Taking photos during the holiday season is always a great idea as it means you can look back at these photos and remember the great time you had.  Here are just 6 occasions where you may want to keep your camera handy:

1. Turning on the Christmas lights: whether it is a celebrity turning on the lights in your local area or a local hero, this is always an exciting time and a great opportunity to take photos.
2. Decorating the Christmas tree: capture many photos from when the tree arrives to when all the decorations are up and the tree is lighted.
3. Visiting the Christmas market: mulled wine, nice food and decorations? Christmas markets are certainly excellent places to capture the spirit of the season.
4. First snow: We all get excited about this.  Take photos of snow covered trees, roofs, and snowmen (if there is enough snow!).
5. Parties: Everyone lets loose at parties so whether they are office parties or family parties, keep your camera handy for memorable shots.
6. Christmas day: There should be no reminders necessary to take photos on this day.  It will be a shame not to have your camera ready on Christmas day.  Photos of family and friends opening gifts as well as the huge Christmas feast will be great for remembering the day.

By the end of the season, you should have a collection of photos, which you can use to create a great photo book. Happy holidays! KoodibooK is about preserving and sharing your memories in a unique way while giving you the best possible experience with personalised photo book creation.  The KoodibooK software allows you to access your photos at amazing speed from wherever they are stored and use them to create photobooks that can be previewed in 3-D, published online for free and printed professionally.

Maybe you have a friend who always shoves the camera in your face? Or an uncle who yells until all the cousins are squashed together uncomfortably saying cheese. If you are a reluctant photographer for these sorts of reasons, here are some tips to boost your confidence without making you into into the paparazzi friend.

1. Start at Home:

Sometimes the best way to get started photographing is to start small and start where you’re most comfortable. For most of us this means in our house.  Spend an hour walking around your house (inside and out) taking pictures. Take some wide shots of whole rooms or the whole front of your house, and some close up shots of everything from a flower to a bowl of cereal.  Not only will taking lots of pictures get you more comfortable with the camera, you may also capture some good shots of familiar things which will boost your confidence.

2. Carry your Camera everywhere:

It is a good idea to carry a camera around and look for photographic opportunities.  Shooting some pictures on the move will get you comfortable taking pictures with people around.  Keep on practicing and you’ll be snapping group shots in no time.

3. Offer your assistance:

One of the main reasons people feel uncomfortable photographing others is because they don’t want to bother their friends or seem bossy. You can start by volunteering!  If you see families or people trying to take a picture of themselves or their family at a public place such as a museum, tourist venue etc,offer to take the photo for them.  This gesture will give you a chance to shoot groups.

4. First Subject selection:

It’s a good idea to start with a trustworthy friend or family member when you’re trying to build up your confidence.  Children, especially 7-10 year olds, can make great subjects.   Start by photographing them sitting still, like a school portrait.  If you start to get nervous talk about something completely unrelated.  Try giving them some directions.   If you feel uncomfortable about asking a family member or friend if you could take their photo, offer them free photos in exchange for their time.

5. Directing a crowd:

Ever heard the expression “It’s like herding cats”?  Some people feel this way about group shots or giving directions while shooting photos.  In order to ease the process, remember these three things:

1) Have a plan-If you have an idea in your mind about where you want people it will be easier to communicate what to do.

2) Speak up – Be loud enough for everyone to hear and don’t be afraid to give specific people instructions.  Remember to say something positive afterwards like, “Mom, move towards Dad and put your hand down by your side…That’s perfect.”

3) Sight lines – It’s a good idea to ask the group if everyone can see your lens before taking a photo, this ensures that every one’s face will be seen.

Becoming a confident photographer doesn’t happen over night. For one thing, if friends and family members aren’t used to seeing you wield a camera and snap photos they might have a reaction to your sudden interest. The attention might even make you a little more self-conscious but just remember; when they see those amazing photos, they will not only be helpful but also thankful for your new hobby.

KoodibooK is about preserving and sharing your memories in a unique way while giving you the best possible experience with photobook creation.  The KoodibooK software allows you to access your photos at amazing speed from wherever they are stored and use them to create photobooks that can be previewed in 3-D, published online for free and printed professionally.

Designing the cover of your photo book can be a fun or frustrating task. After putting so much effort into the photos, the cover can make or break your photo book.  We all aim to choose a title that describes what the book is about as well as conveys the sentiment and tone of the photo book as a whole. Many photographers put a lot of effort into picking a title as creative and clever as their photographs. If you’re looking to jazz up the cover of your photo book then here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Barcelona 2010

1. A picture is worth a thousand words? Indeed! But not when it leaves the viewer clueless. Choose a great cover photo which summarises your photobook but also consider including a catchy caption to add something to the photo that is not apparent rather than letting only the picture do the talking. A good tip is to try and answer at least two of these four questions in your cover:

Who?

What?

Where?

When?

2. Keep it simple:  Do not cram too much information on your cover. Your cover picture should not be too busy and your caption should be ideally no more than 6 words. Keeping a title short means that people are more likely to read it and view your photobook.

3. Choosing your cover picture: When you choose a cover picture you not only want to make sure that it shows off the skill and beauty of the photos inside but that it accurately explains something about what the whole photo book is about. Doing this can make the job of thinking up a title even easier.  The image shouldn’t just be a good picture it should demonstrate the quality and subject of the contents of your photo book.

4. Make a statement with your cover: The image on your cover has the power of drawing people to the photobook whether it is a coffee table book or a photobook published on KoodibooK.com. Colours generally draw people. Close up pictures also make great cover pictures.  To make a truly outstanding cover, be creative with the colours, borders and frames.

5. Creative captions: Journalists usually reel readers in through their misleading captions. This is not to say you should do the same but a witty, fun and creative twist to your title that describes the content of your photobook will make your photo book look even more interesting. That said, do not complicate things! While the mystery of cryptic titles can be fun for those who understand it, they are most appreciated only in private books. A good tip is to use a lyric of a song or a famous saying as your caption.

There you are! 5 attention grabbing photo book tips to consider when creating your next photo book.

At KoodibooK we are passionate about photography. We provide an easy and quick way to organise photos into high quality photo books at great value.

As most parents know, getting a photo of your children that you can proudly display on your desk at work can sometimes feel like an impossible feat.

Before you give up on trying, consider these few tips to enable you to capture your little bundles of joy without inducing tears or tantrums.

Tip 1: Camera Casual

If your children seem to freeze or strike ridiculous poses every time you take out a camera then start by making them feel more comfortable around your camera.  Try carrying your camera around always or better yet ask your child to carry it for you (shock proof cameras are good for this).  As your camera becomes a normal part of you and your children’s lives, start taking a few shots a day.  You can increase the number of shots per day as they become more used to being photographed.

Tip 2: Let them decide

A child’s discomfort in a photo can ruin an otherwise great shot.  One of the best ways to ensure that you have their whole-hearted cooperation is to negotiate with them.  Agree that if they follow your instructions for some “fancy” photos (desk-worthy) you’ll shoot some just the way they want.  Let them choose exactly what they want to wear and do.

While allowing your kids to choose how they want some of their photos to be taken may seem like a silly idea, they can occasionally yield some truly heart-warming shots.  At the very least they provide some dynamite photos to show at their wedding someday. Either way, compromising with kids when taking their picture is a win-win situation.

Tip 3: Make it a fun experience

Photo taking does not need to seem like a chore for your kids. Depending on the ages of your kids, taking turns as the photographer is a great way for them to have fun while you get exactly what you want.  Snap photos of them and in turn show them what to do when it’s their turn. Children also learn a lot about following instructions through this.

Once you’ve shot an agreed number of photos, hand them the camera and remind them what to do.  Don’t forget to act as compliant with your photographer as you’d like them to be for you. Children often exaggerate the tone or attitude of their photographer when it’s their turn. In the process you may even learn a thing or two about how they perceive you.   Allowing children to take a turn as the photographer will usually make them more willing to take direction when it’s your turn to photograph.

Tip 4: Natural is the way to go

If your children often get fussy when being photographed, then this may be because they are doing or wearing something that makes them feel uncomfortable (could be a frilly dress or a contrived pose). Children do not like being fake and let’s face it, forced posed photos are less appealing. Snap photos of them when they are in their natural and comfortable state. It is the self-awareness that can actually induce the tantrums and panic.

Tip 5: Capture the Little Moments

Many parents get discouraged when they can’t get their kids to look and act like perfect little people.  If you’re one of these parents then we’ve got news for you. Savour their spirit, and capture it (muddy faces, angry pouts, those are the things you’ll miss).  One of the reasons we want to capture our children’s lives in photos more than our own is because they make us laugh and drive us crazy all at once.  These are the pictures that portray who they really are and this is what you should be trying to capture.

KoodibooK is about sharing your memories and making inspiring designs while giving you the best possible experience with photobook creation.  The Free photobook software allows you to access your photos at amazing speed from wherever they are stored and use them to create photobooks that can be published anywhere.

Photo credit: ALANIS by Mailgomad, Dustin & Makayla by xCrimsonregret and Kids by lAliusl