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Mark Rightmire. Photographer.

// MORE INFORMATION: Associate Mug Shot taken September 10, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Are you stressed that your holiday cards aren’t sent out and to top it off you don’t even have a family photograph taken yet?

Now you’re kicking yourself that when everyone was together during the Fourth of July picnic. You were so busy that no one bothered to gather everyone together for a photo at that lake or beach. Well, fortunately there is still time to make things work.

Now you’re thinking that you need to find a friend or colleague that has a nice professional grade camera to make that beautiful photo of your family – right?

Well, that’s always a good way to go, but the quality of cameras in nearly everyone’s mobile phones will work just fine. In fact, newspapers and magazines have on occasion published cell phone photographs.

Following are a few tips to remember when taking that photograph of the family and friends:

• Don’t line everyone up in a row against a wall. Use interesting props available around the house.

• Make it visually interesting. If it’s a large group, have some people standing and others seated. Perhaps someone can hold the cat or dog. Use the stairway, tree, or porch, to get people on different levels so everyone can be seen.

• Turn on the lights in the room.

• Many cameras have self-timers so that you don’t need a member of the family to take the photo.

• Create a platform for the camera or phone. Stack books on a table or something similar.

• If you are taking it outside, the open shade would be best for the soft, even light that it provides, but if not, keep the sun on the subject’s faces.

• Compose the photo so that you can see everyone’s face. Move in close. You don’t always need to include people’s legs.

• Give the viewer a sense of place, whether it’s in a home with a Christmas tree or even at a special location while on vacation.

• Try something different for a change like making faces, yelling, laughing, throwing up your arms or shooting from either a low angle or higher vantage point.

• And finally, shoot more than one photograph.

It only takes a few minutes and it’s always better to have to a variety of photos to choose from rather than to not be satisfied with the only photograph you took and desperately wish you could get everyone back together again when they are long gone.

Have fun and happy shooting!