If you listen to The Digi Show you heard Steph describe learning to shoot in manual mode. Did you hear her mention that little line thingy at the bottom of her viewfinder?

Yes. It has a name. And a lot of information.

Let me introduce you to your Internal Light Meter!

Yep. That’s it’s name. Reading light is its game.

It is always on. It reads the light reflected off of your subject, whatever subject you point it toward.

Pick up your camera and give it a try.

1. Start by placing your camera in Manual Mode! (Leave your lens on Auto Focus. It’s M is something different).
2. Point your lens toward different colors with different intensities of light, you’ll notice it bounce toward the + side and then -.
3. Point it at a bright light. It goes to the + side. It’s reading a lot of light reflecting off your subject, telling you, “I’ve got too much light for this exposure!”
4. Point it at a dark subject. It goes to the – side. It’s reading low light from your subject, shouting, “I don’t have enough light for this exposure!”

Understanding how those numbers are moving is the first step to shooting in manual mode.

Simply put, you want the indicator to be right in the middle for a “correct” exposure.

But what do you do if you point it at your subject and it’s not? Say it looks like this.

It’s giving you a lot of information. The indicator on the 1 tells you that you have “one stop” too much light. The 100 on the left is your shutter speed. The 1.4 is your aperture. The 100 on the right is your ISO. Your viewfinder, of course, may look just a bit different.

So how do you get rid of light?

You have three choices:

• Close your aperture one stop, reducing the light one stop.
• Speed your shutter speed one stop, reducing the light one stop. (The curtain opens faster, less light comes in! Thanks Vivre for finding my typo!)
• Decrease your ISO one stop, reducing the light one stop.

Three choices all to get you to a correct exposure. Well, kind of.

If you are pointing your camera at neutral gray, the indicator in the middle shows you a correct exposure.

If you are pointing your lens toward skin, then go to the plus side 2/3 stops. What the heck is that? And how do you remember? Think of it as two clicks from the middle or two of those little hash lines? How do you get there? Those same three choices I mentioned. Adjust your aperture, shutter speed, or ISO. Those three are always working together.

But what happens after you’ve adjusted your light meter to “the spot” you want it and it continues to bounce around? Once you’ve dialed it in you ignore your light meter until your subject or the light changes!

Give it a try and see what you find! For even more fun figuring out how all of your settings work together, try the SLR Camera Simulator. Or heck, just grab your camera and see what happens!

Now you know what Steph does! Have fun.

Now your creative photography begins.

P.S. It’s Steph here, I couldn’t resist popping in just to say that THIS amazing little trick Katrina shared today, is what FINALLY put me on manual mode, after 8 years!! I’ve been shooting in manual since Digiscrapapalooza… and that class I took with Katrina and it all started to make sense…and I cried. I had given up hope that I would ever move to manual mode.  I’ve now shot over 1000 photos with the dial on the M for MANUAL! It still makes me a little giddy!

Some photographers believe in doing all their cropping in the camera, meaning that they try to compose the picture properly as they take it so there is no need for post-production cropping in a program like Photoshop. That might work if you are a professional photographer with the time and energy to plan out all of your shots, but for the majority of us, it’s just not practical. Not to mention all of those pictures from the past that we scan and photos taken by other people. The truth is that many of us are cropping a lot of the photos we use on digital scrapbook layouts. I would say that almost all of the pictures on my layouts are cropped in some way.

If you have never cropped a digital photo, I have a few helpful links to share:

• Crop a photo in Photoshop Elements 10
• Crop an image using Photoshop CS5
• Just for beginners – cropping a photo
• How-To Crop Photos on a Layout (and not get funhouse mirror family members in the process).

If cropping significantly changes the photo (removing background items or people), consider keeping the original and the the cropped version in your photo archive files.

Remember, cropping can change photo file sizes and resolutions which can have an impact on future printing of the pictures. If possible, keep the cropped image as a standard size, full-resolution image.

I rarely crop my photos when I load them into my computer. I do crop my photos ALL the time when I’m digi scrapping though because it’s so easy! What’s my secret? I let templates and photo masks do all the work for me.

Here’s a photo I’d like to use on a layout, but I want to get rid of all the extra background distractions and keep the focus on my son.

When I place the photo in this template (by Darcy Baldwin) I can simply size the photo within the masked space and it will crop it for me when I apply the picture to that layer (using CTRL+G in PSE)

I never have to crop the actual photo, I’m just using the template photo shape to help me place the picture in the size and shape that I want. You can also use this trick on layouts without templates. Just pick a shape to fill your photo with.

There are many reasons to crop a photo and the great thing about doing it digitally is that wonderful “undo” feature if you go too far!

Improve Your Composition

A photo can go from good to great with a little bit of cropping. Use a gridline with the rule of thirds when cropping to help you improve the composition of your picture.

When it comes to composition, this isn’t a great picture. There’s a lot of empty space at the bottom and top of the photo and the subjects are lost somewhere in the middle.

When I use the rule of thirds grid in the photo editing window

I can see that there is nothing of interest on any of the intersection points.

By cropping the photo using these grid lines, I can make a dramatic difference in the overall look of the picture.

Remove Distractions

The most common reason that I crop my photos is to remove something distracting. When I took this picture in St. George, Utah, I didn’t notice the tied tree on the right hand side. For me, it detracts from the scenic view of the condominium where we stayed.

With a minor crop, the picture is cleaner and nothing of importance is lost from the scene.

Get Creative

Cropping can be done for creative reasons as well. There’s nothing wrong with having some fun with your photos!

Turn this

into this

Standard photo

Quirky and creative photo!

Even with digital cropping, you should be careful not to cut out too much from a photo.

Don’t Cut Context

This cropped photo of all of our suitcases could be used on a layout about our cruise to Alaska a few years ago.

But it’s so much more interesting with the background in place. Now you can see my tired kids sitting at the airport. They were all traveled out and listening to headphones and playing games. They were both wearing t-shirts from one of the ports we visited (Victoria B.C. in Canada) The hustle and bustle of the airport building is in back of them. The story is much more complete with the context of the entire photo.

Don’t Amputate

If you are trying to fit a photo into a certain shape or space on a layout, you might be tempted to cut off some arms and legs. (Sounds brutal, doesn’t it?) While there are no set “rules” for how to crop body parts, it’s generally thought that cutting them off at the joints is not eye-pleasing. If the crop feels uncomfortable, don’t do it!

Which one do you prefer? Cut off at the knees?

Or the full body?

Don’t Overdo It

Someday, you might want to see the mess in the background, the cars parked on the street, or the goofy face someone is pulling behind you. I actually wish I could see MORE of the background in this photo of me as a baby asleep on my Grandpa’s shoulder. I would love to have a peek at what my Grandparent’s house was like at that time.

Every photograph tells a story and you can improve (or take away) from that story with how you crop a photo. Use common sense, and don’t be afraid to try new things, but be sure to save your original file intact as well. Cropping is a great way to make your photos look their best, which also means you’ll have better looking digital layouts. Crop on!

P.S. The clippy frames in the title image are by Allison Pennington. The banner titles are from Digitally Smitten by Gina Cabrera Digital Design Essentials. The font is Lobster.

Is there anyone who doesn’t want their photographs to be sharper? It is one of the most common questions people ask me.

So here you go! Almost 100 ways to get sharper photos!

Steady Your Camera

• Use a tripod when it’s practical.
• Use a solid surface to rest your camera when a tripod isn’t practical.
• Use a remote release when it’s practical. (It’s usually not practical for me, so keep on reading.)

Use Good Form

• Steady yourself against a doorway or other solid surface.
• Tuck your arms into your body, steadying them against your chest. TIGHT!
• Press your eye tight against the viewfinder.
• Get a firm grip with both hands.
• Shoot like a sniper. Yes, I said it. I’ll let you google it!
• Breathe out and shoot before you take a breath. (Okay, this is a sniper technique. I like to think of it as a yoga technique though!)

Watch Your Shutter Speed

• Shoot with a shutter speed fast enough to stop motion, at least 1/125th of a second.
• Use a FAST shutter speed for fast moving subjects, between 1/1000 to 1/5000 of a second.
• Shoot with a shutter speed fast enough to avoid camera shake, at least 1/50th of a second with a 50mm lens.
• Read more about shutter speed.

Use The “Right” Aperture

• Watch your depth of field! Use an aperture narrow enough to get your subject in focus, think f/4.0 or f/5.6.
• Avoid the lure of your widest aperture!
• When more than one person is in the photo use a narrow aperture, think f/5.6 to f/11.
• Find the “sweet spot.” Use an aperture one stop narrower than your widest aperture. If your lens is an f/1.8 choose f/2.5. Think of it as three “clicks” from your widest aperture.
• Want to use your widest aperture? Step back from your subject some.
• Read more about aperture.

Know Your ISO

• Keep  your ISO low to get the least noise.
• Learn the limit of your particular camera by shooting through your range of ISOs to learn how high you can push it.
• Read more about ISO.

Look For Light

• Shoot in good light. The better the light, the easier a great, sharp exposure is.
• Read more about light.

Focus-Focus-Focus

• Avoid letting your camera choose the focal point.
• Use your center focal point for the sharpest photos.
• Opt to change your focus point rather than focus and recompose.
• Learn back button focus. (Also known as Focus Lock or AF-On for Canon/AF-C for Nikon)
• Watch your focal distance, leave enough space between the lens and your subject.
• Keep things in the same visual plane to keep them sharp.
• Focus on your subject’s eye that is closest to you.
• Read more about focus.

Choose The “Right” Lens

• Use your lenses’ vibration reduction (VR on Nikon) or image stabilization (IS on Canon).
• Turn it off when your camera is on a tripod.
• Shoot with a prime lens when possible. (Think 50mm, nifty fifty, it’s a bargain!)
• Clean your lens! The more crud on your lens, the more chance it’s going to show up in your image.
• Read more about lenses.

Mind The Odds & Ends

• Shoot more than one photo. Check your drive mode and bump it to continuous shots!
• Roll your finger slowly over the shutter button.
• Slow down! Sometimes you do everything right but add your own movement to your image as you are moving on to the next thing before you click the shutter.

There you have it!

Put them all together, shoot with a bit of intention, and you’ll get sharper images.

What’s your go-to method for taking the sharpest photos?

(Okay, it’s a bit short of 100, but I really wanted to use that cute photo!)

Geotagging means putting a geographical location with a photograph to tag where it was taken. Flickr pioneered geotagging in 2006 with map pinning features on their website. With the advancement of consumer level GPS tools more people participated in adding location tags to their photos. Now that smartphones have cameras that automatically save the geographical coordinates when enabled, geotagging is commonplace for many photographers whether they know it or not.

Why Geotag?

I love to use geotagging when I’m traveling because it’s like putting a virtual pin on the map of earth to show where I have been. I only have a small portion of my public photos currently geotagged in Flickr, but you can get a good idea of how the idea works by looking at this map. Note – geotagging is not limited to Flickr, I’m just using my Flickr photos as an example.

By adding geotags, you embed the actual location of the photo into your EXIF data which means it is written to your photo file. This is a great way to add valuable metadata to your picture that will tell others about where it was taken.

This also means that you might unwittingly share locational information that you don’t intend to if you aren’t careful with your settings. You will notice that most of my geotagged photos are outside of my home state of Utah. The only nearby photos that I feel comfortable marking on a map are taken at very public locations where there are many people (like a Jazz Game) and I only share those photos after I have left the area so as not to advertise my whereabouts. Others might feel differently about this level of privacy (wanting more or less), but this is what feels good for me.

As a general rule, I turn off my iphone GPS location settings when I’m home and I turn it on when I’m traveling – but I’m very careful about posting pictures publicly when I’m traveling and I wait until after the trip is over before sharing any of them online.

How to Geotag

There are many ways to get geographical coordinates attached to your photograph.

• Use a camera with built in location services (such as an iPhone) and make sure the location settings are enabled.
• Take a photo with an iPhone at your shooting location to mark your spot and then shoot the rest with your regular camera. You can manually add the same coordinates later on when processing the photos.
• Use a GPS device and make notes to manually add the coordinates to your photo when uploading.
• Use an eye-fi card or a GPS camera attachment or a GPS enabled camera that will record the geotag with your photo (check your camera manufacturer for options).
• Look up the addresses where you took the photos and add the coordinates manually when processing. (Thank you Google search!)
• There are web and smartphone apps that will help you with geotagging. Be sure to check the settings on some social sharing apps such as Instagram & Twitter to be sure you are getting the level of privacy you desire.

Here’s a photo I took in Arizona in 2009 using an iPhone 3 camera. I didn’t want to take all my photos with the phone camera, but I did want to record the coordinates.

Because I had the location services enabled (check the settings), I can find the exact point on earth where this picture was taken.

This places it on the map at the spot we were at in Arizona

I used these same coordinates to tag the other photos I shot at the same location. You can find this information from your photo by examining the EXIF data in a photo processing program. I like to cheat and use the easy way by looking at the uploaded photo on Flickr. Simply use the drop down menu under “actions” on your photo and choose “View EXIF info”.

I’m sure some other online sites allow access to this information as well. In my research I found that geotagging is enabled in Picasa. Check the FAQ section for your favorite photo sharing site if you want to find out about geotag capabilities.

Anyone who knows me, knows about how much I love Flickr so I’m sure you aren’t surprised to hear me say that I haven’t found a site that manages geotagging better than they do! I especially like that Flickr lets you manage who can see the information on photos that you share. You can even set up geofences to prevent you from accidentally sharing a photo embedded with your own home or work coordinates – you set up the boundaries!

Geotagging the manual way

What if you don’t have a smartphone, or a GPS device? What if you want to tag a photo that was taken before you went digital? There are plenty of ways to add the coordinates on your own.

I have a photo of a lighthouse in Oregon that has no metadata attached, but I was still able to map the coordinates and tag it geographically because I just looked up the address of where the lighthouse is located. It helps that I remembered the name of the lighthouse – lol!

Most of the time, you can figure out the location of a photograph. I didn’t have any GPS devices with me when we went to Totem Bight in Ketchikan, Alaska, but I was able to find the coordinates by checking it out on a Google map.

I like to manually add these geotags using the Flickr map tools, but you can also edit your metadata in programs such as Lightroom 4 to include the same information. Some older programs might require plugins to work around geotagging limitations.

Really helpful geotagging links

• How to geotag your photos the easy way from geek.com
• How to geotag your photos with Google maps from digital photography school
• Geotagging on Flickr explained
• Geotagging FAQs on Flickr
• How do you find the GPS coordinates of your photos? from digital photo secrets
• How to avoid the potential risks of geotagging on Wikihow
• Stop giving out your home address by kitchenmage.com
• Set up geofences on Flickr

You might even enjoy some of the geotagged communities on sites such as Flickr where you can share you photos and even enjoy those taken by other photographers at the very same place. One of my favorite things to do there is to explore the map and see sites around the world from the comfort of my own computer.

Today’s a great day to check out the locational settings on the photos you take and share. If you don’t want to advertise the exact point on the map where you eat breakfast, be sure you are wise about what kind of information can be viewed in the photos you post online. If you want to create an amazing visual trail of the places you’ve been, geotagging is a fabulous tool!

P.S. Anna was the random winner from the journaling challenge post. She received a $10 gift card from one of our amazing featured designers!

All photos in the image above and in this post are SOC (straight out of camera) and taken with my iPhone 4S.

I took a little trip to Disneyland this past January and the only camera I took with me was my iPhone 4S. It was a big decision for me to leave my new DSLR at home and it took quite a bit of willpower as well. I wanted to pack as light as possible though, and a DSLR isn’t exactly compact. After my first day out at the park, I was glad I made the choice I did.

To help keep things simple, I didn’t use any apps, I just turned my flash off permanently and started shooting! I was amazed at how good many of the photos turned out (without any editing involved although I did crop the photo below).

I’ve been gathering resources for improving smart phone photos since then and thought I would share:

WeLovePhoneography by PhotoJoJo (general smartphone)

WeAreJuxt (expanding into Android as well as existing iPhone)

I’m sure many of you follow @PhotoJack (Jack Hollingsworth – love that last name) on Twitter and have noticed an influx of tweets related to iPhoneography. I sent him an email this past weekend, and he indicated that in the next 45 days, he will be launching a new website and blogsite dedicated to iPhoneography. In the mean time, watch for updates.

You can take a class taught by the one and only Jack Hollingsworth at Creative Live (I’m kinda geeking out about that one…and to think that maybe I could have gone to the live class…kicking myself for not paying attention).

You can watch the first fifteen minutes of Lynda.com’s iPhoneography course for free. After the first two lessons, you will need to make a monthly or annual payment.

Check out Peta Pixel’s post on taking better smart phone pics.

Pixiq says: “You get much better photos with a camera than without one”. So true, and exactly why I love my iPhone! Check out Pixiq’s 8 tips for better smart phone photos.

PetaPixel’s post on taking better smart phone food pictures.

Be sure to check out the above sites on Twitter, Facebook, and their RSS feeds to stay up to date with the latest. I’ve been having lots of fun learning about improving my iPhone photos. Although I’m not sure if I will do Disney without my DSLR next time, it was a lot of fun to challenge myself to just shoot with my iPhone, after all, it is the one that is always with me!

P.S. If you have some smart phone sites you like to follow, please share in the comments!

Are you learning to shoot in manual mode? Do you get frustrated when trying to figure out how to expose for your subject?

A gray card may not be an everyday tool,  but in some situations it absolutely does the trick to get exposure correct.

So what is it anyway?

A gray card can range from a $2.00 piece of paper to a $100 system. I use the 12 inch Lastolite Ezybalance Card available for under $30.

Why would you use it?

Your camera doesn’t see in black and white. Your camera records tones ranging from black to white. Take a look at your camera’s histogram and you’ll see this grayscale range. Blacks are to the left and white on the right.

Right there in the middle of the white and black is middle gray. Middle gray is the color we want to expose for to ensure all of our colors are represented in their truest form.

A gray card finds middle gray, helping you to determine the correct exposure in a given situation.

How do you use it?

Yes, we skipped step 4!

Here are those same five steps in a bit more detail.

1. Place your gray card in the same light as your subject at the same angle.
2. Point your camera at the gray card. You can focus on the center, but it isn’t necessary.
3. Adjust your meter until it indicates a “correct exposure” by lining up the indicator to the middle.
4. Remove the gray card from your scene if your subject will allow it!
5. Ignore your light meter (it will bounce all around as it continues to read the light) and shoot.

When can you use it?

You can use it in almost any situation when you want to get your exposure correct.

I use it when:

• my subject is a difficult to meter color
• when I want the best results possible
• when I have time
• when I’m shooting for someone else

You’ll be surprised at how much a simple extra step can change your photographs. You won’t need to use it for every photo, but when you really care about your results it can make the difference you are looking for.

Have you used a gray card?

One of the fastest ways to frustrate your subject is to ask them to remove their glasses for a photo.

Seriously? I know. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was three years old. Well, except for those two years in college when I decided to just go without because, you know, squinting is such a good look!

I understand why people fear the frames, but there are some simple solutions.

Find Good Light

Good light produces good results. You’ve heard me say it before. Find even, non-dappled, non direct light and the reflections will disappear. If you can’t see the reflection through your camera’s lens, it won’t be on your subject’s lenses. Sometimes this means walking around your subject to find the right angle.

Tilt A Bit

Don’t underestimate the power of a tilt. Have your subject either tilt their head slightly down or turn their head to the side. Once they’ve turned their head to the side, have them turn their eyes to you. Okay, not easy with kids, so you may want to find that good light I mentioned.

You can also have your subject tilt their frames down just a bit by raising their frames a bit off their ears. This is not noticeable to the viewer but can feel a little funky to the wearer.

Diffuse Your Flash (if you must use it)

Diffuse your flash or bounce it off of something if you’ve got to use it at all.

Want to sound smart around your friends or your husband (as you convince him you NEED that new piece of gear) here is a concept you will want to remember.

The angle of incidence equals the angle of reflectance.

In English? It means the angle your light source hits the glass will be the same as the angle the light bounces back. So if I’m using a flash on my point and shoot camera photographing someone looking right into the lens, I can guarantee I will have lens glare.

Avoid the glare by either changing the angle of my light source or the angle of the glasses. This is where our quick, trick of angling frames down just a bit works. The tilt changes how the light hits the glass, eliminating the reflection. Do you feel smarter now?
I hope so.

Live With It

When you look at me in glasses, you will see glare sometimes. Sometimes the frame cuts through my eyeball. But that is the way you see me. That is the beauty of everyday photography. And I’ll live with a little glare if I have to! Consider it a little extra catchlight!

Avoid This!

If you google “photographing people with glasses” you may find the brilliant advice to remove the lenses from the frames. (Note the sarcasm in my previous sentence.) Please don’t use this option. Yes, many professional photographers use this trick, but as someone whose Senior photos were taken this way, they just look goofy. If I was brave enough I’d post my photo, but alas, I am not!

Project 365 is a “project” where a person commits to taking one photo everyday.  I have started Project 365 (P365) at least twice in the years I have been a digital scrapbooker and quit as many times within ten days. P365 is something that I have always loved the idea of, but has also been too overwhelming for me, not to mention how behind I felt in scrapping it. Remembering to take a photo every single day, just didn’t happen and my reality didn’t allow me to do a layout each week. I often felt like a failure.

So, the last time I tried P365, I swore it off for good. I accepted the fact that I would never be able to achieve that goal and therefor, would not attempt again. Until…

A listener of The Digi Show posted that they had found an iPhone app that was really helping them with Project 365. I downloaded Photo 365 and on 11/11/11 (at 11:11) I decided to start P365 and see how long it stuck (I seriously had given it no thought prior to that exact moment). With some new allowances in place, I have been successful since. This is the longest I have ever stuck with this daily photo project.

Why It’s Working This Time

This is another method of documenting memories. With the app, I can enter a bit of text about the photo that is added to the images metadata. This has become a way for me to document memories that might not have been documented in any other way. Small details in my life that I would never do a layout about, but will enjoy looking back on later (for example: my internet grocery order being delivered, a screenshot of doing Facetime with my husbands family on Christmas Eve, my record high score in Ticket to Ride on the iPad, the clock as I sit in the parking lot at a crazy early morning hour waiting for my daughter, etc.)

It’s less about the photos and more about the memories. Because this is another way to document my life, I’ve told myself that it’s okay to use screenshots of texts, emails, or other items as my photo for a day. This has been a super fun addition.

(The above text was sent to my daughter the day after my car was hit by a teenager in the parking lot while waiting for her).

I didn’t start at the first of the year. I know this would be a barrier to some people and you need to do what works for you. I have now realized that one of the reasons P365 hasn’t been successful for me in the past is because I am burned out at the first of the year. After the craziness of the holidays and everything that comes with it, my heart just isn’t into it.

I’m not scrapping these photos. Some of the photos might end up in layouts, but most of them will not. I’m not worrying about doing a layout each week or each month with these photos. Removing the mental requirement that I must scrap these photos has given me a lot more freedom!

An automated daily reminder. I was able to set up a daily reminder at a specific time in the app (1pm in the afternoon). This has been the biggest contributing factor to my success. It comes in similar to a text by vibrating my phone and putting an alert up.

I can forget or miss a day. I am giving myself the allowance to miss a day and come back later and add a photo. I usually take a photo of something from the day that I missed and then add it.

I’m just using my phone. This has simplified a lot of things for me, mostly the keeping track part. I put all of the images into their spot on the calendar in the app and then also add them to my P365 folder of photos for easy access later. My camera on my phone is the camera that is with me most often, no remembering to bring the big one.

I’m enjoying it. So far, I typically look forward to figuring out what photo  or thing will be my photo of the day. Some days, I am more excited than others, but that’s just part of life. This hasn’t become “one more thing to do” and I hope it stays that way. If it does ever become a chore, I will most likely drop it.

(I think it’s important to note (especially for Android users) that you don’t need this app, you could easily set a daily alarm on your phone and put all of the photos into a folder or album. I think the calendar is a super fun addition and worth the 99 cents, if you have an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad.)

I think it was Anna Aspnes that said on one of The Digi Show episodes that we are often limited by the rules that we give ourselves. I have found this to be true for me with P365. By not limiting myself to what P365 should or should not be, I have been able to document more of my life, and to me, that’s what it’s all about!

Looking for support and inspiration for Project 365?

One of my favorite sites for P365 inspiration and ideas is Katrina Kennedy’s Capture Your 365. Katrina’s daily email reminders have quickly become one of my favorite sources of P365 and photography information.

ZigZag Scraps has a few forums for P365 and P52 set up.

Check out Oscraps gallery.

If I did decide to scrap my P365 photos, I would probably use every{day} life 365 system by Weeds and Wildflowers. They also have a support forum and gallery in place:

Be sure to check out these older posts as well:

Our first post about P365 on our second day in existence.

P365 Check in at 4 mos. and 11 days

P365 and Alternatives

Photographing Christmas morning can be exciting and overwhelming. Check a few last minutes details before Christmas morning:

• Charge your batteries.
• Clear your memory card and have extras ready.
• Check the batteries in your flash. Have spares ready.
• Dial in your settings for the morning.

If your house is like mine, our living room gets really cluttered. People and things tend to be everywhere. This year I’m not going to worry about perfect composition and clean backgrounds. I want my Christmas morning to feel and look like the actual event.

I love that the clutter in Christmas morning images can trigger memories of moments, gifts, and special time spent with family.

USE AVAILABLE LIGHT

You may be reluctant to use your flash on Christmas morning. I know my family is never thrilled to have a bright strobe greet them first thing in the morning!

If you want great Christmas morning photos without the flash, you will need to create a little light! You can get light from adjusting:

• ISO – bump it up to a higher number.
• Aperture – choose a wide aperture (small f/#).
• Shutter speed - leave it open longer.

On Christmas morning, get your light from ISO and Aperture. If you slow your shutter speed down, you will have blurry photos with unidentifiable people in them.

Let me give you one more source for light, not a source I typically suggest. Turn your room lights on.  Create ambient light by turning on lamps, overhead lights, and Christmas lights to brighten your room.

Open the shades and let any light from outside pour in. This will give you that extra boost so you can get a shutter speed fast enough to stop motion.

If you have available window light, try to position yourself so the window light is on the faces of the people you are shooting and on your back.

Christmas morning, no flash, AV mode

1. Set your camera to Aperture Priority mode (AV or A).
2. Choose spot metering.
3. Choose an ISO of 800. This number may vary based on your light, don’t be afraid to bump it up.
4. Make sure your shutter speed stays above 1/125 to avoid motion blur. If you can’t keep it there, you may want to consider adding flash.
5. Shoot.
6. Check your histogram and LCD.
7. Adjust your exposure compensation if necessary.
8. Reshoot.
9. Have a wonderful day.

Christmas Morning With Flash

My photos are always better on Christmas morning when I do use my flash. I need that extra light. It seems we get up earlier and earlier the older my son gets! This will change when he hits the teen years, right?!

1. Set your camera to Manual Mode (M).
2. Choose spot metering.
3. Choose an ISO of 400.
4. Set your shutter speed to 1/125th of a second.
5. Set your aperture to f/5.6.
6. Turn your flash on.
7. If you are using an external flash, adjust it to bounce off of a ceiling or wall.
8. Shoot.
9. Check your histogram and LCD.
10. Adjust your flash compensation if necessary.
11. Reshoot.
12. Have a wonderful day.

Point & Shoot Without A Flash

For Christmas morning photos without your flash, shoot in portrait mode. It will give you a large aperture, bringing in more light. Review your images to make sure you like the results. Point and shoot cameras are not as sensitive to light and may need the flash.

If you need your flash consider diffusing it some! To reduce the direct burst of flash, cover it with tissue paper or a plastic container. The light will be reduced and diffused, eliminating its harshness.

Some point and shoots, but not all, will let you adjust the intensity of the flash. Check in your manual to see if that is an option for you!

If you feel like you’ve messed up your camera somehow, you can reset to factory defaults in your menu. That can be helpful just in case something got bumped unintentionally.

ENJOY THE DAY

Enjoy the moments on Christmas morning.

If all your photography knowledge jumbles together on Christmas morning, place your camera on Auto and don’t worry about. There are no camera settings police!

Whether you get good or “not so great” photos, it is the moment you want to treasure! Enjoy your holiday.

Merry Christmas!

Katrina is a team member here at The Daily Digi, be sure to also check out Katrina’s CaptureYour365 for more great photography tips and daily photo prompts!

• Angle of View: What do you like to shoot most often?
• Aperture: What lighting situations will you be shooting in most often?
• Cost: How much do you want to spend?

With these three in mind, you can make a more informed decision. We’ll begin with lens terminology and then break the three big factors down.

Anatomy of a Lens

Let’s take a look around a lens for some of the important things to notice.

Your lens may not look exactly like the examples, but the basic parts will be similar.

Notice the tripod mount on the zoom lens. It is provided on heavier lenses that would be off balance if a tripod was connected to the camera. Also, the zoom example uses a “focal length ring” that is twisted to change the distance. Some zoom lenses are called “push and pulls” because you literally push and pull the lens to adjust the distance.

If you are shooting with a prime or fixed lens, you will have one focus distance and no focal distance ring.

Focal Length & Angle of View

Focal length determines your angle of view when shooting.  The angle of view is essential to telling your story. Do you tell more sweeping stories (wide angle) or do you want to zoom in for details (telephoto)?

Focal lengths are grouped into three categories:

• Wide angle 10mm to 35mm
• Normal 35mm to 100mm
• Telephoto 100mm or more

Wide Angle Lenses

10-35mm

Wide angle lenses are great for landscape photography, architecture, and large groups. They have a large angle of view and a shorter minimum focus distance.

Wide angle lenses are often sold with a lens hood. The lens hood is helpful to avoid the potential of sun flare, more commonly a problem with the larger glass area of a wide angle lens.

Popular wide angle lenses include:

• Canon 17-40mm f/4.0 L
• Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM

Normal Lenses

35 to 100mm

Normal or “standard” lenses get their names because their focal lengths most closely captures our eye’s angle of view. They tend to be light weight and have a focal length easy to use in indoor, closer situations.

Normal lenses are popular for portraits and everyday photography.

Popular normal lenses include:

• Canon 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8
• Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 D AF
• Canon or Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 (this lens is a little wider than normal)

Telephoto Lenses

100mm or more

Telephoto lenses refer to lenses with a focal length longer than 100mm. They are commonly used for wildlife and sports photos. They can be a great alternative for snapping photos of young children from a distance without them noticing.

Many photographers use telephoto lenses for shooting portraits as they compress the background. They also allow space between your model and the lens, which can be more comfortable for your subject.

Popular telephoto lenses include:

• Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L or f/4
• Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8

Prime VERSUS ZOOM

A prime lens has a fixed focal length limiting your angle of view to a specific view. The advantage of a prime lens is its superior quality of glass. You will hear people refer to “zooming with your feet” when they are using a prime lens. For some photographers, prime lenses can seem limiting.

Popular prime lenses include:

• Canon 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8
• Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 D AF
• Canon 85mm f/1.8

Crop factor

The crop factor of your camera effects your focal length.  Most consumer level digital cameras have a sensor larger than 35mm. What does this mean for you? Dependent upon your camera’s brand, you can multiply your lenses’ focal length by the crop factor to get your effective focal length.

This means your wide angle isn’t as wide as with a full frame camera, but it also means your telephoto distances are longer!

Aperture

After focal length, aperture is your next important consideration. Aperture refers to the size of the “hole” your lens uses to let light into the camera. The larger the hole, the more light the lens lets in and the “faster” the lens is considered.

Keep in mind that aperture appears to work backwards. f/1.4 is wider than f/5.6.

Many photographers select a wide aperture for indoor shots and natural light photography. They provide diverse uses and can create beautiful background blur, also known as bokeh.

Cost Considerations

The faster the lens, typically the more costly the lens. F/1.0 is the widest aperture you can purchase. The price of a 50mm f/1.0 is about $3,800, making it impractical and out of reach for most of us. The fastest (widest) aperture you can purchase for a zoom lens is f/2.8, price will vary widely dependent upon focal lengths and quality of the glass.

The 50mm lens is popular because for roughly $100.00 you get an aperture of f/1.8.

F/3.5-5.6 is a common variable aperture provided on kit lenses. It is not considered a fast aperture, but is an affordable price.

Wider aperture, “fast” lenses, will always cost more than other lenses. The difference between a fixed aperture and a variable aperture lens will differ greatly as well. As you see prices increase with lenses, keep in mind, you are also getting improved optics.

Consider the weight and feel of a lens when you are purchasing it. The 70-200mm f/2.8 is a popular lens with quality optics, but is heavy. It may not be practical for you to throw in your purse and take out and about with you.

The popular 50mm f/1.8 lens, “the nifty fifty,” has a plastic body and may feel “cheap” in your hands, although it has beautiful image results.

Many people prefer the versatility of a zoom lens to get their shots, while others like the superior optics prime lenses offer. It is a very personal decision.

Consider renting a lens or visiting your local camera store to feel and see lenses you are considering.

You may be wondering, “couldn’t you just buy one lens to do it all?” Yes, you could purchase a 28-300 millimeter lens at relatively low cost. You could then get wide angle, regular, and telephoto shots with one lens. The drawback is quality of the optics. You simply aren’t going to get photos as sharp as a wide angle or a telephoto lens will provide. It is a trade off worth considering.

Have fun as you search out exactly which lens is right for you!

Katrina is a team member here at The Daily Digi, be sure to also check out Katrina’s CaptureYour365 for more great photography tips!  Join her for Capture Your Holidays, a two week class that begins December 6th.