many tips with the group! Because of the holiday I will probably be getting the wrap up notes published next Tuesday so maybe if you do the drawing on Wednesday that would give the mamas enough time to visit??
thanks for coming out – i loved how you documented your family’s christmas tradition (and your family’s craftiness :))
I’m sorry I missed the class on Monday night. But I love looking at your site and seeing your tips so a BIG thank you for that!
Thank you, Lindsay!! I enjoyed your presentation and am excited to work with adding layers to my photos! Great tip and inspiration!! :) Happy Holidays to you!
Thank you so much for the tips!
I am going to try out the tips you gave us to get kids to giggle on my son and nieces tomorrow at Thanksgiving!
Thank you so much Lindsay for helping us momma’s out! I loved hearing how you always have had photography in your life and now it is not only your fun passion but it is your job! Congrats, not everyone gets to do what they love for a living! Thank you for sharing your talent!
I enjoyed your tips about holiday lighting! I can’t wait for our holiday lights to be hung so that I can start shooting some pictures of my daughter and her cousin! I loved your comments about layering the photographs as well. It makes photos so much more visually interesting! Thank you for sharing your time with us!
Lindsay,
Thanks so much for a great lesson on holiday shooting. I tried out your tips on using the flash and the photos came out much better looking!
thanks for the tips! i missed the meeting, as we were out of town, but i love this compilation. so great!
Thank you so much for the tips at the meeting – you have an awesome talent! Thanks for sharing your brain with us! :)
Hi all! Thank you so much for your lovely comments and I’ve contacted the winner (Diana Gray) for the complimentary session as selected by random.org :) Happy holidays!!