So you want to take better graduation pictures?

What an exciting time of the year! Whether you have a relative graduating from college, high school, or kindergarten you would like to remember the event with a good photo or two.

There are many secrets to discover in taking better pictures, but success begins with arriving early. Get to the ceremony before the crowds and claim a good angle to the action. You want to position yourself close enough to see the handing off of the diploma, but also be able to have a view of the larger group too.

If your camera allows you to change lenses, use an 18-200mm or equivalent to be able to shoot close ups (150-200mm) and wide angle views (18-35mm). If your camera is not equipped to change lenses, a camera with a 20x – 50x zoom is optimal.

A monopod, which is a one-legged support for your camera is always a good idea. Using a monopod takes up little to no extra space and will benefit your photos enormously.

Lastly, you want to set your exposure for success! Using shutter priority (S or TV setting – on your mode dial) will allow you to set your camera to shoot quickly enough (fast shutter) without much worry about exposure decisions. Set your shutter speed to 1/125th your ISO to between 800 – 1600 (the lower the better, but make sure you are able to shoot at 1/125 at a minimum). Now your camera will choose a proper aperture (f/stop) setting to correspond to your chosen shutter speed.

I hope you are now able to take great pictures at your event! If you have more questions or would like to learn more about photography, contact me bob@briskeyphotography.com or 708-588-0100. Our website is www.briskeyphotography.com