Make the most of your festive snaps this year by following this advice. And don’t forget to enter our great competition (below) with the chance to win one of 21 prizes
By Jill Campbell Mackay
YOU don’t have to be Henri Cartier Bresson to take memorable photographs. These days, with digital cameras, Polaroids, and throwaway instants, everyone can have a go at capturing a particular image, whether it be a glorious sunset, a family get-together, or a snap of the cute kitten accidentally trapped in the washing machine.
Ever wondered why your great great grandparents stared sternly back at you from those old black and white photographs? It all gave the impression that they had endured some form of unspeakable torture. And no wonder, for posing times in the pioneer days of photography could be as long 15 minutes. No room for spontaneity there…
Taking reasonably good pictures has always been a case of nothing more than a bit of conscientious thought. While it often helps to have decent equipment, all you really need is to take a moment before each shot, to think clearly about what you are attempting to capture or create.
Christmas is a special time to whip out the camera and record for posterity the family get-togethers as they enjoy their own brand of Christmas fun and frolics.
To help you capture Granny in her Sunday best with the silly paper hat atop her head, or Dad out for the count on the sofa, not forgetting Mum, bleary eyed from the effects of the morning sherry intake, then here are a few basic tips to help make your photographs the ones that will be remembered, and treasured.
One of the biggest mistakes is not getting close enough to your subject. Best to snap one shot, then move in closer to take another; by zooming in on your subject, you will eliminate the unsightly sofa leg, Auntie’s pom-pom slippered foot or the discarded coffee cup and liqueur chocolate wrappers strewn across the floor, all elements which will detract from the actual subject matter.
SWIFT ON THE DRAW
This is a time when you have to be reasonably swift on the draw, especially if your subject is under the age of three, or has four legs and a tail, or is prone to smiling only once a day. Then you just have to throw expense to the wind and fire off as many shots as possible. The fact is, people will always get tired, if not down right bored with hanging around in a posed position waiting for you to say cheese. The best pictures are the ones taken without the knowledge of the subject, these ‘grab shots’ nearly always work, and show much more of the subject’s real personality if they are taken unawares.
Rule here is ‘Shoot first – ask questions later’
Compose with care, everyone responds better to a picture that has all the elements in balance. Also be a bit selective about what you want to shoot. Decide what you are really interested in and centre your efforts on that as your final picture. Keep everything that will distract out of the picture.
No one looks good while trying to digest a mouthful of food, so try snapping Christmas table pictures, either before or after the meal. Work on the principle that in a group shot, one person will definatly be blinking, so take several frames of the same shot quickly, to be sure. Red eye is to Christmas what Santa is to Reindeers – we always get at least two pictures that make the subject look like a resident of Transylvania. Red eye happens when flash reflects off the back of the eye, so preventing pupils dilating is important. Keep as much background light on as possible is the answer, although most automatic cameras these days have a built in Red Eye reduction function, and you can always salvage a print with an anti red eye pen. You just colour over the pupils on ruined photos with the pen, and bingo you then have a tolerable human being and no one will ever know the difference.
One of the best tips for taking the pictures that will become part of the family album or gain pride of place as a framed image, is for the photographer to be relaxed. The more relaxed you are, the better your pictures will be.
COMPETITION
GETTING INTO the festive mood, the Sunday Mail is offering its readers the chance to have their ‘Christmas past’ picture published in the newspaper. For the winners, we are giving away a whole range of prizes, from a top of the range camera, a studio session with a top photographer, a case of quality wine, photo albums, film, Christmas gourmet goodie box. The list goes on (see below)
All you have to do is to trawl through your albums, and select which festive image/s (no more than two) you would like to submit. It can be a picture taken last year, or even 50 years ago; it can be of a family, a church service, the dog, the babies, school nativity, snow scenes, food, Christmas trees, even a Christmas wedding picture, as long as its associated with the season of good cheer.
Enter now.
All entries must be received by Tuesday December 16. Send them to: ‘Photo Competition’ 3 Agapinoros Street, Paphos or by email to [email protected]
Please ensure that you enclose a stamped addressed envelope with your photograph if you want it returned. Also, ensure the same information is repeated on the back of each photograph submitted. We need your name, telephone number and address.
Winners will be announced in the Sunday Mail on December 21, 2003
And the prizes are…
1. Canon Prima Superior 105 camera
2 A Canon Prima BF800 camera
3. Ten rolls of Kodak colour film 135-36 donated by the Fotokinisi photographic shops in Paphos Limassol and Nicosia
4. LTV decoder kindly donated by LTV CYPRUS
5. Festive succulent Suckling pig courtesy of Neo at Butcher Boy
6, Fly up, and experience a stunning panorama of Cyprus with a 30 minute flight in a sleek Cessna 150 with aviation instructor from Griffon Aviation
7. Stilton Cheese from Pambos the cheese man at Olio Delicatessen Limassol
8. Case of quality wine gifted from the quality Tsiakkas winery
9. Christmas Gourmet Box from La Frescoe delicatessen and excellent take away food shop in Peyia
10. The always excellent bottle of superior quality Ruinart Champagne from La Maison du Vin Limassol
11. Traditional Afternoon tea for two at the Elysium Hotel
12. Delicious Dinner for two at ta piatakia (little plate) restaurant Limassol thank you Roddy!
13. Dinner vouchers for two at the long established and quality Metaxas Restaurant Kato Paphos
14 Golf round at the challenging Aphrodite hills course
15 Hair re styled by top stylist and demon cutter Savvas at Palas of Hair Paphos
16. Classic Sunday Roast Lunch for two at the Annabelle Hotel
17. A beautiful solid pine 15 wine bottle storage unit. Many thanks to Tala Pine the Pine people of Paphos
18. A marvellous tasty selection of frozen Indian delicacies from Prema foods, the prime Asian quality suppliers in Cyprus
19. Two gorgeous blooming Christmas Poinsettias courtesy of Carica Papaya flower shop
20. A full grooming session by (top doggy stylist) for your ‘best friend’ thanks to the grooming centre at the Paphiakos Animal Welfare Charity
21. A copy of the wonderfully illustrated and packed full of traditional recipes ‘Food from the Village’ cook book thank-you to the Annabelle Hotel
