All Gift Experience Vouchers From Firefly

Firefly Photography boasts a team of highly creative and imaginative individuals, each with their own area of expertise. We have a variety of skilled stylists, consultants, photographers and digital artists who try their very best to make your experience at Firefly Photography enjoyable, comfortable and one you will never forget.

One of our latest offers is an ‘All gift experience voucher’. This voucher is worth £30.00 and you can use this in the newborn, family, makeover, boudoir and pets studios, as well as receiving a complimentary 8” framed print, worth £95.00. For more information about our offer please visit us online at: http://www.fireflyphotography.co.uk/offers/

Want to make your photos stand out from the crowd?

Want to make sure your photos stand out from the crowd?    

Photo Credit: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01766/liu-bolin-620_1766267b.jpg

At Firefly Photography we will make sure your personality shines through, visit our website for more details - http://www.firefly-photography.co.uk/

Top 10 Tips for Great Pictures

Do you wish you were a better photographer? All it takes is a little know-how and experience. Keep reading for some important picture-taking tips. Then grab your camera and start shooting your way to great pictures. 1.  Look your subject in the eye 2.  Use a plain background 3.  Use flash outdoors 4.  Move in close 5.  Move it from the middle 6.  Lock the focus 7.  Know your flash's range 8.  Watch the light 9.  Take some vertical pictures 10.  Be a picture director

1

Look your subject in the eye

Direct eye contact can be as engaging in a picture as it is in real life. When taking a picture of someone, hold the camera at the person's eye level to unleash the power of those magnetic gazes and mesmerizing smiles. For children, that means stooping to their level. And your subject need not always stare at the camera. All by itself that eye level angle will create a personal and inviting feeling that pulls you into the picture.

Too high Better

2

Use a plain background

A plain background shows off the subject you are photographing. When you look through the camera viewfinder, force yourself to study the area surrounding your subject. Make sure no poles grow from the head of your favorite niece and that no cars seem to dangle from her ears. Try it yourself Improving the background is easier than you think. Try it yourself with our online cameras. (Flash, 838 K)

Distracting background Better

3

Use flash outdoors

Bright sun can create unattractive deep facial shadows. Eliminate the shadows by using your flash to lighten the face. When taking people pictures on sunny days, turn your flash on. You may have a choice of fill-flash mode or full-flash mode. If the person is within five feet, use the fill-flash mode; beyond five feet, the full-power mode may be required. With a digital camera, use the picture display panel to review the results. On cloudy days, use the camera's fill-flash mode if it has one. The flash will brighten up people's faces and make them stand out. Also take a picture without the flash, because the soft light of overcast days sometimes gives quite pleasing results by itself.

Subject is dark After

4

Move in close

If your subject is smaller than a car, take a step or two closer before taking the picture and zoom in on your subject. Your goal is to fill the picture area with the subject you are photographing. Up close you can reveal telling details, like a sprinkle of freckles or an arched eyebrow. But don't get too close or your pictures will be blurry. The closest focusing distance for most cameras is about three feet, or about one step away from your camera. If you get closer than the closest focusing distance of your camera (see your manual to be sure), your pictures will be blurry.

Good Better

5

Move it from the middle

Center-stage is a great place for a performer to be. However, the middle of your picture is not the best place for your subject. Bring your picture to life by simply moving your subject away from the middle of your picture. Start by playing tick-tack-toe with subject position. Imagine a tick-tack-toe grid in your viewfinder. Now place your important subject at one of the intersections of lines. You'll need to lock the focus if you have an auto-focus camera because most of them focus on whatever is in the center of the viewfinder. Try it yourself Position the subject off-center to make a good picture great! Try it yourself with our online camera. (Flash, 838K)

Boring Better

6

Lock the focus

If your subject is not in the center of the picture, you need to lock the focus to create a sharp picture. Most auto-focus cameras focus on whatever is in the center of the picture. But to improve pictures, you will often want to move the subject away from the center of the picture. If you don't want a blurred picture, you'll need to first lock the focus with the subject in the middle and then recompose the picture so the subject is away from the middle. Usually you can lock the focus in three steps. First, center the subject and press and hold the shutter button halfway down. Second, reposition your camera (while still holding the shutter button) so the subject is away from the center. And third, finish by pressing the shutter button all the way down to take the picture. Try it yourself Good focus lock technique takes some practice. Try it yourself with our online camera. (Flash, 838K)

Subject not in focus Better

7

Know your flash's range

The number one flash mistake is taking pictures beyond the flash's range. Why is this a mistake? Because pictures taken beyond the maximum flash range will be too dark. For many cameras, the maximum flash range is less than fifteen feet—about five steps away. What is your camera's flash range? Look it up in your camera manual. Can't find it? Then don't take a chance. Position yourself so subjects are no farther than ten feet away. Film users can extend the flash range by using Kodak Max versatility or versatility plus film.

Without flash With flash

8

Watch the light

Next to the subject, the most important part of every picture is the light. It affects the appearance of everything you photograph. On a great-grandmother, bright sunlight from the side can enhance wrinkles. But the soft light of a cloudy day can subdue those same wrinkles. Don't like the light on your subject? Then move yourself or your subject. For landscapes, try to take pictures early or late in the day when the light is orangish and rakes across the land. Try it yourself You'll be amazed at how different you can make one subject look just by changing the light. Try it yourself with our online camera. (Flash, 838K)

Good Also good

9

Take some vertical pictures

Is your camera vertically challenged? It is if you never turn it sideways to take a vertical picture. All sorts of things look better in a vertical picture. From a lighthouse near a cliff to the Eiffel Tower to your four-year-old niece jumping in a puddle. So next time out, make a conscious effort to turn your camera sideways and take some vertical pictures.

Good Better

10

Be a picture director

Take control of your picture-taking and watch your pictures dramatically improve. Become a picture director, not just a passive picture-taker. A picture director takes charge. A picture director picks the location: "Everybody go outside to the backyard." A picture director adds props: "Girls, put on your pink sunglasses." A picture director arranges people: "Now move in close, and lean toward the camera." Most pictures won't be that involved, but you get the idea: Take charge of your pictures and win your own best picture awards. Source Ref: http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=10032&pq-locale=en_GB&_requestid=410 For information on the products and services we offer at Firefly Photography please visit us online -  www.firefly-photography.co.uk

Family Portrait Experience

Our Family Portrait Experience, which is normal £125, is for a limited time only priced at £20. This photo-shoot includes a consultation with your photographer on the style of imagery you would like to create, time in the studio (with up to two outfit changes), a separate day viewing, an 8″ framed print and £50 off any of our wall art collection. This deal is only available until 3 November 2013 so please book now to avoid any disappointment.

Firefly Photography

Did you know... that in the last six months we have donated over £4000 in raffle prizes and donations to local causes? However did you also know that, through our external gift vouchers, we also support Clic Sargent?

Clic Sargent is the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people, and their families. They are there from diagnosis onwards and aim to help the whole family deal with the impact of cancer and its treatment, life after treatment and, in some cases, bereavement. It is a wonderful, positive charity, in which we are hoping we can help by having a spare change box in reception at the studio. However, we are about to create a package for the viewing room in which we will donate £50.00, directly to Clic Sargent, for every portfolio that we sell throughout August 2013.

We're also working with the charity to create a Christmas party in which Firefly, Clic and Santa will all be involved! The party will be held at the studio and all monies raised will go to Clic Sargent. 

If you would like a donation for your charity raffle, ball and/or silent auction please phone the studio on 01332 341300 and ask for Mel or Kirsty.
www.fireflyphotography.co.uk

Retro Weekend Reminder

Just a quick reminder that our highly anticipated retro weekend will be running on the 10th of November!

Find out more at our website now! 

Retro Day!

Due to customer demand, our first retro day is here!

What is retro? If we're being official, a quick google says that it's a 'Imitative of a style, fashion, or design from the recent past'. We nearly agree (it wouldn't be like us to completely agree now, would it?!). It is an imitation of the recent past however we believe it's also a form of people expressing themselves and having fun... and isn't that what a shoot with Firefly is all about?

We've spoken with our team of talented stylists and they're extremely excited about 10 November. They'll do any style you want.... Christina Aguleria's Candy Man, the classic beehive or even Marilyn's larger than life volumised hairstyle. We've got key props - all you need to do is bring your outfits.

We're so excited about our first retro day. It's the first 'theme' day of many - watch this space. Visit our website for more information or, alternatively, phone 01332 341300 to book your Retro Day experience for only £45! See you there!