With Christmas only days away be sure to clear your memory cards and charge your batteries! There’s nothing like going to grab your video or still camera and have nothing happen.
To head off disaster be sure to have your camera prepped the night before along with the coffee pot set and the cookie trays prepared. I’m not a morning person, especially if kids/pets/wife are waking me up at 6 a.m.
If you have children or pets be sure to sit on the floor to get their perspective.
Do you have an SLR camera? Make sure you have your wide angle lens to get the tree in and all of the wrapping paper surrounding them.
Red eye is a typical concern. Try angling your on-camera flash and bouncing the light off of the ceiling. Be sure to set the flash to put more light than usual to get a nicely lit photo. This technique is called “bounce flash.”
When it comes to video, be sure to be close to your subject to get better audio. Also, make sure the room is well lit. Bring a lamp closer to the subject of the video for extra light.
Another idea for your Christmas video would be to have your favorite carols on in the background.
Just remember to have fun and print those photos out before they disapear from your card. To help relatives who couldn’t make it for the holiday, upload your videos to one of the many Web sites that provide hosting and send off a few emails.
Happy Holidays!