Getting yourself into shots

[dingie256]

Originally Posted by facedodge

If you are a trusting individual, I recommend putting it in full auto or metering it yourself before giving it to someone else to shoot. Make sure the shutter speed is high enough, and make sure it's stopped down more than 2.8 because they will probably not focus carefully.

I've had too many shots that were focused over our heads on the background. I usually compose the shot, focus it, set AF to manual and give it to them. This would only be in situations that I don't have a tripod or something to rest it on. Although I did this once and the guy started backing up, and he was so shocked when I started yelling... NOOOO!

Excellent advice. Let's add telling the guy that you like to be shot from this spot.

[whuband]

If you hand your camera to someone to take your photo, your face will be dead center in the frame about 95% of the time. Set your zoom accordingly if you want your feet to be in the photo.

[edfungus]

I set it to AV and liveview it and give the spiel on manual focusing, since thats all I have. Its a little annoying since they usually think they know everything and its not surprising when every picture is out of focus ... :/

[JasonMK]

Originally Posted by facedodge

I've had too many shots that were focused over our heads on the background.

And that is exactly what happened the last time we were in DC. Someone saw me taking photos of my kids and offered to take a family photo. Makes me really interested in how the Lytro camera evolves.

[BlindGuyTakingPictures]

Did it in Vegas.
Very slow process. Did not get as many pictures as I would have liked.
Plus, you have to do it early morning when there are limited number of people around.

[KurtGoss]

I have twenty years of family Thanksgiving photos... and I am not in a single one. I wonder why... I don't bring my camera to family events anymore for exactly this reason. (I used to take strobes and do sittings with each grand child). I was always expected to take all the photos... and everyone was thankful for all the shots of all our nephews and cousins growing up... but i am passing that role to someone else now. All the kids have iPhones, so now they take all the photos.

Before me, it was my Grandfather... who made everyone go out into the front yard and take a group photo. Only problem was my Grandfather (even though he owned 20 different film cameras and did this for 20 years!)... would crop people heads off, or just basic composition stuff.. or whatever. He was not a pro photographer, so every shot was hit or miss. It became a joke when we would get prints from the holiday get togethers... we would have 3-4 families together, maybe 40 people in a shot... and the 4 people on the far right were cut off. MY Grandfather was just not paying attention, and with no digital instant check, you didn't know until you developed it. I think many times it was rangefinder type cameras, so he never knew how to compose with that type of camera.

If you never show up in the family photos, then you KNOW that person was a photographer.

[RDKirk]

I have twenty years of family Thanksgiving photos... and I am not in a single one. I wonder why... I don't bring my camera to family events anymore for exactly this reason. (I used to take strobes and do sittings with each grand child). I was always expected to take all the photos... and everyone was thankful for all the shots of all our nephews and cousins growing up... but i am passing that role to someone else now. All the kids have iPhones, so now they take all the photos.

For sure, you're right.