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December 2, 2008 |
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Created and Maintained by: The Photoimaging Information Council |
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by Alice Miller, Images by Anne Day |
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Anne Day (www.annedayphotography.com) is a freelance photographer/writer based in New York and Connecticut, whose work has been published in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Fortune, and Vogue. An Olympus Visionary, Day contributed photographs for four books on Classical Architecture for W.W. Norton & Company, worked as a photographer and assignment editor for multiple "Day in the Life" books, and photographed the past two U.S. Presidential Inaugurations for publication. After starting a family, she cut back on last-minute photojournalism assignments, favoring projects closer to home and those she could schedule, such as portraits, weddings, picnics, and corporate events. She teaches a Family Storytelling Photography Workshop at the Maine Media Workshop every summer. Two books featuring her images will be published by W.W. Norton & Company this fall: America At Home and a book about 20th century American muralist Edwin Howland Blashfield. Living in a small town, Day covers a broad range of assignments. Her personal work includes local activities with people by the shore, at carnivals, on boardwalks, and children’s sporting events. Besides reminding shooters of the basics—“don't drop your camera (I’m sort of kidding, but not really) and don’t put your finger on the lens (ditto),” she offers a few suggestions for capturing memorable photos close to home: 1. Be prepared. Amazing things happen all the time. You don’t want to miss memorable moments because you left your camera home. Keep a lightweight point & shoot, like the Olympus 420, with you all the time.  “Be prepared for whatever happens. Don’t miss memorable moments because you left your camera home,” says Day. © Anne Day
2. Background counts. With images of people, make sure you are aware of the background. If it is very busy, try moving your subject to a less cluttered area. If that’s not possible, use a very wide aperture setting (for a wide, use smaller f-stop settings) to blur the background and bring your subject into focus.  “With images of people, be aware of the background,” says Day. Here, she increased the girl’s prominence by using a very wide aperture setting to blur the background. © Anne Day
3. Look for the light. Knowing how to use natural light or flash to your advantage will enhance your images. “If there is a bright light behind the subject, the on-camera flash is often enough to fill in the face in shadow. If not, use a reflector to throw light onto the face,” says Day. “I have used things as simple as a Styrofoam sandwich box to bounce light onto a face. When your subject is very dark against a bright background, you’ll wind up with a silhouette. Many point & shoot cameras have a nighttime portrait setting. I prefer late afternoon light, so summer baseball games are great places to take pictures. I usually use the Olympus E3 with the 12-60mm lens. I have always been happy with my Olympus lenses because the white balance and rendition of color is exactly how I see the world.” 4. Children are tricky subjects. While some images of children are priceless and timeless, they can be difficult subjects. “It’s best to catch them unaware or you’ll wind up with those toothy smiles, which can be charming, but repetitive,” says Day. “When they are busy doing their favorite things, they will be so involved, they’ll forget you are there.”  For natural shots of children, catch them when they are busy doing something they like. They’ll be too engrossed to know you’re there. © Anne Day
5. Keep it moving. “I love movement. I like to photograph people jumping, dancing, whatever motion I can capture,” she says. “To freeze the motion without flash, make sure you use a fast shutter speed—no slower than 1/250 second—1/1000 second if you want to really freeze the action. If you don't have enough light, try boosting your ISO. I like to see a bit of a blur, so sometimes I pan the action. When it is dark enough, I use a slow shutter speed and an on-camera flash to stop the action.” To include some ambient light, use your camera meter or the nighttime portrait setting.  “I love to capture people jumping, dancing, swinging. To freeze the motion without flash, use a fast shutter speed. When it is dark outside, use a slow shutter speed and on-camera flash to stop the action,” says Day. © Anne Day
6. Lush landscapes. Time of day is critical for landscapes. “Usually the best light is in early morning or late afternoon. After a storm, it’s often quite beautiful. I find that after rain, greens become very rich in digital pictures,” says Day. 7. Shoot what you love. “Often the most interesting pictures are those you take right in your own environment, because you know where and when the light is best,” says Day.  “Often the most interesting pictures are those you take right in your own environment, because you know where and when the light is best,” says Day. © Anne Day
Alice B. Miller is the founder of Plum Communications (www.plumcomm.com), an editorial services resource for the photoimaging industry. Formerly editor of Studio Photography magazine, Alice has a clientele that includes photographers, manufacturers, publications, and associations. She is a vice president and board member of the International Photographic Council.
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