Most people prefer to feature posed family portraits on their annual holiday greeting cards, but I like to use candid shots to spice up my Christmas correspondences.
With the holiday party season in full swing, now is the prefect time to capture candid shots of your kids and other family members. Candid shots are ideal to document camera shy subjects, as there is no need for them to look directly in the lens and say, “Cheese!” Rather, your goal is to snap shots of family members and friends acting naturally, whether they are cooking, playing games, sitting by a warm fire, laughing at jokes, or chatting on the couch.
When shooting candid shots try not to get in too close. Often people will stop what they are doing to pose or shoo you away. If this happens, encourage them to resume what they are doing and simply step away and use your zoom for future shots of that particular group. Other tips to consider when shooting candid photos: Use as much natural light as possible. If you need to use your camera’s flash, aim it up to the ceiling and raise your ISO to 400 or 800.
Another great place to snap candid photos of the family is around the dining room table as everyone is finishing their meal. If you have an exceptionally large family and can’t squeeze everyone in the same shot, then have one half of the table stand behind the other seated half, and include the set table in the foreground. When you are shooting an extra large group of people sitting around a single table, you will likely end up with the sides and backs of heads in your shot. This is especially true if the subjects at the table are very young children.
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