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Flowers? Safe, but predictable. Chocolate? Tempting, but you could get in trouble with that. This Mother's Day, why not plan to make your gift a little more personal and long lasting? Plan to shoot a family portrait she can treasure for years to come.

Is your mother also a grandmother? And does she live far away? No need to worry. You can create a professional-level self-portrait of your family for her, too. And the whole production is simpler than you might think!


This lesson looks at some basic lighting and camera techniques for shooting classic portraits in your own home or on location. To see how to create a custom Mother's Day card, be sure to check out our follow-up lesson entitled, "Making Cards and Prints for Mother's Day."

(Most images can be clicked for an enlarged view.)

Topics Covered:

  • The Concept
  • The Test Shot
  • Adding an Umbrella Light
  • Adding Fill to the Shadows
  • Lighting up the Back Room
  • Comparisons
  • Coming in Tighter
  • One for the Grandmothers
  • Setting the Self Timer
  • An Outtake

Equipment Used:


  
 

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