Tomorrow is the big day. Just one more sleep and it will be here! And in between all the opening of presents, the tidying away of wrapping paper and the cooking of food, the pulling of crackers and telling of bad jokes, I will be trying to capture that feeling of joy.
It’s an emotion I’ve been trying to pin down for the last few months and here are some of the things I’ve learnt about how to do it, not just at Christmas, but at any time of the year.
1. Most people don’t enjoy having their picture taken, so get your camera out when they are doing something they actually enjoy. If necessary, get everyone to play a game to distract them from the camera.
2. Shoot in an automatic mode, so you don’t miss the moment. Shooting at a smaller aperture will ensure more of your subject is in focus.
3. Be patient. Shoot lots.
4. I try to engage my eyes with the subject, taking my eyes away from the viewfinder.
5. Have a glass of wine and make sure you enjoy those joyous moments too.
Remember these pictures are not going to be perfect, but I guarantee you’ll be looking at them in the future as you remember Christmas.
Have fun too!
My giveaway is a voucher for an Artifact Uprising softcover book as you know how much I adore their books! Leave a comment below for a chance to win it! I’ll be announcing the winners on December 29th.
Happy Holidays!
Such joy in these pictures. Certainly ones to treasure. Have a lovely Christmas Mortal Muses!
Merry Christmas! And thanks for the pointers.
Great tips! I’ll be using them today. I love your son’s missing tooth too. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christams Kirstin . Gorgeous photographs as always xxx Naima
Lovely photos and terrific tips. Merry Christmas!
Great pointers and great joy ! Happy Christmas Kirstin!
Tree trimmed . . . check!
Presents wrapped . . . check!
Cookies baked . . . check!
Reminders to take photos of joy . . . check!
Thank you, Kirstin. Merry Christmas to you, Tom, Miles and Ella!
Thanks for the tips! Merry Christmas everyone!
this is most wonderful! choosing joy today and every day.
The glass of wine in hand – most excellent advice! And you illustrated your wonderful post with some of my favorite of your shots from the year.
And for me, I was religiously and stubbornly all manual all of the time for a long while, but since adopting back button focus this fall, I’ve noticed I now choose auto or at least auto focus more often, and it has really helped my ability to catch action as it happens.
Yes, a good reminder to use those auto features! Happy Holidays Muses!
I love the joy in all of these shots dear Kirstin!!! Your tips are grand — I always shoot manual but auto makes much more sense to capture those moments!!!! Have the happiest of Christmases and a wicked fabulous new year!!!! xxxooo
May all our Christmases be bright.
Kirstin, you do such a great job of capturing joy! I hope I can do the same tomorrow. Merry Christmas!
Yes, to capturing joy filled moments! Great tips. Like Debbie, I’ve been using back button focus and AV or TV modes to make candid and street images. Works well for fleeting subjects.
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas, Kirstin!
Love how their joy comes thru so naturally – no forced smiles in these! Happy Holidays!
I am personally poor at taking pictures at functions. I forget my role as the camera man. I want to be in the party, but tomorrow I am going to give it a go.
Great tips Kirsten!
These are great tips for capturing the moment of joy!
Thank you for the great tips and beautiful images! Merry Christmas!
Thanks for the reminder to let go of perfect and choose joy!
Merry Christmas and joy is written all over these images, so nice to see such happiness, peace and love to all….
Wonderful! I love the joy you have captured here, Kirstin. Such good advice x
Hope that I can take some photographs which capture as much joy as I see in yours but I’m sure that whatever the quality they will become favourites to be viewed time and time again.
Happy Christmas x
Love your tips, Kirstin. Yesterday, it was Christmas Eve I went out with my SLR camera for a walk in my neighborhood. It should be a contemplative walk, combining eye, mind and heart…and I got lost in a contemplative way…until a car stopped beside me and I looked into the face of two policemen. A neighbor had called them because “there was a woman taking strange photographs of walls and doors.” …I had to show them all my images on my chip, they checked out my personality etc….All I did was giving them a big smile and told them “maybe there is a different way of seeing for you, too”.
Until Christmas Eve 2013 I did not know that the way I pursue my hobby had a criminal touch to it. I wil definitely not forget this day.
By the way: putting my iphone into my pocket I must have unintentionally pressed the shutter button: there is a photo where you just see the black boots of one of the policemen 🙂
Love the tips and these joyful images. Makes me want to do a 100 strangers project of laughing people…. or capture the ones close to me more often laughing.
Love these photos so much! 😀
oh, yes, JOY! thank you.
Love these photos! Such happy captures. Thanks for the tips!
Wonderful pictures. And another great giveaway.
Great advice, I’m going to make a note of those and put them to good use.
thank you for the useful tips & giveaway. i made my first artifact uprising book this summer and love it. happy new year!
Happy Holidays and plenty of joy for the New Year!
May your New Year be filled with joy and the opportunity to capture it in photographs!