When I think of New Year’s Resolutions I don’t think in absolutes, I think in baby steps. I’m not giving up soda this year, even though I’d love to, I’m cutting back. I’m not going to lose 10 lbs I am going to be active and put more thought into my food choices.

I’ve come to realize that my personal improvement doesn’t grow by leaps and bounds but by small little steps. There might not be a big change from December to January, but I can make small changes stick and by next December it will be a habit and not a struggle. Small steps also allow for slips ups without ruining the resolution. I know there will be days I come home from work and I talk myself out of going for an evening walk because I walked all day at work and that should count. It will be ok on occasion and I won’t have failed at keeping my New Year’s Resolution.

I’ve done well at keeping my resolutions for 2008. I have more balance in my life, largely thanks to being done with school. I use fewer chemicals for cleaning, I walk more errands, and I feel at peace more often.

2008 and has been a good year, I expect 2009 will be as well. Happy New Year!

Now that you’ve got a picture you are happy with what are you going to do with it? Many are tempted to improve the picture through photo manipulating software. There are wonderful programs out there, but a word of caution to those just starting to learn the programs. Less is usually more.

There is a fine balance with cropping. You don’t want a lot of excess in the picture with no purpose, at the same time, you don’t want to cut out an important part of the picture. If you are not going to have full body shots try to not crop the picture where a joint is. Cropping at joints gives the picture an awkward look.

Where the main subject is on picture impacts the visual interest. I often refer to the rule of thirds. If you put an imaginary tic-tac-toe grid over your image the most important parts of the picture should fall on one of lines. For a headshot the most important part of the face is the eyes. BetterPhoto.com has some wonderful examples with an overlaid grid.

What use to be left to dark rooms has been brought into many homes with digital files and home printers. Home printers are acceptable for some projects; however when I want archival quality, large prints, or several prints at once I use a professional printer. When you decide on a printing method, whether home or professional I suggest printing a single copy to make sure you are happy with the quality of work before having them print bulk copies to send to friends and relatives. This is easier if you use a local printer that you can pick up the pictures in the store instead of having them mailed to you.

Creating the perfect holiday picture takes more than grabbing the camera and sitting everyone down on the couch. Planning ahead what you want your picture to say, when and where you will be able to find pleasing light, and if you need to bring anything else into the picture, will improve your picture. Like any other skill photography takes practice. Plan ahead so that if it doesn’t work out the first time you have time to figure out what went wrong and try again another day.

There are a lot of little things that can be done to add visual interest or improve the quality of your picture.

• Change your perspective. Lie down on your stomach or stand on a step ladder so that the picture is a different angle than we’re use to seeing.
• Pay attention to hands, feet, and tops of heads to make sure they are included if you are taking a full length picture. Keep in mind that it’s easy to crop in closer later (I’ll talk about cropping more tomorrow) but not to add in feet or fingers if they are cut off in the picture.
• Use a tripod. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive to help improve your pictures. I’ve picked up a tripod at neighborhood grocery store when I was in a pinch and it was sufficient for what I needed.
• Take your time. Being patient and waiting for the right moment when everything falls into place is worth the few moments it takes. Take several shots, but put a little time into each one.
• Pictures don’t have to be all smiles. In some of my favorite pictures no one is smiling, some of them even have tears. Having everyone relaxed and happy will show through in your picture more than stiff bodies and a forced smile.

One tip that a good friend shared with me that I had a hard time accepting is that it is important to let go of the perfectionism. In every picture something could have changed to make it more appealing somehow but that doesn’t mean the picture, as it is, doesn’t have value of its own. Plan, practice, and then let go of the imperfections.

Photography is painting with light, not by using a little magical can of light and a paintbrush but light is the instrument creating the photograph. It is such an important part of photography that I had to address it somehow and at the same time I wasn’t sure just what to say about it.

Diffused light is wonderful for taking pictures. A cloudy day is perfect, the clouds provide a diffuser for the sun but if you can’t wait for the perfect cloudy day there are other things that can be done to get nice lighting on your subjects. If taking the picture outdoors doing in open shade of a building with the family facing towards the edge of the shade is one of my favorite places. Indoors near a north facing window is a good option.

Times the sun is high in the middle of the sky, typically from 10 to 2 and direct light are things you want to avoid. If a shadow leaves a line that you could trace it’s not a good time or location for pictures.

The best way to learn about lighting is to practice. Not just practicing with the camera but take along a pen and paper too. Make a sketch of where you were standing, where the sun or other light source was and anything else contributing like a building casting a large shadow. Then compare the pictures you took and make notes of what worked and what didn’t.

A good resource for those using SLR or DSLR cameras is Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition).

If you have any comments about tips or tricks you have learned about lighting please share. If you have a question, please ask and I will do my best to answer it.

Real estate isn’t the only field that location plays an important part. It is also key in creating the perfect picture. There are a couple of different things to consider when thinking about where to take the picture. You don’t want a light pole or other object to appear to be growing out of someone’s head or the neighbor’s trashcan behind your family. It is important to look in the foreground and background to make sure everything belongs and nothing is distracting.

What is in the background can add a special touch that makes the picture a cherished keepsake and not just a photograph. This is a wonderful way to work a family tradition into the picture. Taking a moment with family on the floor playing with a dreidel with a menorah lit in the background or staging hanging decorations on the Christmas tree can add a special touch. The more personal the tradition is the better.

Every year my Grandparents would take a roll of Lifesavers and wrap it with a brand new $5 bill which was wrapped in shiny wrapping paper and hung on the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. Each ornament had a family members name on it and we had to find our name on the tree. The rules? No helping anyone who was old enough to recognize their own name, but rearranging names so that tall people had to reach down and crawl under the lowest limbs to find their names was allowed. This year it is my goal to get some better pictures of “finding your name on the tree.”

What are some of your family traditions and how have you been able to capture them forever in a photograph?

If a picture speaks a thousand words, what do you want yours to say this holiday season? Do you want it to document the family’s changes over the past year or share a long time family tradition captured forever in a photograph? Before you grab the camera and start clicking away there are decisions that can help you get the photograph that you will cherish, not only as you hold the print the first time, but years down the road as well.

Who do you want in the picture? Do you want just your children or the family including pets? If family members have a special interests or hobbies it can be fun to include part of the hobby in the picture as well. Family pets, sports equipment, musical instruments, even a paper and pen for someone who loves to write can all add to the message of your picture.

What to wear for pictures is also easier to decide after you have decided what you want your picture to say. As a general rule, keep clothes simple in complimentary colors, not busy patterns, and white is harder to photograph well than other colors. In most cases you want the people in the picture to be what people first notice when they look at the picture not what they are wearing.

When I am brainstorming ideas for projects I refer to Flickr (www.flickr.com) for inspiration. There are multiple ways of browsing or searching through the images and many talented photographers post their best work. It has served as a great source of inspiration to me over the last few years.

I love answering questions, so through the week if you have any questions or comments please leave them and I will respond.