How to improve your family photos
I have always been the go to person in my family on help everything camera related. I thought I would share some of my tips today.
Learn how to use your camera. The question I get asked the most is, "I want to take better photographs, which camera should I upgrade to?" Instead of upgrading to a new camera, first take a photography class at recreation center or a community class. An old friend of mine from photography school and I were playing with my point and shoot on the beach years ago, and he took amazing portraits of me. The camera was very basic. The photographer was excellent. It is less about what you have spent on gear and more about what you know and how you use that knowledge.
This photo was taken of me years ago by the very talented Agustin Gonzales on a low end point and shoot, so low end it didn't even last two years.
Treat your digital camera as if it were a film camera. I have noticed most people are "shutter happy." Don't do it! Resist the urge to take 5 of the same photograph because one may be better than the other. Spend the time to get the first shot correct. If you keep taking multiples you are creating more work for yourself when you get back to your computer, because you will now have to play a tedious game of "spot the difference" and delete the rest. Pretend you only have 24-25 frames for the day, and use those frames for the greatest shots and moments.
I was very shutter happy when photographing this fawn. I didn't want to miss a thing, but by doing that I also missed experiencing the moment in real time.
Cull down your photographs and name the files ASAP. As soon as you get back to your computer delete the shots that are out of focus or someone is blinking (and redundant photos if you couldn't resist being shutter happy). If you keep hundreds of so-so photos, you are less likely to go back and look at them in the future because it takes too much time. Also, when you download the files off your camera, name the files by date to help you keep them organized on your computer. You will be thankful later on when you are searching for photographs but can only remember the general time frame when it was taken.
Be on the lookout for more tips in the months to come on working with available light and posing!