Take Great Photos this Christmas
Shoot like a pro with these easy to follow tips
The IXUS 1000 HS makes it easier than ever to take breathtaking images. But a great camera alone isn’t enough to take great photos.
We asked the experts from
Canon for their advice on taking photos over the long British winter.
Shoot portraits with ease
"Christmas and New Year involve lots of family and friends getting together; the ideal time to practice your portrait photography and capture some memorable photos.
A simple way to get started is to take candids. You can get natural expressions of people when their interest is elsewhere.
Don’t miss the opportunity for a family group shot. The resulting photograph will be one for the family album to be treasured in later years.
Many family groups have one person missing – the photographer. There is no need for this. Canon cameras are fitted with a self-timer. When set, pressing the shutter button delays the exposure by 10 seconds. This gives you time to join the group in front of the camera. The IXUS 1000 HS makes this even easier as it includes a Wink Self-Timer which captures a shot 2 seconds after a wink is detected from the subject!"
Move in close
“Winter brings frost. You might need to be up early in the morning before it melts, but the results can be spectacular. A tree or a fence covered in frost can be a good subject, but you should move in close for the best pictures. Fill the frame with just a few twigs, or a leaf, so that you can see the crystals of ice that turn an ordinary subject into something special. If possible, shoot with the sun in front of the camera so that the crystals are lit from behind and sparkle in the light.
Try to find a little colour to add to your picture. It might be a leaf that still retains a red or yellow hue, or a few coloured berries on a bush.
Try to keep your subject still. In macro photography if the subject moves, it will move from one side of the frame to the other. One solution is to carry a sheet of plastic and some stakes to form a windbreak, but it is often easier to take your camera and subject indoors and shoot in a draught-free room if you can."
Add contrast
“Winter mist might not seem a very promising condition for photography, but can be used effectively. Find an interesting subject you can position in the foreground. This could be a tree, or a signpost, or even a person. The mist will not have too much effect on subjects close to the camera, and they will have good contrast. Things further away, however, will begin to fade into the mist, giving a tremendous sense of depth to the image.”
Keep out the cold“Even when the sun is shining, temperatures in winter can be close to, or below, freezing. Thick gloves will keep your hands warm – but make it difficult to handle the controls of your camera. Find some thin wool gloves that still give you the flexibility needed to operate switches and buttons.
It is not just your hands that will suffer in the cold; while your camera will cope well the batteries won’t. Store a spare battery in an inside pocket and switch this for the battery in the camera after a while. The battery from the camera will then have a chance to warm up again. You can keep alternating the two batteries throughout the day.”
Absolute Radio are running a competition to win an IXUS 1000 HS camera, the competition ends on 4 January 2011. Terms and conditions apply. For details of how to enter visit our competition rules
Key features
- 10x optical zoom with Image Stabilizer
- Compact, stylish metal body
- HS System, for low light conditions
- 10.0 Megapixel CMOS sensor
- Full HD movies
- 3.0" PureColor II G LCD
- Creative shooting modes including Miniature effect and Colour Accent
- Super Slow Motion Movie
- Smart Auto
- Wink Self-Timer
- Hints & Tips within shooting and playback menu and more
Enter the competition
If you like the sound of the Canon IXUS 1000 HS, then enter the
competition for your chance to win one.