Photography 101 - How to get great Christmas Tree photos

Ahhh... tis the season to get run over in the Costco parking lot. Be careful out there. Everyone is NUTS.

But it's also the season of giving and of taking sweet photos of the kids decorating the tree and opening gifts. So I thought I'd give some pointers on how to get great tree decorating photos.




Rule #1 - turn OFF the flash. Flash will interfere with the awesome lighting that comes naturally with christmas lights (so be sure you put your little twinkly lights on the tree first).

Rule #2 - crank up the ISO. Without flash and working in low light, you'll need to set your camera on a high ISO setting. The ISO is basically the sensitivity of your camera to light. The higher the ISO, the higher it's sensitivity to light. This is necessary in low light situations, so that you can still have a relatively fast shutter speed so you don't get major blur in your photos.

Rule #3 - Get IN the tree. We've all got tons of photos of the backs of our kids decorating the tree. But what we're missing is that intense expression on their face while choosing just the right spot for that ornament they made and are so proud of. And we're missing those adorable little hands attempting to hang the heaviest of our ornaments on the thinnest and weakest tree branches. So I tend to position myself, in the tree, just opposite of where my kids are, shooting through the tree branches. This way, we also get the benefit of using the tree lights which cast a really unique and special light on those adorable little faces.





Happy Holidays to everyone. And if you're looking for unique photo gifts, check out www.TrishBarkerPhotography.com and click on our Products link. If we've taken your photo during 2010, then we've got your photos on file. OR, we can use your photos as well. We offer Christmas Cards, Photo Books and Albums, Jigsaw Puzzles, Dry Erase Boards and other unique, high quality photo gifts. And we offer flat rate $7 overnight shipping until December 22nd!

It's All Good

So, this is one of my favorite pictures ever. One, because it features one of my most favorite people ever, but also because I just love the photo. But I didn't love it when I took it.

I realized about 20 snaps in, that I was shooting on the beach in the bright sun, and had never changed my ISO setting on my camera from the super high ISO I'd set to capture images from the previous evening's lantern walk at sunset.

The result was this:



Less than a good photo. Totally overexposed and grainy. I was so bummed, but I resisted that urge to delete them all because I've learned that sometimes life's mistakes end up yielding great results.

I'm glad I resisted. I just played around with the exposure and contrast and ended up with a picture that I love. So much so that I'm putting in on canvas.

So, the moral of this story, is if you're over-tired and overwhelmed with 3 kids off from school and you find that you're being more of an idiot than usual... don't hit delete. Everything happens for a reason...

Trish Barker Photography Cutest Kid Contest Begins Today!

The Trish Barker Photography Cutest Kid Contest starts today. Enter your cute kid by posting a photo to our Facebook wall and the photo with the most "likes" as of 12:00am, November 15, 2010 wins a free professional photoshoot by Trish Barker Photography (a $300 value) just in time for holiday cards and gifts!



Post your cutest kid photo to our wall and then make sure all of your friends cast their vote for your cute kid by "liking" your photo. To share your photo, click "share" underneath your photo post and send a message to your friends telling them to like your photo before 12:00am November 15th, 2010.



Winner will be announced on the Trish Barker Photography Facebook wall November 16, 2010 at 10:00am HST. Open to Maui residents only. For your cute kids safety, we suggest you only post their first name or initials. We also suggest you do not tag children with full names in your photo.



Free Photoshoot Includes:

~ One hour of shooting time at your location of choice with up to 4 people.

~ Image perfection and post production work

~ Between 30-50 images to choose from in an online gallery

~ Free 8x10 photo of your choosing



(additional prints/files can be purchased a la carte)

Pic of the Week

I love lotus. They are beautiful and have such perfect symbolism. I love this particular photo because, even though I took it, when I look at it... I can't tell if it's a photo or a painting...

Pic of the Week - June 29, 2010

So, it seems I've developed a bit of an obsession with feet recently. I've been taking lots of photos of feet, perhaps because I haven't seen my own in a couple of months. But I also haven't seen much of my waist, knee caps or dignity... so perhaps there's some other reason?

Yes, feet are incredibly expressive! The above feet are pruny little 4 year old feet, contemplating whether or not to get back in the cold pool for the rest of swim class. (they opted not too)

Check out the below pic. What does it say to you?



It said to me "nervous bride". Which was exactly what she was, and I just loved how her feet spoke her nervousness so poignantly.

And of course, who can resist teeny tiny feet.



These just say "bite me"... but like, in a good way. So cute. Some of my favorite photos out of baby portrait sessions involve teeny tiny feet.

So, there you have it. A little taste of my photography foot fetish. Hey, atleast I didn't post any pics of my own feet. You're welcome.

Photography 101 - How to Take a Great Self Portrait

Whether it be for Facebook, work, etc., seems we all need a good photo of ourselves at some point and there's not always someone around when we need them. So, here are some tips for taking a great self portrait, on your own, with your simple digital point and shoot camera.

Rule #1 - TURN OFF THE FLASH!I am not a fan of flash at all, for any photos really. And this is especially the case when you're taking a photo of yourself at close range. The flash will WAY over expose you, make you shiny, wonk up the coloring, etc., so just turn it off. If you don't know how to turn off the flash on your particular camera, Google it. Then, find yourself a nice window to sit in front of. Window lighting is by far the best lighting for portraits, which is why so many pro's use it for their photos. So, plop yourself down in front of a window with your flash disabled.

Rule #2 - Use Portrait ModeNowadays, many even basic model digital cameras have a "Portrait" mode to shoot in. This mode is normally shown as a picture of someone's profile. Don't have one? Do you have a picture of a flower? This is known as "macro" mode, and this would work as well. Both of these modes create a shallow depth of field, meaning that (if focused properly), the main subject is in sharp focus (that would be you) and then the background is blurred.

Rule #3 - Position Your CameraHold your camera as far away from you as possible and position the camera above you so that you have to look up slightly (but don't tilt your whole head, just lift your eyes so that they are looking into the lens). About 45 degrees and slightly off to the right or left, depending on which hand you're using to hold your camera.

Rule #4 - Shoot, Review, then ReshootSo, take that first shot. Then look at it. Notice what might not be working. Is it angled too high? Are you centered in the photo? Are you the largest part of the photo? (if not, you should be... zoom) Does your hand or camera block the natural lighting you're using leaving dark shadows on your face? Are your eyes in sharp focus? Take note of what works and what doesn't and then change your position, reshoot and review.

Do this until you find one you like. This process is made much easier with auto focus, so make sure you're using that if your camera has it. But it's not absolutely necessary... the below shot was taken with manual focus, it just took a bit more trial and error to get the focus right.



Have you noticed something about these photos? Yup... black and white. Most digi cameras have a black and white mode (and or you can modify them to be black and white once they're uploaded to your computer). Again, don't know how to do that for your camera model? Then Google it. I personally prefer black and white for portraits. So give it a whirl and see what you think.

Most of all, have fun, smile, try different expressions. Play. Photography is supposed to be fun, and it's only when your having fun that you'll like the results.



And last but not least, can't get a good photo? Live on Maui? Call me.

If you want a professional shot, hire a professional. I'm running half price specials on portrait shoots for a limited time.

Go to www.TrishBarkerPhotography.com and contact us to set up a photo shoot today!

Pic of the Week - 6/8/10

I soooo love this picture. Kids get so excited about their birthdays. I feel many things when that fateful day rolls around, but excitement tends not to be one of them. Such a shame how as we "grow up", we lose our sense of excitement.

So, this year I'm going to embrace my birthday, and I'm going to be happy and stoked that I'm turning another year older, bringing me (hopefully) more wisdom and more wonderful experiences with my friends and family.

Kids... such brilliant little sages. So glad I've got mine in my life!