It’s always been important to me to take plenty of pictures of the children, especially on special days or occasions to help preserve the memories. From one year to the next, they grow so much! Although I take a lot of pictures, I do wish my photography skills were much better at times, and I have had a look at some better camera ranges hoping that perhaps a better piece of kit may give me better results.
I have been wondering about a DSLR but the cost and high file size makes me hesitate a bit. The high performance cameras from Sony’s Cyber-Shot range look like a good option though with wider lenses to capture more light, and a powerful zoom. When upgrading my camera, I will also want to look for a camera with that can take a sharp crisp photo even in low light. A wide lens will help with this to allow in plenty of light even when taking a photo with a fast shutterspeed, this should hopefully help to capture my kids who do not stay still for so long!
My husband was telling me about his friends camera which is from this Sony Cyber-Shot high performance range. They used it on a long exposure to take pictures at night time and it let in so much light that the picture came out brilliantly despite the dark and difficult conditions, so he was really impressed with it so I’m sure he would be happy with this choice. It would certainly make life easier when trying to capture some of the moments which I find challenging like getting great shots of Christmas lights after dark.
I always find the changing seasons give some great opportunities for photographing the kids, and Winter is no exception – with Christmas giving the perfect opportunity. I love all the twinkly lights and reds and golds. If it snows, that also gives the chance to get some fantastic shots with a real sense of fun! Sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s not just pictures of the children or family that will preserve the memories, it’s also worth while taking photos of the food or decorations as these can result in some really effective pictures and will still bring back plenty of memories in the future!
A camera is an ideal gift at Christmas too, not just for grown ups but even for children who are starting to show an interest in photography. Mr Z was given a camera in the summer and he felt so grown up taking pictures himself and being in charge of his own camera. It’s also great to see the pictures and find out what parts of the day your child has seen it most important to focus on! Once he gets a little bigger, one of the portable and powerful range from Sony Cyber-Shot would be ideal for Mr Z as its a lightweight camera which is not too bulky for him, but is still a very good camera at 18.2 megapixels.
Below are some great tips on how to take better photos at Christmas. I found them really useful myself. I had always wondered how to create bokeh in photographs, I think they look gorgeous! So sparkly and effective!
Courtesy of Sony
I will definitely be trying to put some of these into action and improve my photos over the festive season – what about you?
If you have any more tips to add, please let me know in the comments!
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Image: Christmas tree Shutterstock (modified) Portrait of a happy christmas toddler girl Shutterstock (modified)
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
I loved my old camera but it got too old and past it. The Cyber-shot’s do look very good 🙂
Brilliant tips thank you! I’ve been looking at getting a DSLR, but wondering if I can justify the purchase. I think for me trying to take a pic with steady hands is the first priority, and as I rarely manage this, take 3-4 of each shot and go with the best one.
Love Vicky @
http://aroundandaroundandupsidedown.blogspot.co.uk
I am saving for a DSLR, I know which one I want! I used to use a very old SLR but digital is much better obviously for a number of reasons. My camera is fine, I just need manual focus more than anything!
I love this post, especially the bokeh tips!
I’m giving Kitty a camera for Christmas (allbeit my old one!) , a great way for children to see the world in different ways 🙂
There are some really helpful tips here, I always say it’s the person behind the camera that matters most though
I’m still not sold on getting a proper camera as I love my iphone but there are some great tips there.I’ll be hunting out a brokeh filter on my camera app.
great tips!
I always go for the ‘shoot as many pics as possible’ method as it usually results in one good shot! 🙂 x
Some useful tips here, thank you, but what does ‘bokeh’ mean? Or am I reading the word wrong? Sorry.
bokeh are those circles or heart shapes of light that you get on the picture, you can see some in the pictures in the post.
I am in need of a new camera, great tips x
I’m hoping for a bridge camera for Christmas, so these tips are timely. Could I also ask what bokeh is?
Thanks for putting these brilliant tips up. I’ll definitely try and keep the DSLR off auto this Christmas 🙂
These tips are amazing!
I have a cyber shot but Allways end up using my camera phone.
Will definately be getting it out for Christmas and using your tips. Going to share also! I have lots of photo fanatics on my Facebook
This infographic was my last post too! I’m going to try the heart shaped bokeh, such a good idea! x
I have a range of cameras and I feel they all have their uses, I still can’t use my DSLR correctly and I tend to use the lazy auto mode on my point and click rather than fiddling with the settings. There are some great tips here and I’ll try to implement some in my festive pictures.
We’ve been looking at the Sony Cybershot range too! Just need to earn a few quid first x
Lovely post Anna, some great tips there too. I already take far too many photos, more on Christmas Day too as it’s our toddler’s birthday 🙂
oh wow! must be such a busy day for you!!
I would love a decent camera to take better photos although I do get some good ones with my phone too
These are some great tips! If you can believe it, I still haven’t tried the bokeh shape thing yet and am dying to! I’ll definitely have to try it this holiday season :o) Thanks for linking up to The PINcentive Blog Hop, and I hope you’re having a great week!
Elena at croppedstories@gmail.com
These are great tips – very simple to understand for a novice like me 🙂
These look like great tips. I have a fancy camera that I love but don’t have any idea how to use most of the settings! I had never even heard of Bokeh!
These are really great tips – I shall definitely be using them over the next few weeks 🙂 Thank you for linking to PoCoLo x
There is some great stuff here – even for someone like me who doesn’t know one end of the camera from the other! Thanks for taking part in the Monday Parenting Pin it Party 🙂
I am going to get my camera this morning wish me luck and some fun tips, I will keep in mind for the big day!
Some great tips, love the bokeh effects. Would love to take better pictures, love the memories you get when looking back at photos.
Some great tips! I love taking as many photos as possible at Xmas.
Looks interesting. I love my compact Sony Cyber Shot, but sadly I think it’s getting a bit old and doesn’t always focus very well on auto focus any more. I love taking photos and miss my old 35mm camera and lenses, I just can’t afford the digital version whilst being a SAHM these days.