Being David Bailey
TEXT URSULA HIRSCHKORN
ILLUSTRATION KARINE FAOU
The art of taking decent holiday pics is one that’s hard to master, as anyone who’s sat through a friend’s slideshow knows only too well. Half the time the people in the shot are so far away you need a magnifying glass to spot them, or so close they’re nothing but a blur. Or too much flash has bleached their faces a ghostly white, while red-eye gives everyone a decidedly demonic look. But help is at hand and you need never be ashamed of your family snaps again. Doug Harman, author of The Digital Photography Handbook, shares expert tips on how to take perfect photos every time.
Get down to basics
Taking a bit of time to set up your camera before you start can mean the difference between great and grotty photos.
“Always make sure the camera is set to the maximum resolution and highest quality possible. That way, whatever the number of megapixels your camera boasts, you’ll be getting the benefit of all of them,” says Harman.
You should also always shoot at the lowest sensitivity setting to keep the image noise (that blurry, grainy effect that makes it look like you’ve smeared mud over the camera lens) to a minimum. This setting will either be called sensitivity or ISO on your camera.
Finally, buy a mini tripod. That way you can put yourself in the picture while it holds the camera for you, and the added stability it offers will allow you to take crystal clear night shots.
Ready for your close up?
“If you are taking a picture of a person, always focus on their eyes,” says Harman. “You should also make sure that whatever you are photographing fills the frame, so it doesn’t end up looking like a speck in the distance.”
But the real key to taking a good close-up shot is to use the right mode. Most compact digital cameras can take great up-close and personal photos. But, because they aren’t set up properly and most of us don’t know about this we end up with a blurry mess, rather than a pin-sharp picture.
To get the best close-ups make sure your camera is set to macro or close-up mode, which is normally done by pressing the button marked with a flower icon. Then you can get right in your subject’s face and still get a great shot.
With most cameras you can shoot as close as 15cm from your subject, but with the best you can be almost touching, at just 5cm.
Strike a pose
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Keep your knees gently bent and put one leg in front of the other, then put your weight on the front foot to elongate your body.
Turn your shoulder three quarters to the front to make your waist look slimmer.
Lower your chin slightly for that seductive look. Stand up straight, but don’t look too stiff. Imagine there is a cord pulling up the top of your head. This forces you to lengthen your neck and pull in your tummy. Focus your eyes on the camera lens and smile naturally — don’t grin like a maniac, or you’ll look like one.
Only snapping posed subjects can get a bit boring so to make your photos more interesting Harman suggests taking some action shots instead. “Getting people to move around and act naturally makes for a much more exciting photo than everyone standing around like card-board cutouts,” he says.
If your camera has an action mode then use it and it will automatically set your camera up to capture the action. If not, turn your flash off because once it’s fired it takes a while to recharge and that will slow down shooting. Alternatively, if your camera has a quick-flash option you can use this to snap away.
“A quick-focus or pre-focus mode will also help you to make sure your camera can keep up with the action, but if you don’t have one, then try to anticipate where your subject is going, focus your camera there and take your snap as it goes past,” says Harman.
Flash addicts
“The problem with the flash on most small cameras is that it only illuminates around 12 —13ft from the camera and everything beyond is underexposed and is pitch black, which is called flash fall-off,” Harman explains.
To combat this use your camera’s slow-synch flash mode, which takes the picture at the ambient light level. It might sound complicated but all it means is that the whole frame will be lit up, instead of the main subject looking as if it’s been photographed in a black void. If you use this mode at night-time you get funky trailing light effects as the flash freezes motion.
Another little tip is to always use the flash when you are photographing people. It gives them an instant lift, making their eyes sparkle, and it fills in shadows so you can actually see their face if it’s underneath a sun hat or a poolside parasol.
Be prepared
As the Boy Scouts’ motto says, it’s good to be prepared. “Always take a couple of spare memory cards so you don’t run out of storage space halfway through the holiday. It’s better to have two smaller cards rather than one massive one. That way, if you lose a card you’ve only lost half your snaps, not a whole holiday’s worth,” Harman advises.
When you’re on holiday always keep your camera out of the sun as heat can harm the delicate technology. “Water and sand are the two biggest problems with digital cameras, so don’t take your camera to the beach with you unless you have a protective, underwater case to keep it safe,” says Harman.
“I know it’s boring but you should always get decent travel insurance. It’s easy for a camera to get lost, stolen or damaged while you are away, so make sure it’s covered,” he adds.
Pimp your pictures
Once you are back home there are loads of great websites that allow you to do basic editing and order all kinds of funky photo products that mean you can share your memories unique ways. “One of the best that I use all the time for its fantastic service is PhotoBox,” says Harman.
PhotoBox (www.photobox.co.uk) allows you to store your photos online so you can send a web-link to anyone else who wants to see them. You can edit your pictures, cropping them to size, getting rid of dreaded red-eye, adjusting colours and adding special effects like soft focus to make them look that bit more romantic. PhotoBox will also put your prints onto everything from a cushion to a coaster.
If you want to pimp your photos a bit more imaginatively visit Pazoen (www.pazoen.com). You can make your snaps really sparkly by adding a sprinkling of glitter, animated text and funky clipart. Jazz up that romantic shot with bubbling red hearts or plant a cartoon smacker on your best mate’s mugshot.
PikiPimp (www.pikipimp.com) also offers a whole range of special effects from animations to special frames. For inspiration visit the gallery section to see how other people have added a bit of bling to their images.
If you want to crop or edit photos then give Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition a try. It will automatically fix problems like red eye and bad exposure as well as allowing you to share photos online or on your mobile. You can download it for free at www.adobe.com.
Doug Harman is author of The Digital Photography Handbook (£5.24, amazon.co.uk) and his DVD, Doug Harman’s Guide to Digital Photography, is also available from Amazon, priced £14.99
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