Most churches work hard to decorate their churches at Christmastime, and many like to take pictures of their finished work. Good pictures can provide an important record of Christmas decorating over the years, and professional quality color photographs are easy for everyone to take when you follow some specific, yet simple instructions.

Great photos will make high quality cards, which people will be happy to send to friends and relatives everywhere. Each card is a spiritual messenger.

Always Use A Tripod And The Right Camera
A camera mounted on a tripod results in the best and sharpest pictures. Consider the angle and what aspects of the subject you want to focus on in the photograph. For example, in the case of a church interior, the tripod could be set up at the middle or the rear of the center aisle with the camera pointed straight forward to focus on the worship area. Most good cameras can be used. A single lens 35 mm camera that can take a long exposure (1/2 to 1 or 2 seconds) is an excellent choice. Digital cameras work well too. It is important to use the high resolution setting to get the clearest photograph. See the back page for digital photo help and emailing pictures to us.

Use The Correct Type Of Film In A Conventional Camera
Taking photographs of church interiors without people does not require stop action film, so use a slow speed film such as 100 speed rather than fast film like 1000 speed. A great way to ensure minimum camera vibration is to set the camera and use the self timer, so you donÕt have to touch the camera while the shutter is open. For an interior setting that is well lit but contains people, such as a choir, a faster film speed is needed.

Hints On Lighting Your Church Interior
All the lights should be turned on. It is usually best to photograph in daylight hours, even when taking interior pictures, as the windows will show up as bright areas rather than dark spots. This is especially true when stained glass windows are in view. The window colors will not show up if it is dark outside (please see the section on Stained Glass Windows in the pamphlet). However, do not take the photograph when the windows are illuminated by direct sunlight. This will result in overexposure.

When the area you are photographing is lit with conventional bulbs and spotlights, and the lighting is reasonably balanced and even, you will get a good photograph.

What Is "Bracketing"?
(The serious amateur photographer will appreciate this section Ð it does not apply to automatic cameras.)

Bracketing is achieved by taking a series of pictures at different shutter speeds and lens openings. It is always best to take a whole series of photos with the expectation that one of them will prove to be good.

For example, using the suggested basic exposure of 2 seconds at "f11", an exposure of 2 seconds at "f 16" is half the exposure (half the light). Each higher number f stop reduces light by half, each f stop lower increases light by two times. Make a series of different exposures with less light and more light.

You can adjust exposure by leaving the lens opening the same while increasing and decreasing the exposure time. This accomplishes the same goal. Try using the basic exposure above for 4 seconds, 2 seconds, 8 seconds, 1 second, _ second. Remember these exposures require a tripod or the photograph will be blurry.

Photographing A Stained Glass Window.
It is best to photograph a stained glass window on a slightly overcast day, taking care that the window is not in direct sunlight. Photographing your window on such a day will enhance the detail in the dark sections and show good detail in the light sections. Shadows running across the window will show up in the photograph. This can be unattractive, so wait until there are no shadows.

Because it is difficult to predict the exact amount of light needed to photograph a stained glass window, take a number of exposures at different times of the day. Try to line the camera up so that it is directly in front of the window, even if this requires straddling a series of pews. The tripod is important here too.

Photographing The Exterior Of The Church
If at all possible, try to take you photograph on a sunny day with the position of the sun behind the photographer so that it shines on the main part of the building. Otherwise choose a bright overcast day. Make sure that you include the entrance in your photo and be sure to consider the space surrounding the building in your photograph. Your picture will need sufficient foreground and space around the building for cropping. This is done so that the final proportions of the image reflect the full charm of the building.

Pictures taken of an important building at dusk, especially when it is decorated for Christmas or Easter, can be especially attractive and dramatic. It is almost always best to take a "night" picture at dusk, rather than when the sky is completely dark. The sky may come out black if the photo is taken at night. If it is taken at dusk, it will probably look as if it was taken at night. Several pictures taken 10 minutes apart should result in some good exposures.

It is extremely important to have sufficient light flooding the image areas for the photograph. Already existing exterior floodlights are often useful but sometimes the light is concentrated too much in small areas and leaves the rest of the exterior very dark. This can result in a dark photograph that hides many details. Setting up some temporary lights to evenly cover the exterior of the building will often bring the best results.

If you are photographing the building when snow is on the ground, you will need less light because the snow reflects existing available light. A photograph taken near dusk of a snow-covered subject is often very dramatic and attractive. Take the photograph half an hour or more before dark, with all exterior illumination turned on.

Tips on Photographing Choirs or Church Groups
If you plan to photograph your organization during service or meeting, use a tripod and a short exposure. Make sure there are not too many people in the photo if you are using a flash. When photographing candlelight services in churches use faster film.

Consider what action or poses you want in the photograph. Remember that the less the subjects being photographed move the clearer the photographs will be. For example, if you want a photograph of choir members singing, pose the members holding a long note. If there are candles in the photograph, use a slightly longer exposure (we suggest not longer than 1/15 second). This will make the candles look brighter but keep movement of the subjects from blurring the image.

Some Common Mistakes To Avoid
DonÕt take a photograph of the church interior or exterior using a snapshot camera with a built-in flash. This will result in a photo with a bright center or with lots of dark areas. Such cameras rely on a built-in exposure meter and a single flash as the primary source of light. They are meant to take pictures of subjects 6 to 12 feet away. It will not light the church interior adequately.

Points To Remember When Ordering Your Cards
When ordering cards for a specific occasion or holiday, such as Christmas, we encourage you to take your pictures and order your cards as early as possible in the year to have the benefit of a longer selling period. Keep in mind that we furnish all the information you need to create an easy and successful distribution program.

Our experience has shown that most groups sell at least two or more packages of cards to each member family. When placing orders for larger quantities, you can order more than one photograph to be made into cards at a small additional cost. Multi-picture orders must be for more than 300 packages. Remember, these same pictures can be used for postcards, bulletin covers, and special event folders.

If you send us all of your transparencies, we can determine which photo will make the best card. You may wish to indicate if you have a favorite, but in making the final choice, be certain that the details in the bright areas are clear and that the dark areas show sufficient detail.

You may also want to consider reproducing artwork into greeting cards or postcards. Many organizations hold childrenÕs drawing or painting competitions, arranged around a particular subject or event, to generate artwork for cards. Children and students can also take beautiful photographs, presenting new perspectives on your organization or on a particular event. Reproductions of childrenÕs artwork make meaningful and attractive cards that your members will cherish.

Free Evaluation of Your Photo
Once your pictures are processed and you have the color prints, forward one or more for a card reproduction evaluation. If you send slides, please send the originals, not duplicates. We will examine your pictures and enclose a report that indicates their suitability for reproduction. Do not hesitate to send in any picture for our free evaluation. We will give you all the help we can, but if you follow our photo guidelines your pictures will reproduce into truly inspirational cards.

By using some creativity, you can take Christmas pictures at any time of the year. And do not forget that we can produce all occasion cards or note cards that can be used for other holidays or occasions. They can be produced with blank insides at no additional charge, or with a customized message for a small added cost.

Email Your Photo
You can email your photos to us if you like. It is important that the resolution settings on your digital camera are at the highest level. This will assure good quality reproductions. If you are sending a computer print, always send the digital file as well. Most inkjet printers do not get the most out of the digital image. Please feel free to call us at any time for assistance.

For further information call or write:
CUSTOM STUDIOS™
77 Main Street,
Tappan, NY 10983
(800) 631-1362 * (845) 365-0414
Fax (845) 365-0864
Email: customusa@aol.com
Publishers of Christmas Cards, All-Occasion Cards, Postcards, Bulletin Covers and Limited Edition Books