How To Take A Better Indoor Photograph (She: Paige)

I'm Paige Davis. I'm a mom to 2 little boys, a wife to a wonderful man & most recently a photographer when I find time! Like many of you, I love photographs (not being in them, as you can tell by my picture here). When I had children, I realized how quickly they grow and change, and I wanted to capture their 'little'ness and keep it forever! However, after a lot of bad experiences at those 'mall/store photogs' - I called a professional. I loved the pictures, but my wallet hurt for a long time afterwards. I thought to myself, there has to be something else. So I started taking some classes, first at the local high school. Then the University of Utah - and now I take workshops here and there. I have always loved a good photo. They say a picture says a thousand words. I would add that it also conveys emotion, brings back memories, tells a story and captures a moment. In my home, I decorate with pictures of those I love. But I've always wanted to take a better picture... to really capture the moment as I see it. Last year, I bought a new SLR and decided I was going to learn to take a better picture... and I'm still on a journey to take the 'perfect' photo for every client. Hopefully some of the knowledge I've gained will be beneficial to you. And if you want to check out my blog when you're done reading - it's Paige Davis Photography .

Photography literally means 'painting with light'. Remembering this alone will help you get a better photograph. If you're like me, I was afraid of the light in pictures. Too many shadows, harsh lines, squinted eyes. But like any artist, you need supplies. Even the best camera in the world won't capture a good photo without light. This is most often the problem when taking pictures indoors. Our eyes adjust to light when we're inside, so to us, it looks like there is plenty of light. Your camera doesn't adjust, so you have to get to know the amount of light it needs to take a good picture. Every camera is different. However, the components are the same. Think of it this way... a couple of my teachers used this analogy and it was helpful for me to understand.

You're trying to 'fill your sink with water'. If you turn the water on full blast, you'll fill it pretty quickly. A sink fills slower because the faucet is smaller. But a bathtub fills up quicker because the faucet is large & allows much more water in. Okay - so you all already knew this... and you're probably wondering where I'm going with this! Think of the faucet size as your lens. It's called 'aperture' and it's how 'wide open' your lens can be. The wider open it is, the more light that can enter in. You don't turn off the water until the sink/tub is full - the amount of time that lapses is the 'shutter speed'. The lens will remain open until your camera has enough light to 'paint your image'. If you don't have enough light, the lens remains open - allowing movement or blur into your image.

In a point-n-shoot (regular) camera, you don't have the ability to change these settings like you do with an SLR. However, there are typically different settings on there that allow you to make adjustments. If you turn your camera to 'sports mode' - this tells your camera that you're trying to capture something in motion. It will then open the lens as wide open as it can to allow for a quicker shutter speed. There are several modes on most cameras - so figure out which ones yours has and utilize them. This will help you to get a better picture. My best advice would be to read your manual. Every teacher and professor I've had has offered this advice. Honestly, I haven't read mine cover to cover, but when I have a question - it's the first place I turn. It's amazing all the features that even the most simple camera offers.

The second bit of advice I would give is to find more light in your house. Typically south facing windows are the best light, because it's not direct sunlight. Look for rooms with a lot of windows, or light colors, as they will 'bounce' the light around. You can use lights in your home to brighten it up, but you have to be careful of this 'tungsten' lighting because it's very yellow & unflattering. If you can set your white balance on your camera to indoor lighting, this will give you a blue filter that will help balance the effects. If you still can't get enough light indoors, use your flash. Remember though that your flash typically only reaches a few feet away from your camera, so if you're shooting something in the distance, a flash won't help. Your subject needs to be within the range of your flash light. If you don't like the look of the flash, or feel like it's too harsh, turn it to 'model mode' or turn down the strength. If you don't have this option, cover it with a tissue (really) - it's like a cloud over the sun - there's still light, but it's not so harsh! If you're taking a picture of a still subject (obviously this isn't for children!!) you can steady your camera on something (ie: tripod) and allow the shutter to remain open without getting blur.

The final thing that makes a better photo is focus. Making sure your camera knows where to focus will make a huge difference in the quality of pictures. Most cameras have a 'halfway' point on the shutter release button (the one you push to take the picture) and it will beep when it's focused. You can then check to make sure it's focused correctly. Some cameras have the capability to pick out faces, and automatically focus on them. Other cameras focus dead center. Pictures look better when they're not centered like a mug shot. If you want your subject in focus without being center, you can usually hold the button down halfway until it beeps. Then continue to hold it while you re-center the picture. This should let the camera know where you're wanting the focus to be.

Once you know how your camera works, you will have a much better chance of getting a good photo. It's all about communicating with your equipment. Even regular cameras have so many features that we never take advantage of. Taking a minute to make a few adjustments to let your camera know what's going on will make a world of difference. Good luck! If you have any questions, you can email me at paigedavisphotography@gmail.com. I'd love to help!


Paige

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