Awesome Christmas Pics - How Do You Do It?

[Good Karma]

My hat goes off to Kristy and Joanne for their amazing christmas pictures.
They are incredible!

Your awesome pics inspired me to do the same!

So i was off to the dollar store for my christmas props and background.
I got home, set up a little studio and added rats.
Outcome: pitiful pictures! I took over 100 (Kristy i know you took 400 but i got fed up fast, plus you have more rats than me!) and none of them are any good!
The rats did not cooperate at all - they kept on running out of the studio no matter how hard i tried to keep them in. And all Gobo did was try to eat everything!

Kristy and Joanne: what is your secret!?

Alright, here are some, they pale in comparison to others on this list!

Wembley

Boober:

Pedley:

Gobo:

 

[Lise]

I don't know what you are talking about, those pictures look just fine! Other than blurriness in a few of them, they are great actually.

Very cute! I love the pictures with props.

 

[Good Karma]

Thanks,

The blur is actually 'soft focus' put in afterward to make the pics look better - i doctored them a lot!

 

[Fidget]

Those are absolutely lovely! They're not lacking in anything (especially cute subjects) and you got some really good shots. My favorite is Gobo standing, mostly cause it's a belly-shot but he looks like he's singing christmas carols! And Boober standing at the tree, and the 1st one... and the others too!

 

[RunzwithRatz]

I dont see anything wrong with them either. They are adorable!
Gobo does look like he is singing carols!
Pat yourself on the back and give yourself more credit on a job well done!

 

[Moon]

I think your shots are adorable too! Your only downfall might be the shiney background, throwing the flash back at you.

 

[jorats]

What are you talking about? Your pics are fabulous too!!! The first one looks magical. I love them.

My secret, have your sister with the good expensive camera take about 100 pics while you run around picking rats off the floor and putting back in the set. lol

 

[KristyR]

I think your pics look great! My rats ran off the set, knocked down the trees, pushed over the piles of presents, peed and pooped under the tree, and had their cute little butts facing the camera most of the time.... everything I didn't want them to do. I made the set inside a box turned on its side, and I just kept putting them back in and just snapping pics. And I did a lot of creative cropping once I downloaded the pics.

I think everyone is most critical of their own photos. I personally think mine pale in comparison to Joanne's :wink:

 

[jorats]

Peed and pooped under the tree... that really made me lol!

 

[Godmother]

I think your photos are lovely! Good choice of props, adorable subjects.

You guys are inspiring me to have a try at this. Of course mine will probably act like KristyR's rats! [Some of you will remember my movie of Corrie's daughter's first birthday. Melissa ran off with the birthday muffin before anyone else could take a bite!]

 

[Fidget]

My rats ran off the set, knocked down the trees, pushed over the piles of presents, peed and pooped under the tree, and had their cute little butts facing the camera most of the time.... everything I didn't want them to do.

KristyR! You used actual rats to try to get good photos? :shock:

 

[Good Karma]

Thanks for the compliments guys. I guess i was expecting amazing shots, i and i feel i just didn't get what i expected too.

I think your shots are adorable too! Your only downfall might be the shiny background, throwing the flash back at you.

Yes! I am definitely going to fix that next time. I was trying to find something a little iridescent like Kristy had but what i picked was way too reflective.

My rats knocked down that tree i don't know how many times! And then when the decorations fell off it Gobo tried to eat them! And i did get a big puddle of pee on the nice white fake snow almost immediately.

Joanne; the close-ups and expressions you got were just fabulous! You sister is an amazing photographer! That's what i wanted more of and i didn't get it.

Joanne and Kristy: did you use any extra lighting? Like adding extra lamps around your 'studio' or was it just light from the room?

 

[LA]

I think your shots are amazing and I agree with Godmother. I really want to try this out. But I don't know if I have enough patience.

 

[jorats]

Joanne; the close-ups and expressions you got were just fabulous! You sister is an amazing photographer! That's what i wanted more of and i didn't get it.

Joanne and Kristy: did you use any extra lighting? Like adding extra lamps around your 'studio' or was it just light from the room?[/quote]

Ah... yes, well, that's because my sister has a $3000 camera set. She also uses a soft box over her flash. And we did add extra lighting with lamps.
The lens is a special macro lens for the close ups.
This is why I always ask my sister to take the really good pics. Otherwise, I just use my normal little camera and still get good results, just not perfect results.

 

[KristyR]

KristyR! You used actual rats to try to get good photos? :shock:

Well, I did.... but this was my test shot (with a dog toy), and what I was hoping the rat pics would turn out more like!

But... I ended up loving the rat pics the way they are. But only after I threw a little tantrum after seeing Joanne's picture of Bijou from two Christmases ago. You can ask Erin... I stomped my foot and said, "IT'S JUST NOT FAIR!!!"

 

[KristyR]

Joanne and Kristy: did you use any extra lighting? Like adding extra lamps around your 'studio' or was it just light from the room?

I don't have any actual photography lighting (my family is all quite aware that studio lighting is on my wish list for all gift-giving occasions), but I use natural light spectrum bulbs anywhere I'm going to be taking pictures.

 

[KristyR]

Ah... yes, well, that's because my sister has a $3000 camera set. She also uses a soft box over her flash. And we did add extra lighting with lamps.
The lens is a special macro lens for the close ups.
This is why I always ask my sister to take the really good pics. Otherwise, I just use my normal little camera and still get good results, just not perfect results.

*stomps foot* I want a macro lens! Where's Santa Claus?

 

[Nefarous]

Those photos are just beauitful!!!

 

[ratamataz]

Wow, so pretty!

 

[Good Karma]

Ah... yes, well, that's because my sister has a $3000 camera set. She also uses a soft box over her flash. And we did add extra lighting with lamps.
The lens is a special macro lens for the close ups.
This is why I always ask my sister to take the really good pics. Otherwise, I just use my normal little camera and still get good results, just not perfect results.

Well i guess i can't compete with that!
Your sister should advertise rat portrait studios!
Have you guys ever done a calendar?