Evening star., 1950-12-24
Camera Angles
The Christmas Story in Pictures
By Alexander J. Wedderburn
Curator Of Photography
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The Smithsonian Institution
Little folks have the best times
of their lives on Christmas day
and personally I can't think of a
nicer gift that you can make to
yourself than full coverage of the
event with your camera. So load
up with plenty of film and get set
tor tomorrow. The pictures you
make then will reward you for
many years to come.
All photographers will enjoy
recording the expressions of an
ticipation and delight as the chill
dren tear their way through the
piles of presents and play happily
for hours without worry in the
world. This is the once-a-year
chance for the parents who never
seem to be able to catch their
children in a relaxed moment be-
fore a camera. No matter how
difident or camera shy children
may be, Christmas is the one day
you can catch them in the mood
for anything They will go happily
about the business of playing with
the newly acquired gifts, oblivious
to all that goes on around them,
and you can have a field day
with your camera.
If you decide to make up set
of pictures telling the story of
Christmas, 1850, which is a good
idea, by the way. a planned ap-
proach to the problem will pay off
with better pictures. No Yu1e pic
ture story is complete without q
shot of the Christmas tree in all
its splendor before the children
have had their whack at it. You
will therefore find it advisable to
make few exposures tonight just
after you have decorated the tree.
Wait until tomorrow and you will
run the chance of little accidents
such as broken decorations and
fallen tinsel that will mar the
perfection of your evening of hard
work.
Be Careful With Lighting.
You will want more than a mere
record shot at the tree so, to add
a touch of human interest, be
sure to pose your wife, husband
or one of the older children. who
are too sophisticated to be fooled
with the Santa Claus fable, in the
scene. You might have your SUBJ
ject portrayed as putting on the
finishing touches to the tree or
simply standing nearby or seated
at its base.
You will have to be very careful
in lighting this picture or the
tree will photograph too dark.
The foliage, as well as the orna-
mentS, will tend to create deep
shadows back inside the tree and
this must be overcome by careful
lighting. You must also take spe-
cial pains to make sure that the
tree lights will be visible in the
picture and at the same time not
burn themselves into the negative.
First, set your camera on a tri-
pod and, with the tree lights on
to help with the focus, compose
an interesting picture on your
view finder or ground glass. Take
particular note of the fact that the
interior of the tree is in compara-
tive darkness. To overcome this |
you will have to use one or more
lights at the sides
and back of the tree. Then check
to make sure that these lights do
not strike the lens of the camera. |
After you are satisfied that your |
set-up is perfect turn off the tree
lights and make your exposure.
Then turn off. the floodlamps and
flash the tree lights on for a
short second exposure and your
picture will be complete.
1t is an unshakable habit with
children to be up and about at the
crack of dawn on Christmas Day.
It we are to have much luck with
our picture plans, we will have to
be I'D at the same time. There
are arguments pro and con on the
question of trying to take pictures
right at the start of the festivities.
But I feel that the first ecstatic
expressions that come so spon-
taneously at the sight of the tree
and gifts are the ones that parents
want most to record on film.
Get There Ahead of Them.
This will take some planning.
To play it safe you can set up
your camera tonight and focus on
the doorway where the youngsters
will catch their first glimpse of the
good things to come. Then man
age somehow to get down ahead of
them and be ready with a flash
gun to snap the picture just as
they burst in through the door,
way. If you don't have a flash
gun that is synchronized with your
shutter you can do just as well
with the open flash technique.
This is an easy method to get flash
pictures no matter what your
camera may be. You Just open
the shutter. fire the flash bulb at
the right moment. then close the
shutter and you have the picture.
Those who can use either open
or synchronized flash can then
change quickly about and try
for a shot or two as the chill
dren start on the presents. Speed
is advisable because once the
floor becomes covered with a litter
OF discarded wrapping paper, all
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