One way to make a beautiful holiday card photo is to get the sun behind your subject.

Yes, that is what I said, put the sun behind your subject when shooting pictures. I was talking with a friend recently who was having trouble shooting portraits so I suggested we get out the camera and do some test shots.

This is a great idea. Figure out how to use your camera before you NEED it to work (like when everyone is dressed and ready for the family portrait that is going to be the centerpiece of your holiday photo card), and then when it really counts you get the shot.

We took out her camera and I volunteered to be the subject. We shot my picture in the shade with a sunny background and used the flash... yes, flash outside. The flash filled in the light on me and still gave her a great exposure for the background.

Then, she took me out into the direct sunlight. Instead of making me face the bright sun though, I turned around and the sun was behind me. This allowed me to have nice even light on my face and I wasn't squinting. There was even nice backlight behind me highlighting my hair. If you have ever taken a photo like this you know that the subject can be too dark though. So, again we turned on the flash! Wow. It was a great photo. Nice backlight, nice light on my face, and I had a good expression since the sun was behind me rather than in my face.

Turning your camera's flash on outside in the sunlight will make great fill flash photos. Photos that essentially have 2 light sources. The sun is light #1 and the flash is light #2. Like professional photographers who use more than one light to take portraits, your photos will also have that sophisticated look to them with the ease of fill flash.

Whether you have a new camera or one that you just can't seem to get good photos out of, a great idea is to do some tests when it doesn't matter. Then, when it really counts, you will be ready to get the great shot!