Tips for photographing your own party

Here are some tips to photograph your own party:

·       Ask someone at the party to take the pictures for you, if possible. So many parties get under way (or finished) before the host realizes that she didn't get any pictures of the cake, centerpieces, decorations, and so on. Don't let that be you!

·      Be cautious of backgrounds. Before you take a picture, make sure that there isn't anything in the background to mess it up. You don't want a wall hanging or artificial tree growing out of Uncle Bob's head.

·       Zoom in close on your subject. Wide angle pictures don't show the true emotion, detail and special touches you put into your party.

·       Get down to eye level of your subject.

·       Remember the still shots! Be sure to get many photos of the cake, the festive stack of gifts, and the detailed decorations.

·       Capture the action! Think of yourself as a "photojournalist." You want to 'tell the story' of the party, so take a sequence of photos during games, activities, gift opening, candle blowing, etc.

·       Get a good mix. Get some candid photos of the fun and excitement, but also ask guests to pause for a posed photo. Group photos are also a great idea, and guests feel more comfortable doing this if you have goofy props for them to interact with.

·        Make sure your batteries are charged before the party! I'm guilty of forgetting this one!