Keepsake guide for honeymoon photographs

Honeymoon getaway photography tips:

Techniques for picture-perfect honeymoon photographs.

            The excitement and beauty of your wedding does not end when the reception is over. For most newlyweds, the honeymoon represents the real start of their new life together.

            That is why you will want to remember your honeymoon getaway with photographs. For exciting “souvenir” photographs of your trip, follow these simple picture-taking tips:

            1. Practice with your camera. Do not expect perfection if you have not tried out a new camera or used your current camera for a while. Shoot as many practice rounds as you can before you leave so you can correct any mistakes and make sure the equipment is in top working order and condition.

            2. Bring extra flash drives or film and batteries. Purchase all your supplies beforehand to save time and money. Film may be hard to find these days and other necessities may be harder to find or too expensive on the road.

            3. Register expensive cameras. Save time and prevent problems by registering your camera and equipment with U.S. Customs before departure. Plan extra time at the airport to process paperwork..

            4. Check ASA/ISO speed. Check to see if the ASA setting on your camera matches your film speed.  Bring along different ASA film speeds for different lighting situations.  On digital cameras, remember to change your ISO to account for different light settings: ASA/ISO 64 or 100 for bright sunlight; ASA/ISO 400 for lower light. When using film use ASA 1000 for indoors and nighttime settings without a flash. When using digital try not to bring your ISO over 400, for most cameras you will start to get (noise) which is pixels starting to show with many defects or artifacts over 400.

            5. Hold camera steady. To ensure your photographs are in focus, steady your hands—especially in low light. Use a tripod or lean against a wall or post to further steady yourself and the camera.

            6. Bracket your shots. To guarantee a correct exposure under tricky lighting conditions, bracket your shots. Bracketing means overriding your camera’s light meter and shooting a picture at slower and faster speeds than the meter shows.

            7. Protect your camera. If you are using film, shield the bag to protect film from airport X-ray machines. Also, keep cameras covered when not in use to guard against extreme temperatures, dust, and moisture, which can ruin the electronics on your camera, lenses and camera parts.

            8. Know the limitations of fully automatic cameras. Automatic cameras do have limitations when it comes to certain lighting conditions and action shots. Keep the camera focused and close to the subject.

            9. Never shoot in the sun. Good results are hard to achieve when the sun is in the background.

            10. Lock the shutter when not is use. Keep batteries fresh and try to prevent accidental exposures from happening.

            11. Keep a log. Keep a list of sights and destinations visited to help identify photographs.

            12. Double check before unloading film. Be certain the film is fully rewound before opening the camera.

            13. When you get home backup all digital photo files. Burn your files on to a CD. Do not leave these files on your hard drive, (one day you may have a problem with your PC and lose all your photos.)

            Prior planning and proper camera techniques can help keep your honeymoon photographs and memories beautiful for years to come.