iPhone Picture in a Pinch

Is it sharp? No. Are the colours accurate? Not really. So, what does this photo have going for it?
It is an important moment, a milestone. Judy, grandma, is 67.

I forgot my camera at home and the camera that should have been handy wasn't. We were celebrating Judy's 67th birthday at the other grandparent's home and their camera had also been left at my home, too. I thought we were camera-less.

Fiona spoke up: "I have daddy's old iPhone. It takes pictures." She disappeared into her room only to reappear quickly with the iPhone in hand.

She turned it on; she plugged in the access code; she showed me how the camera function worked. Then she took her place, with her sister Isla, beside grandma and it was, as Isla says, "happy to you" time.

As you can see, the best image wasn't the best but it was fine in a pinch. The image may be soft and the colours way too warm, but the moment is intact and accurately captured. The iPhone did the job and for that I have Fiona to thank.

"Thank you, Fiona."

Simple Portraiture

Isla under soft but directional window light.

Say portraiture and many folk immediately think of studio pictures. I know a lot of folk with decent little cameras who run off to a place like Sears every time they want an updated portrait of a grandchild. I say try and do it yourself.

Seat your subject near a large window. Illuminate the subject with the soft but directional light. Watch for catchlights in the eyes. These are important. Catchlights add life to any subject's portrait.

While paying attention to the light, remember to pay attention to the shadows as well. Shadows give form to your subject. Here is a link to an excellent post discussing six simple and very popular lighting approaches used in shooting traditional portraits.

Your subject should be quite relaxed in this environment, certainly more relaxed than when forced to sit in front of a camera at Sears. With any amount of luck, you should be able to capture a pleasant expression. Don't struggle for a big grin. Don't badger the subject to smile or say cheese. Simply chat and shoot. Or do what I did and capture the subject unaware, pleasantly occupied with something other than picture-taking.

Today's cameras can take lots of photos without costing a cent. So, shoot lots and shoot fast. Don't shoot single shots but shoot short bursts. Keep shooting until you have your shot. Pay attention to the images as you capture them. You will know immediately when you have succeeded.

The shot of my granddaughter Isla was shot while she watched Caillou. She loves the cartoon Caillou and paid very little attention the camera. Unfortunately, she moved as I shot the picture and I cropped off the top of her head. Oops! If I took a little more off the bottom, the picture might look as if I planned the awkward crop.

Of course, I could have kept shooting.

Don't fake photographs

I was looking at some images of my old high school in Windsor, Ontario. One image was especially striking. In fact, the dramatic sky with the perfectly placed billowing cloud looked simply too good to be true. My Photoshop sensor was twitching.

I didn't have to wait long for confirmation. The very next picture, taken from another angle, had the same cloud formation soaring above the school. The only difference was that the cloud was flipped and the colour of the sky changed.

Don't do this. It may add drama to your images but it also puts a big question mark over your work. It says, "Don't trust these images." And that is sad.

This castle-like school, approaching the century mark, exists. I know. As I said at the beginning, I went there.

Someday Kennedy Collegiate Institute will be history. It will only be a memory recalled through photography. These images must be above reproach. The memory must be accurate and trustworthy.

If you are having a difficult time seeing that both skies are identical, I have flipped the one and placed it on top of the other. The similarities are now impossible to dismiss.

Don't fake images. Don't make it too easy to dismiss your work. Your images are too important. Treatment your images with respect. And don't do this with the images of others either.

A photograph should be more than a graphic element on a page. Don't cheapen the franchise.

Document the interaction between those you love

My oldest granddaughter, Fiona, 5, is getting pretty good at puzzles. She made grandma Judy promise not to finish the snowman puzzle while she is away on vacation. Grandma Judy agreed. The puzzle will sit undone for the next 12 days.

And my youngest granddaughter, Isla, 21 months, loves to walk a 'tightrope' of colourful numbers. She giggles and laughs as she walks quickly from one end to the other and back trying not to loose her balance and put a foot on the carpet.

Stuff like this is important to document. These are memories. This is the stuff that gives texture to life. Capture it. And don't ask anyone to, "Say cheese."

If at all possible try and capture the moment using available light. Find a spot to brace the camera and minimize the camera shake. I used the table top for Fiona and the floor for Isla. Shoot wide open using the fastest shutter speed possible. This will minimize subject movement.

If you must use a flash, I do hope you have a flash with a swivel head snapped into the hot-shoe of your camera. If you don't have that you are in trouble. It may be impossible for you to bounce your flash.

If the ceiling is white, as it is in most rooms, bounce the flash off the ceiling and let the camera's auto features take care of the aperture setting. In this picture of Fiona, the bounced light would bounce off the white table cloth and help to fill-in the darker shadows. Bounce flash is not needed with Isla.

Sadly, I don't have the correct flash. I must shoot available. On the bright side, my Canon S90 has a maximum aperture of f/2.0 which allows me to take almost full advantage of the room light. I say 'almost full advantage' because lots of normal lens open to f/1.4. That's a full stop faster. That said, lots of lens considered fast stop at f/2.8 and that's a full stop slower.

Pick your angle

When I watch folk taking quick shots with their point-and-shoot cameras, I'm often amazed at how little thought they put into the angle from which they take the picture. All too often, the shooter simply lifts the camera to eye level and fires off a shot or two.

Quick doesn't have to be dirty. One can shoot fast and still tell a clear story. When my granddaughter, Fiona, made a tower of linked markers, I picked a high vantage point for shooting the picture. I wanted to accent the height of the marker tower while getting a good clear shot of my granddaughter. The high angle fulfilled both wishes.

And looking up caused the little girl's eyes to sparkle with highlights caused by the nearby window. Highlights add life to eyes. Highlights should rarely be ignored.

The next time you are taking some pictures, try thinking before you shoot. Try to accent whatever is important to your picture story. Get down low, climb on a chair, move. Release your inner creative self and not just the shutter button.

Capture emotion

I shoot with a point and shoot: a Canon PowerShot S90. When set to take small-file-size images, it can crank off quite a fast burst of shots. This is great for capturing moments like this one. Isla is excited to be doing a puzzle all by herself.

At moments like this, don't intrude. Don't interfere. Don't tell the child, "Say cheese." Just find the best angle, watch how the light plays on the child's face, aim and wait. The moment will come and you will be ready.

Note: the background was terribly sharp in the original file. I softened the background in Photoshop to imitate the look I would have achieved with a high end DSLR. My job isn't perfect. The softening was done quickly and without a lot of craft. I am not out to trick anyone. I don't mind leaving an artifact or two. It is honest dishonesty.

Don't ignore window light

Babies are beautiful, especially Seth, and granddad's are proud. A picture is a must. When grabbing such important photos, don't ignore the lighting. A window can be invaluable in such a situation.

I had granddad hold the newborn near the hospital room window. The soft light was perfect. Far better than using the on-camera flash. Remember to steady the camera by resting your hands on some sturdy. Hospital room offer lots of choices and most are on wheels. Ideal.

A picture of granddad with Seth was a little harder. Unless I moved the chair completely around, the little guy was going to be lit by room light. I made sure the glow was warm, green florescent tubes are not acceptable. Satisfied with the colour of the light, I went with the flow.

Once the colour temperature is acceptable, direct your attention to the pose and the background. Try to avoid an all too busy background. I put the background out-of-focus in Photoshop and not in my camera. My point-and-shoot simply cannot do it.

I don't mind folk looking at the camera. I find it an honest admission that a picture is being taken. It this bothers you, don't do it. Ask granddad, or whomever, to look down at the baby. This should have the extra benefit of resulting in a natural, pleasant expression on granddad's face. Again, keep that camera steady.