With this milestone Christmas Holiday period upon us, now is the ideal time to dust off that camera and give a few thoughts on how to best capture for posterity all the fun of the coming key family moments. Here are a few tips for better photos from the Photo Imaging Council of Australia.

1. Don't leave your camera in the heat of the sun or in the glove box of your car as this can affect the film's colours.

2. Get in close when photographing people. Standing too far back spoils many shots.

3. Don't forget that somewhere in nearly every camera is a battery. This should be checked now as Christmas Day could be too late!

4. Don't get the New Year's Eve Shakes! Hold that camera steady at the moment of exposure as the most common cause of picture failure is camera shake.

5. Don't take pictures of people directly against the light unless you are after a silhouette. If you do take pictures of people with the sun in front of you, get in close and turn your flash on.

6. Look into the viewfinder carefully before you press the shutter. Don't put heads in the middle of the frame, put them towards the top. Checking the framing and positioning only takes a few seconds and your efforts will be more than justified by the finished results.

7. Watch the backgrounds. Plain and simple are the best for taking pictures of people.

8. For firework celebrations turn off the flash. Your flash only gives light for around 2 metres, so it's not much good for lighting up a flash hundreds of metres away! Many new cameras have "auto slow" and you do need a slow shutter speed to catch the light from fireworks. A tripod is a great bonus.

9. Get plenty of film. Shops are likely to be closed at the moment you run out!

10. Carry your camera all the time. They are so small and light these days that there is almost no excuse for leaving it home. Then you might never have to say: "If only I had a camera!"

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & COMMENT:

Paul Curtis
Executive Director of PICA,
available until 1.00pm Friday 17th on 041825 7772;

John Swainston, PICA Director,
available Friday 17th to Dec 24. Tel 02 9390 0200; mobile:0414 449 686.

(Other free photo editorial is available for download from the New/Features section of our website: www.photoimaging.com.au)