As Halloween season approaches, so do the memories: dressing up and going to costume parties, visiting haunted houses and going trick-or-treating. If you are like me, capturing the moment is just as important as experiencing it.
Many people nowadays rely on the camera in their smart devices to get that photo of their best friend dressed up in their ridiculous getup. But the problem is getting the photo just right; with the dark lighting and people constantly on the move, getting it right on the first try is difficult. But it is possible, and here’s how:
Prepare:
A major step in getting the photo right is making sure your settings are right. You do not want to rally the group for a photo and then realize you have to go turn certain settings on/off.
First, figure out what situation you are going to be in; will it be dark and outdoors or well lit and inside? If the location turns out to be dark, then make sure your device’s flash is turned on, if it has that capability.
The next step would be to quickly go through your camera’s settings, look for anything that says night mode and switch to it. Another feature that will make those dark photos a little more visible is the exposure. Once you arrive, start up the camera and take a test photo. If it is too dark, raise the exposure. All of these tweaks will be for nothing if you do not check your storage space. If you are near full, transfer the photos to a computer or go through and delete unnecessary shots. Then you can snap away without worries about reaching capacity.
Act Smart:
After preparing, you would think that you can handle any shot, but that is only half of the battle. Now, while you are going door-to-door or at that pitch black haunted house, you have to pay attention to the surroundings.
Find that streetlamp and position yourselves accordingly (because even though you have your flash on, it cannot fully replace light sources). If there are no light sources around, your safest bet is to physically move the device closer. The flash on phones is not that strong, so if the device is closer, the flash will cover more; you will be able to see more in the photo.
Before and after some photo tweaks. Photo by Courtland Jeffrey.Some of these tips may seem obvious, but when you are having a fun time, facts slip away from you. Take into the account the two photos. Though the photos are of the same thing, I did not have the correct settings on my smartphone and I did not take into account the lighting in the dark photo, but I checked my settings and found some lights to use. This created the more visually appealing photo.
Mistakes happen; if you take an amazing photo but it is just too dark, then look into enhancing it with photo editing programs. They can improve, to a degree, the photo so it can be a keeper. Bear in mind these tips and your personal knowledge from previous experiences, and you will be set for your next Kodak moment.
If you have any questions or comments about taking photos, please contact on Twitter @Court_Jeffrey or via email at cejeffre@asu.edu. Happy snapping!
