Top tips from Marlborough Photographer, Rachel Mullins Photography
With Christmas just around the corner we all may be starting to think about putting our trees up in the next couple weeks or so, organising our food shopping (for those that are not already super organised) and arranging family plans; who’s hosting, how far are we driving between relatives and friends this year and so on…
So with that in mind, I thought it may be helpful to put together a few of my ‘top tips’ for documenting your Christmas and the festive moments that surround it:
1….The best type of images you can take at Christmas are the candid shots, the ones ‘in the moment’ when no one has noticed you. The one of Dad slicing the turkey or cousin Sam stuffing his face with brussels sprouts or putting decorations on the tree. So keep your eyes peeled for any of these fun moments to photograph.
- Use a fast shutter speed of at least 1/500s or faster to freeze motion or go for 1/1000 fr very fast action shots.
- In low light, balance this with higher ISO or a wider aperture, like f/2.8 or f/4 to let in more light and create background separation.
- I would set your camera to Auto Focus (AF). This keeps moving subjects in focus by tracking them as they move through the frame.
- To maintain a fast Shutter Speed in Darker environments, increase your ISO. Start at ISO 400 and raise it as needed (to ISO 1600 or higher).
- You can shoot in either Shutter priority (S on Nikon/Sony; Tv on Canon). Alternatively, try Manual Mode if you’re comfortable balancing shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.
- Check what type of lens you have, if you can rest it on something to stop any camera shake that is always helpful if you don’t have a tripod or VR lenses to use, which help with image stabilisation to reduce motion blur.
2…Playing games is always fun at Christmas around the table, sat on the floor around the sofa in the living room; whether Monopoly, cards or a personal favourite of mine – charades! These are brilliant moments to capture the fun and laughter at Christmas naturally with your family and friends and are another great way to practice fast paced photography. Even out for a bike ride or Christmas Day walk. If using a camera, not your phone for this, I would use the following settings:
- Use a fast shutter speed of at least 1/500s or faster to freeze motion or go for 1/1000 fr very fast action shots.
- In low light, balance this with higher ISO or a wider aperture, like f/2.8 or f/4 to let in more light and create background separation.
- I would set your camera to Auto Focus (AF). This keeps moving subjects in focus by tacking them as they move through the frame.
- To maintain a fast Shutter Speed in Darker environments, increase your ISO. Start at ISO 400 and raise it as needed (to ISO 1600 or higher).
- You can shoot in either Shutter priority (S on Nikon/Sony; Tv on Canon). Alternatively, try Manual Mode if you’re comfortable balancing shutter speed, aperture, and ISO.
- Check what type of lens you have, if you can rest it on something to stop any camera shake that is always helpful if you don’t have a tripod or VR lenses to use, which help with image stabilisation to reduce motion blur.
Fast-paced photography takes practice and a fair amount of trial and error to understand your camera’s limits and refine your timing. The more you shoot, the better you’ll get at anticipating and capturing action.
3…Group shots are always fun! I can HIGHLY recommend putting your phone or camera onto timer mode, this creates a sense of urgency and fun for all the family. It definitely gets the children more involved and looking in the same place!
- Positioning; if doing a group photo and you don’t have a tripod, I would suggest finding a flat surface you can rest your phone on and something for it to lean against, a large book, some pillows or an ornament (that won’t break and break your heart!). Also if using your phone for this, make sure the phone is facing you and you turn the camera around using the icon on the camera setting, effectively to ‘selfie mode,’ so you can see the composition of your photo.
4…You can also play with taking still images of your decorations, such as: a close up of your turkey with the Christmas tree in the background or a close up of your favourite bauble on the tree with children opening presents in the background. Have fun with exposure too and playing with the ‘Bokeh effect’, putting the subject you want to focus on in the foreground and blurring out the background, to make your chosen subject stand out. You can achieve this on your iPhone using Portrait mode and using your finger to touch on the subject you’d like in focus, then snap away.
- If using your camera, use a wide aperture (a small f-number like f/1.8 or f/2.8). This makes only your subject sharp while the background becomes blurred, creating a beautiful softness and a professional look.
5…Most importantly, HAVE FUN! There is no right or wrong way to take your festive images, just make sure the light is right (you can play with this and shadows, use lamps, windows and other light sources) and that your positioning is where you want to be, plus of course your composition is thought through. Play with angles; go low, raise up high and aim down. Just have fun.
The run up to Christmas and Christmas itself is my favourite time of the year (being born this time of year probably helps!) and what better way to savour the essence of family time, what it means and essentially create a visual legacy for your future generations to look back on fondly of what you did ‘back in the day,’ as they say!
There are a couple of free apps that I would definitely recommend to have a play with your imagery:
- InShot – If you want to have a go at editing your images or creating a video reel from your video snapshots on your phone. This is a great, easy to use platform to get creative with your images.
- Canva – Another great, easy to use app to give you the ability to create a multitude of creative designs from social media posts to invitations and print material.
The wonderful Pete at Marlborough Photo Services is always there for all your printing needs!
Don’t forget that the Christmas Light switch on is fast approaching, gather with your friends and family on the 29th November, outside the Town Hall, Marlborough. Why not take your camera and have a go at shooting in lower light, playing with the ISO and shutter speed, as well as playing with different angles to document your evening to kick off the festivities.
Feel free to contact me should you wish for more insight rachelmullinsphotography@gmail.com
Customer Service Advisor – Sarah Raven, Marlborough
