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| We were invited to this event as media. Attendees received gift bags for attending. |
A few weeks ago we were invited to check out some really great photography equipment, As well as dine on some delicious food at the Techicious Event which was hosted at Quality Meats. This event was about learning how to take better photos of your family and/or anything else just by the turn of the few dials. We were able to chat with a few of the sponsors in attendance such as Nikon, Canon, Tiffen, and a few others about specific products that would be perfect for the photographers in your life.
After learning about so many products and even the settings I would need to take gorgeous Monochrome photos like the one with the Cleavers Above, It was time to sit down and eat while we were given a presentation of all the real tips and tricks we need in order to get the most out of photography.
A few of those tips will be added below so that You too can take great pictures.
General photo taking tips
1. Use Burst Mode to ensure you get the shot. Burst Mode enables you to take multiple shots with one press of the shutter button. Start shooting when you anticipate the action and keep going.
2. Use Sports mode to stop action. Sports Mode is designed to help you capture a moving object. The color will be more vibrant than if you shoot in other modes and bring the action to life, though, that it’s not as good a capturing true-to-life skin tones.
Low-Light Photo-Taking Tips
1. Raise the ISO Level. Raising the ISO setting makes your camera sensor more sensitive to light. The more sensitive it is, the faster the camera can take a photo, which will reduce the amount of blur caused by camera shake. One caveat: If you push the ISO number up too high, you’ll start seeing noise, those grainy-looking imperfections you see most easily in solid-colored areas. So you’ll want to take a few shots to see which setting gives you the best balance between reducing blur without too much noise.
2. Use HDR mode for composed shots. Many cameras have a shooting mode called HDR, for high dynamic range. Basically, in this mode, your camera takes two or more shots at different exposures and then combines them so both the light and dark areas of your shot are properly exposed. If there’s any movement, though, the shot will be blurry.
3. Use a tripod. One reason why so many low-light shots don’t come out well is that it’s really hard to hold a camera or phone still long enough to take a crisp-looking picture. Using a tripod takes the shake factor out of the equation. Also, try using the camera’s self-timer mode to avoid the movement that inevitably occurs when you press the shutter button.
4. Use a fast lens. A fast lens will let more light through so you can take your pictures faster, reducing the potential for blur. You can tell how fast a lens is by looking at the maximum aperture (the shutter behind the lens), which is called the “f-stop” and notated as “f/X.X”. The lower the number, the wider the aperture and the more light the lens will let in. A good camera choice will come in at f/2.8 or lower.
Tips for taking better holiday portraits
1. Use Portrait Mode for pictures that focus on people. You’ll find you’re able to capture better skin tones and usually there’s a shorter depth of field so the background is slightly blurred to put emphasis on the person.
2. Use a telephoto lens or change your aperture setting to highlight your subject. If you have an interchangeable lens camera, use a telephoto lens to isolate the subject. The lens’s shorter depth of field will blur the background a bit, making the person or pet pop in the image. You can also lower your f-stop to increase the camera’s aperture, giving a similar effect.
3. Use a flash on sunny days (yes, really!). Faces often look dark in bright scenes because the camera adjusts its exposure to the brightness around your subject. You can have your subject face into the sun for more light, but then you’ll wonder why everyone is always squinting in your photos. Instead, have them face away from the sun and use the flash to brighten their faces without the squint.
4. Use a diffuse light source to reduce harsh shadows. Unless you’re going for a dramatic black-and-white character shot, it’s usually best to find a diffuse light source to soften the shadows. Blinds or sheer curtains are particularly good at creating a diffuse light source to eliminate harsh shadows, so sit your subject near a window with the blinds closed for better lighting.
5. Get down to eye level when shooting kids and pets. When shooting kids and pets, get down to their level for a more natural photo with a better scale.
These tips are truly great as I have tried them and have appreciated the outcome! Getting Down to Eye Level for the kids is literally the BEST!
Aside from learning all these great things and more, everyone in attendance was sent home with an amazing Tiffen Steadicam Volt to help capture their best videos. Tiffen Engineered the Steadicam Volt™ to provide the utmost precision and control. It enables smartphone users to capture high-quality video content with ease. As a 3- axis smartphone stabilizer, the Steadicam Volt mimics the feeling and operation style of a traditional Steadicam rig, putting Hollywood film technology in the palm of your hand. Perfect for vlogging and action sports filming, the Steadicam Volt is an essential tool for on the go smartphone filmmaking and photography.
This Momma always has her phone on record to capture cute videos that I upload to create memories for my kid. It’s an added plus when all the shaky movement DOESN’T give us a headache!
* Accommodates phone sizes with or without a case from 100g – 250g in weight and 58mm to 85mm.
* Lightweight and folding design enable easy storage and transportation
* Accompanying iOS & Android APP allows for precise balance and tuning
* Price: $199.99
Overall, this event was great! The information given was very informative, the products we saw were products that we want, And the food was Delicious. I can’t wait to see what else these tech companies have in store for us. I hope these tips I provided will help you take the perfect shots this holiday season.
