VW Photography Club sets holiday dinner

Van Wert Area Photography Club members are asked to set aside Saturday evening, December 2, at the Black Angus on Main for our annual Christmas Dinner. We ask that all are seated by 6 p.m. and order from the menu. Each dues-paying member is also invited to bring their spouse or a friend to the event. Reservation information will be released later. For now, we just ask that you reserve December 2 at 6 p.m.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, here are some tips for achieving some good holiday photos:

Make a list that includes what equipment you’ll need, as well as batteries charged, lenses cleaned, individuals and groups to be recorded, plus shots of decorations, food preparations, and table settings, to name a few.

Another preparation plan is to practice holding the camera steady, pressing the shutter with your finger on the release and your thumb under the camera. As you close the “C” you’re less likely to tilt or shake the camera. By keeping both eyes open during framing, you may catch movement that can be avoided as you trip the shutter.

Turn on lights, open curtains and blinds to use as much natural light as possible. If you must use a flash, bounce it off a light surface, drape a thin handkerchief or tissue over it, or use a transparent film can as the illustration shows.

Most shots are taken at eye level. By standing on a stepstool or stairs, you create a different view of the table or activity, which will also generate more interest in your photos. If there is a large mirror in the room, see if you might be able to capture what it shows for a different view.

Close-ups of yummy food or trimmings are good, but for people I’d suggest taking two or more pictures (possibly one unannounced) so if one or more blinked or moved, you can clone their better picture into this one. Also consider leaving more space around the subject or group to allow for straightening without cropping some of their body out of the picture, for resizing or cropping to a different size ratio, or to have space for adding a caption.

I hope you have a great day and give thanks.