We received so many wonderful
photos for our 2010 GRRMF calendar, but many of them were not
a high enough quality to use. Be sure if you are
using a digital camera that it is set to the highest setting.
If you have an older digital camera, it may not have enough
pixels to take high resolution photos.
Here are some tips for taking the perfect golden photo:
- Look
your golden in the eye
Direct eye contact can be as engaging
in a picture as it is in real life. When taking a picture
of your golden, hold the
camera at her eye level to unleash the power of those magnetic
gazes and mesmerizing smiles. Yes this means stooping to her
level. And she need not always stare at the camera. All by
itself that eye level angle will create a personal and inviting
feeling that pulls you into the picture.
- Use a plain background
A plain background shows off your
golden and doesn’t distract from her beautiful face. When
you look through the camera viewfinder,
force yourself to study the area surrounding your golden. Make
sure no poles grow from the head of your golden and that no
cars seem to dangle from her ears.
- Use the flash outdoors
Bright sun can create unattractive
deep facial shadows. Eliminate the shadows by using your
flash to lighten the face. When taking
pictures on sunny days, turn your flash on. You may have a
choice of
fill-flash mode or full-flash mode.
- Move in close
Your goal is
to fill the picture area with your beautiful golden. Take
a step or two closer before taking the picture and zoom in,
if necesary. Up close you can reveal telling details, like
a sprinkle of
freckles
or an arched eyebrow.
But don't get too close or your pictures will be blurry. The
closest focusing distance for most cameras is about three feet,
or about one step away from your camera. If you get closer
than the closest focusing distance of your camera (see your
manual to be sure), your pictures will be blurry.
- Be a
photo director
Take control of your picture-taking and watch
your pictures dramatically improve. Become a picture director,
not just a
passive picture-taker. A picture director takes charge. A
picture director picks the location. A picture director is
also patient,
waiting for that perfect golden moment.
Have fun and we look forward to seeing all of the beautiful
smiling faces for 2011.
Return to the Calendar Contest page . . .
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