Make Graduation Day A Memorable Day In Photos

The day is almost here. All those years of buried faces in a book squinting to see the fine print; all those times in class just before a test praying that you wish you knew how to pray; all that’s behind you now. You are graduating; you’ve picked up your gown, checked your list to make sure invitations went out. Grocery bags of party food are on the table and the fridge is packed with more food. Canned drinks are all iced up in a half dozen coolers. Everything’s ready in great anticipation of a grand celebration. But is everything ready… are you really prepared? What about the camera, have you given any thought to that? Has anyone been designated as the family photographer?


Graduation is a very special time in one’s life; and it is not just a historical event for the graduate, it’s a milestone in a family’s history. To make sure your photos turn out on such an eventful day, it wouldn’t hurt to have backup, that is, have a number of friends and family taking photographs of the event. That is just one tip of many; here are some more tips to consider while taking those memorable photos on such an important day…

Be Prepared: Well, if it worked for the scouts, why not let it work for you… be matriculate, I mean meticulous in making sure your camera is working. Here are some things for your check list: 1) Batteries-Have new ones in the chamber and spares in your pocket; if they are rechargeable, this is a good time to top them off in the charger and have at least another set all charged up; it wouldn’t hurt to purchase another new set and charge that up as well (this ceremony cannot be repeated.) Make sure your memory card is clear and formatted for the day. It might even be a good idea to have a second memory card on hand. The price of cards has dropped substantially and now is the time to get one or two extras. If there are any photos on the card, it would be wise to download them onto a computer and then format the card so it is clear and ready. If you have more than one camera that uses the same card type, don’t switch the same card between different cameras, that is when you may have error messages or a card “failure.” All that said about batteries, cards and oh, oh, one thing most everyone forgets and regrets later when grandma licks her finger and smears it on the lens (like when she would wipe dirt off your cheek)… clean the lens. If you can, take a lens cloth and cleaning liquid or the prepackaged lens cleaning paper. You will find this especially valuable if it is raining… “where did those freckles come from?” And the best time to do this is the day before so you don’t find yourself running around the morning of or worse yet, on your way to the ceremony. Nerves are frayed enough without adding fear about parking places and seat availability.

Get close up and personal… with the stage. It wouldn’t hurt to rehearse before the ceremony begins. When the moment comes where they are presenting the diploma/degree… you really want to be in the right place and not competing for a spot. I don’t know why people fight for a spot because their graduate gets the award once and then they are moved across the stage in a “hug and kiss” line with former professors and counselors. It should come natural to take your shot and step away from the “coveted” spot for the next excited parent to get their treasured photo. That is what worked quite smoothly at my friend’s graduation from Duke Divinity School. “Photographers” were so cooperative they helped one another move forward to the right spot when their child/student came up to the moment. In some situations you may be limited to where you can stand and how close you can get to the stage. Barriers may be present, but still go ahead and ask if you can get closer. The worst to happen would be told you are standing as close as allowed. Another thing to consider is look into getting another camera with a longer zoom range. There are good brand cameras with amazing super-zoom lenses at a price that will also amaze you. A Nikon Coolpix P510 compact camera has a built in zoom from 24mm to 1000mm with a price that will knock your socks off (around $400.) I’ll be glad to review the camera, Nikon just need send me a unit to test and I will review and report on it. But from the reviews I’ve already read, it’s a really nice piece of equipment and the 16.1 megapixels sweeten the deal for many, not to mention the built in GPS, 99 point autofocus, shoots 7 fps, slow-mo video and 3D shooting mode. That would be a beauty to carry and easily be approved by any stadium security including the Olympics in London this Summer.

Don’t “Stage” everything: Though the graduate will be up on the stage; get the family in pictures on this momentous day. There will be those very important photos with all family members who attended this special day’s event. It will be so important to record the historical moment for the photo albums and slideshows and also to post on Facebook. You want everyone to see Grandma and Grandpa’s smiling faces. But the candid shots are precious treasures and hilarious moments that can turn a photo album into a “Best Seller” and a slideshow into an “Oscar winner.” Best friend graduates hugging, the graduate running with their graduation robe wide open and flying high create special moments preceding and following a graduation ceremony. Big brother cramming his grad hat on little brother with everyone laughing brings back precious moments. Keep the camera clicking at these special moments. Don’t chimp at this point. You can look at the photos on the LCD screen later and then, only then, delete the “bad” photos. I can’t tell you how many great photos have been missed because someone was chimping when they should have been photographing the moment. And don’t forget to “turn the tables (camera)” on you; that is, make sure you include yourself in the photo shooting. There will be a time when someone will be looking at the beautiful pictures and say, “Well, where is ol’ what’s his name?” You don’t have to be the designated photographer… don’t get “drunk (obsessed)” on taking all the pictures. Make sure there are pictures to prove you were there; a finger blocking one side of a photo does not count.

Watch the light and dark: One hard part in taking photographs is light. But there will be no photograph if there is no light. With digital photography a new element of light has been introduced, “White Balance.” Besides worrying about having the right amount of light, not too much (so Aunt Matilda doesn’t look like a ghost) or too little (“where was Moses when the lights went out”) with the introduction of white balance the right “temperature” has to be set so the photo isn’t greenish-blue or orange-amber. Most cameras have white balance set to automatic eliminating the worry of “temperature” color unless your photo has a strange hue present that isn’t there “in the present.” And there is another element of the lighting source; what direction is the light/sun coming from. You don’t want light in everyone’s eyes (causing squinting); and worse yet, if the sun is behind everyone all you have is a silhouette “glob” of forms.

Sometimes using flash, even in bright sunlight, will save the day. If everyone is enjoying the great outdoors but the time is high-noon and unless you get in the shade of the “old oak tree” in the middle of campus, everyone is going to be squinting, then by all means go for the “old oak tree” and use flash under the tree. That should work just fine. And lastly,

You “auto” be in pictures: before the snowflakes fall; that is, make sure the graduation photos taken get circulated before summer is over. Don’t let the memories gather pixels in the camera even one week past the eventful day. Make sure you take possession of the camera and cards before the graduate leaves the party or the photos could get lost before seeing the light of day. To do this tactfully, fire up a family digital picture frame and put the card in it or slip it into the card reader and download the photos and copy onto CDs as a gift for family and friends to take home. There is a program called “Windows Movie Maker” that comes on all Windows PCs. You just point it to the subdirectory that has the graduation photos and it makes a video in minutes including music. Then you can play the video during the party. Once again don’t let the memories gather pixels in the camera, there is no excuse for that to happen in this day and age.

Have a good time and don’t forget to take the lens cover off!

This information provided courtesy of Linda Hoopes Photo-Art, http://lindahoopesphoto-art.smugmug.com

Vacation Plans are on the Drawing Board and the camera is in the bag!

Now that school is almost out for the summer, you've probably begun to search the web for places to go... cheap places to go! With the price of gas migrating towards $4/gal you are probably thinking about something closer to home. Air travel seems to be a roll of the dice with the airlines playing musical chairs with one another and trying to cover the rising fuel costs by charging passengers extra for a second checked bag. Really, would you want to check a second bag when you know they are going to lose the first checked bag?

One thing you will want to consider this early in the planning stages is a camera. How is your camera doing that you have now? Don't wait a couple days prior to V-day to pull out the camera and check it over. Check it out now, especially if it is a film camera. If it's been in the back of the closet there are a few things that need to be done before taking it on your vacation. Remove the batteries and make sure they didn't leak into the battery chamber of the camera. If they did, the camera may still be salvageable. But a future blog will discuss how to perform cleaning, maintenance and storage of your camera. Most likely, buying a new camera, is your first choice at this point.

Now, if you are in the market for a new camera, where do you start? Well, the worst thing to do is have the salesperson tell you what you want. You know what you want; you just need a way to organize your thoughts. Here is where to start in that process...


First step should be: Get some paper and a pen. Write down what you liked with all the cameras you have owned or used. Spend a lot of thought with this. This list is for you to use in selecting your new camera.


Next you will start another list: Write down what you did not like with those cameras. If you are considering a digital and it is your first, here are a couple of things to consider:

Anti-shake, anti-vibration--This is a big deal. Even the pro, high end digitals are adding this feature. Lower priced cameras also have this feature. This is a must have feature for digital cameras today, especially if this will be your first.

Start up time. Biggest complaint with a digital camera is missing a picture because someone was waiting for the camera to "come on," "turn on," "warm up," whatever they may call it. By the time the camera is ready, the baby's first step is missed and all you can get is the 2nd, 3rd, 4th steps.

Type and size of battery the camera uses. It is best to purchase a camera that uses AA batteries. Those are available all over the world where there are stores. If you want the thin, "fit in your shirt pocket" camera, plan for the odd battery, specific for that camera and possibly just that model! And if you leave your charger at home... uh-oh.


Go to a store you are familiar with that sells cameras. DO NOT BUY a camera. The salesperson at a camera store will do everything in their power to make the sale at that moment, even lie if they have to. I know from experience about the "promises" list they begin to rattle off until they see you begin to soften up. A promise made to me on the first digital camera was not outrageous. When I was ready to step up to a more sophisticated camera, I went back to the camera store with the old camera I purchased from them. The salesperson said they would take the old camera as a trade in when I would be ready to move up. I dealt with the same saleperson and he looked at me like I was crazy when I said I wanted to trade the old one in. "We don't do trade-ins and never have."


Listen to the sales pitch, test out the camera and then go get a cup of coffee. DO NOT BUY. If you saw what you liked make note of the brand and model.


Then, check out the reviews of the camera you liked. You can go on line and search for the make and model, go to the camera manufacturer's website, and the best and most reliable review is from the consumer just like you who will tell it straight. Here, too, is where you can find out if the camera is a discontinued model or being discontinued. So if the saleperson says you are getting a great deal on a camera they want you to buy, do you consider a discontinued product a great deal?


In the process of checking reviews on line, you may have found a better price. You may save money not paying tax, but remember to consider the shipping and handling charges. Add up the camera price and shipping in comparison to purchasing the camera locally. Can you wait a day or two for the savings? I buy all my camera equipment through an online camera and video store which has been proven to be reliable and trustworthy. In the first year alone of switching to the online purchasing, I saved over $1,000 for gear and they even purchased my old camera and lenses! However, if you decide to purchase over the internet be aware there is something called a "gray market." Gray market equipment is meant to be sold outside the United States and here is what makes the price so attractive... no manufacturer's warranty comes with the purchase. A good article about the "gray market" alert is in the January 2008 issue of Popular Photography magazine. You may be able to read the article by going to the magazine's online site, http://www.popphoto.com/ and search for the editorial by John Owens, "Camera-Buyer Beware: How to tell a scam from a steal."


Buying a camera is a big discision today. Just like a new car, the minute you walk out the door with the camera, it's value drops quite a bit. Another thing, the digital market is still quite new and "finding itself" to please the customer. Digital cameras are obsolete in the matter of days of being released. Take for instance the line of Nikon's digital SLR cameras. They have jumped all over the place to get the consumer's attention... D100 to D70 to D50, D80, D200, and within a model there have been changes and releases and the same has been happening in their pro line of DSLRs. If you could follow the "point and shoot" camera's history, you would discover that market is a disaster.

Oh, and one more thing, if you can't find a model that has all the features you want, just wait a few days, it will be on the market...