It is so much fun to point, shoot and instantly post your photographs on Facebook or Twitter. I really enjoy seeing them, but there are some pretty gawdawful pictures out there. Let me help you banish the bleak, delete the delinquent, and take a better photo this holiday season. Your friends and family won’t be horrified when they find themselves tagged in snapshots with enormous faces or bodies that are freakishly distorted.
Don’t be the overexposed “big nose” this holiday season. Right Roxy?
Ten Tips for taking better pictures:
#1. Step away from your friends. Make sure you are at least 6-12 feet away from the subject when taking a photo and using the flash. Even though it looks like everyone has a tiny little pinhead, you can import the file and crop it down in Picmonkey. See! Their heads aren’t so small anymore. I know. It’s a Christmas miracle.
#2. a. Don’t use a flash. Try using ambient light. Looking possessed in a photo is disturbing to say the least. Even when using the red-eye feature, you can end up looking like you are in a devilish cult of aliens.
My friend’s photo. Me, Richelle, Annette, Sally and Jen with devil eyes. Muahahahaha!
b. Try different settings. If there isn’t enough ambient light, set your camera for low light without the flash. Remember to reset your camera to automatic afterwards, otherwise your outdoor pictures will look like they were taken one mile away from the sun.
My photo after cropping. The eye reflection isn’t as bad even though a flash was used since the photo was taken from farther away.
#3. Avoid the big-headed moon face. If you have to use a flash when taking a group picture, stand more than 6 feet away from the closest person or their face will be huge compared to the rest and will reflect the flash. No one wants to be the “big head.” See Roxy’s photo above. Every camera has a slightly different flash intensity, so experiment with distance between you and your subject to get the optimal lighting.
#4. Step away from the table. Like tip #1, only more disastrous. Never take a closeup photo of someone while they are sitting down and perpendicular to you. The edges of the photo could stretch your subject out so your poor friend or family member will look like they have an enormous butt, arm or hunchback.
My son Kelly with one giant arm and one itty bitty arm…
#5. Use the self-timer. Taking photos of yourself while holding the camera will distort you. I got a complex from all the pictures and videos I took of myself at arm’s length last summer. I didn’t realize that the camera foreshortened my face, making my nose look enormous.
#6. a. Signal to your friends before taking a picture. For example: “On the count of three. One. Two. Three.” Don’t snap it on “one” or “two” like my husband Danny. He has an itchy trigger finger. I am usually caught babbling with my mouth open.
b. For God’s sake don’t ever talk or move if you are about to have your picture taken. I did both in this picture with Louie Vito. I wrote my crazy story about him last year. Notice how Louie already knew this tip.
Moving + Talking = Distorted photo
Hey. There’s always Microsoft Paint.
#7. Take pictures at eye level. Trust me. Just do it. Okay, okay. I will give you a few examples. If you take the shot from above your subject, their gray roots or bald spot could become the focal point. Again there is this crazy distortion that takes place and it could give them a giant forehead. Taking a shot from below eye level could make their nostrils look like landing docks for space ships.
My brother took this photo of himself last summer with my unattended camera. I knew I could use it sometime. Thanks Joe!
#8. Reposition your subject. If you want Aunt Merna’s new tattoo to show up in the photo, direct Uncle George to tilt his head away from her cleavage.
#9. Straighten your photos. You don’t want to look like you are on the deck of the Titanic. Your friends could get a stiff neck from looking at your photos.
Cropped and straightened photo taken with self-timer and flash.
#10. If you take one of those gawdawful nasty-like photographs, please use the delete button. So what if you are the only one who looks good. If your friends and family look like ginormous, stretched out, zombie-eyed freaks, watch your back. They are snapping a lot of holiday pictures too.
Do you take a lot of photographs during the holidays?
Do you have any tips to add to the list?
Devil-eyed photo taken with an iPhone. Other photos taken with a Nikon Coolpix S205 camera
You have some hot friends, Susie!
And before my glasses fog up, great tips!
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Hahaha! You crack me up Hook!
Thanks for reading!
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How beautiful are you in that green scarf?!? Fabulous post, Susie. 🙂 My best tip is take candid shots. I love them, and borderline hate the posey stuff. You and your crew did a great job of capturing spirit and personality–wahoo! That’s, I believe, what counts.
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Thank you August! My dad always takes candids and catches us with the most horrid expressions since our faces are contorted from talking or moving. I think there must be a trick to it!
Go Christmas Spirit!
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I wish I had more time to practice photography. These tips will come in handy though, now that Christmas is right around the corner and I’ll have the kids home all the time for a week! 🙂
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Enjoy your kids! This year both of mine have jobs and I’m really hoping my son doesn’t have to work Christmas Eve… 🙂 They both have Christmas Day off. Yay!
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I kinda like the devil-eye picture. Makes it look like you hang out with a dangerous crowd.
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Hahaha! I guess the truth is out. It’s my coven… 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Peg!
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Ok Susie, I did it. I just stole something of yours…in case you find anything missing. 🙂 Thanks!
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What kind of shenanigans are you up to? 🙂
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…the Abuse Me post for a virtual Christmas party, like yours. Come on by!
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I will definitely stop by! Thanks so much!
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Hi,
Fantastic tips, but you have to love the evil eyes, a great photo. 🙂
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My friend in the photo just sent me a text of her dog with huge green eyes! Hahaha!
Thanks so much!
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Great tips! I am guilty of all of them… but now I’ll be much better about not zombiefying my family and friends.
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Good luck Tameri! sometimes those zombie photos show up when we least expect them.
Thanks so much and Merry Christmas!
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Nice Post. I cant stay too long though cuz when I am over here it seems I get snow drifts on my keyboard…………….. I may have to wait til spring to catch up on your writings….
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Air Cooled Underwear, you crack me up! Hahaha! I wish there were snow drifts down here, but the snow stayed in the mountains. We only got a half inch of the white stuff. We’ve been in a drought in the Boulder Valley and Front Range. Breckenridge got 25 inches in the last week, so we will head up there to get our fix!
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pssst.. i was reffering to the snow that falls on your theme.
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Susie, this is Kevin her husband – she wanted to get your address?
Kevin Kearney
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Whose husband?
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This post is so funny. You crack me up. 🙂
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Thanks so much Sophie! It was fun to go through the photographs!
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I always liked having the devil’s eyes in pictures when my kids were younger. It kept them in line. As time went on, my picture taking skills improved greatly…I just bought cameras for everyone else and let them do it.
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What kind of camera are you using?
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Me? Now? None. Actually, I haven’t used a camera in years. My kids have their cameras, phone and otherwise.
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I am looking to upgrade but want to stick with a compact. Maybe Santa will know!
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Hilarious! Thanks for the tips, Susie! We had a guest speaker once that had us standing in an “S” shape.. it was tougher than I thought, it was pretty awkward to say the least! Merry Christmas!! xx
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Oh my gosh! The reflection off the people who were closest must have been hard to avoid unless he/she was taking pictures from a cherry picker! 🙂
Thank you and Merry Christmas Barb!
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Microsoft Paint … Hilarious! Yeah I’ve got to remember to stop talking so much when cameras are clicking.
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I am notorious for distorted pictures. My dad used to take tons of candids which always caught me with some really odd expression!
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Hey Susie, I nominated you for the Blog of the Year Award. You can find the post here. http://4amwriter.com/2012/12/20/blog-of-the-year-award/
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Thank you so much and congratulations to you too! I really appreciate being included!
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Thanks Susie! I’m ready and armed (not one big and one little) for my holiday photo taking.
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Fantastical! I thought that picture was hilarious. It didn’t take me long to find one that was distorted!
Have a wonderful holiday!
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Hey, Susie – I’ve nominated you for the Sisterhood of the World Blogger Award. I met CJ Knotts via your last ‘use me and abuse me blog.’ You can pick up your award at http://sheridegrom.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/sisterhood-of-
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Thank you so much Sheri and congratulations to you!
I am glad that you have met other bloggers during those crazy Use Me and Abuse Me Days!
Thanks again for thinking of me.
I hope you are enjoying your holiday week!
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Ваше красивое лицо всегда украшает улыбка, а где посмотреть на вас с закрытым ртом? 🙂
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My mouth is rarely closed. Hahaha! Thanks Roman!
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Haha some very useful and funny points here! 😂😊👏
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Thank you, Sam! It’s an older post but still rings true.
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