Getting the Most Out of Your Birthday Pictures

You've put a lot of time into planning a great birthday party for your child, so put some time into planning to get great pictures of the event. As always, start with the basics: Charge your camera's batteries (or insert fresh batteries). Make sure you've got spares in case you run out and have one or more memory cards with space for all of the pictures you plan to take. Also, make sure you know how to operate your camera and set it to the right mode to take the best pictures. If you're too busy to take pictures during the party, assign a trusted friend or family member to act as official photographer. Don't be shy. People are flattered to be entrusted with such a responsibility. If you do ask somebody to take pictures for you, please take the time to explain to them how your camera works.

Whether it's you or somebody else taking the picture, here are some pointers for getting amazing shots you'll want to look at for years to come:

Get the whole story

There's more to a birthday party than blowing out the candles. Take pictures of the entire event. Start with the guests arriving and end when they depart. Think of yourself as a reporter trying to get the whole story. Take lots of pictures. You can sit down later, choose those images that best tell the story of the day and decide on a viewing sequence.

Don't just stand outside the action

Get into the heart of the action. Move around. Take pictures from unexpected places. Use unexpected angles. How many times have you seen the same shot of a child about to blow out the candles on her cake, surrounded by family and friends? Have you ever noticed how similar pictures of birthday parties look? There are so many details: the glowing faces of children, the smiles of proud parents and grandparents, the icing on the cake, the lit candles. And yet there's nothing special about such pictures. That's because they're all the same picture. Somebody stands far away from the table, fits everybody else into the picture, centres the image on the birthday girl and snaps a picture. Stepping out of the action means missing out on the details.

The best way to capture the compelling details that make for spectacular pictures is to be part of the action. Being part of the action doesn't mean getting in the way. Try taking a picture while you're standing in the group of friends and relatives behind the child as she's blowing out the candles. If you've set the cake on the living room table for a toddler, get down on your knees and photograph the happy child at her own height, or take a bird's eye shot from above. You can also position yourself next to your child and take her picture in profile rather than getting a face shot.

Quick tips:

• Use the flash to remove shadows and to capture fast-moving action.
• Don't centre your subject.
• Play around with angles and positioning.
• If you're shooting outdoors, make sure the sun is behind you or your subject will be too dark.
• If you're shooting indoors, don't shoot your subject in front of a sunlit window, for the same reason.
• Use your sleep setting to have your camera ready at all times. You'll save your batteries and you won't have to wait for your camera to power up or risk losing a shot

Activity 1: Make photography part of the party

Disposable film cameras are an inexpensive and fun way to capture additional memories and to involve your guests in the picture taking process. Distribute cameras to your guests when they arrive and collect them as they depart. Make sure to double your prints when you process your film. That way, you can present your guests with copies of their pictures as a memento of the event. Younger party-goers will be especially thrilled at the "grown-up" responsibility assigned to them.

Activity 2: Take keepsake portraits of your guests

White walls are perfect backdrops for portraits, especially in a sunlit room. You can take portrait shots of children attending the birthday party and offer them as thank-you gifts to their parents. If it's late in the day, or there's little light in the room, you can use an ordinary lamp, positioned out of the picture, to create a pleasing light effect that will flatter your subjects. You can also use your flash to remove any shadows and increase brightness.

Blend in to get natural shots

There's nothing worse than being the one left holding the camera, especially if that's all you're doing. Not only are you not enjoying the party, but people aren't going to be themselves around you. Some are camera shy and will do everything to avoid you. Others will freeze up every time you point your lens at them. And then there are those who will strike a pose, be it silly or serious, every time you try to take a picture. Whether you're photographing adults or children, you're not likely to get natural shots this way.

The best way to get good pictures is simply to be a good party-goer or host. Smile. Have fun. Make sure that everybody around you is at ease and having fun. Play with the kids. Entertain their parents. You'll get your best shots when people are relaxed and enjoying themselves.

Don't make people pose

If people are self-conscious around a camera, they're even more so when the person holding the camera asks them to pose for pictures. Don't make picture taking a big deal. Capture people being themselves. You may not always get a good shot, but with a digital camera, you can always delete the shots you don't like and go back to take more. You'll be surprised at the memorable shots you'll get this way. After all, even if a shot isn't perfect, it can still be very interesting.

Use your zoom lens to better capture the moment

Use the zoom lens to get really close shots. Instead of getting the whole table, just get a picture of the cake. Or you can zoom in to capture a child with her cheeks puffed up with air as she prepares to blow out the candles. You can also use the zoom lens to capture a moment without getting in the way.

Look for more special moments

A birthday party offers many moments you want to capture in pictures: blowing out the candles, opening presents, cutting the cake, etc. But there are all kinds of other things to photograph: families and couples sharing hugs and kisses, children playing, toddlers who have fallen asleep, messy eaters (kids and grown-ups) and smiling faces, among other things. Be prepared for anything. Have your camera ready at all times.

Birthday Photography Continued: [1] [2]

Birthday Photography: [1] [2]