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Unwrap
Your Photographic Potential
this Holiday Season
You’ve
just unwrapped that camera you’ve been waiting years to receive.
A fresh roll of film is the only thing between you and great photos…
Or is it? Author Ron Nichols says the real missing ingredient for
great pictures is learning a few simple tips that will help turn
average holiday photos into “visual treasures."
Nichols, the author of Picture-Taking
for Moms and Dads (Amherst Media), and a picture-taking dad
himself, believes great holiday memories become treasures when they’re
recorded on film. “Photographs represent our family’s visual history,
and not only serve to remind us of those great family memories,
but they also provide a tangible and graphic connection with past
and future generations,” Nichols said.
According
to Nichols, just spending a little more time and creative effort
before you take your pictures can be the difference between an average
holiday photograph and a magnificent one. Picture-Taking for Moms
and Dads provides many tips for parents and scrapbook creators to
learn how to take photos in a variety of situations. But for starters,
Nichols outlines three simple steps to better picture-taking around
the holidays:
1.
Get Close. By far, the biggest mistake most photographers
make is not getting close enough. By getting close to your subjects
and filling the frame with only the most important information,
your photos will be much better.
2.
Don’t Hit the Bull’s-Eye. To improve the dynamics of your
photographs, avoid placing the subject in the center of the frame.
Centering your subject makes for an uninteresting, static picture.
3.
Slow Down, Shoot More. Rather than rushing in and taking
hurried snapshots, take the time to get in close, carefully compose
the scene, and wait for the right moment to make your picture. Once
you’re there, shoot several frames of the situation as it unfolds.
“Film is cheap,” Nichols says, “especially when you’re recording
priceless memories.”
Other
topics in this easy-to-follow, 80 page, full-color book include:
•
Creating Treasured Memories: Techniques for beautiful portraits
• Picture-Perfect Vacations: How to shoot spectacular scenic photographs
• The Right Light: Seeing the best light for better pictures
• Tools of the Trade: Choosing a camera and film that are right
for you
Ron
Nichols is an award-winning photojournalist, author, teacher and
national speaker. His books include Picture-Taking for Moms and
Dads, and How to Take Great Pet Pictures (Amherst Media, November
2001). He is a graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of
Journalism. For nearly 10 years he taught photography in the Department
of Communications at the University of Utah, and is regarded as
a top-notch instructor among his colleagues and his students. He
continues to teach workshops for scrapbook makers and others throughout
the country.
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