Enewsletter
May 2009

The 18-270’s 15X zoom capability (the world’s largest zoom ratio) and angle of view (a 28mm wide-angle to 419mm ultra-telephoto equivalent) enable you to compose images that you might not be able to get otherwise. “It can help you when you’re trying to capture a moment that you can see, but that you’re not quite there for,” explains Costantini. “Using longer focal lengths lets you fill the frame without being right on top of your subjects.”

The 18-270’s Vibration Compensation (VC) system uses proprietary Tamron technology to stabilize for vertical, horizontal, and diagonal shake, ensuring that Mom stays in focus while air-kissing the kiddies. “The VC capability gives you up to four additional stops for clearer images,” says Costantini. “This becomes most critical at the telephoto end. A telephoto lens magnifies your subject, but it also magnifies camera shake. Usually to prevent shake from affecting your image, you need a faster shutter speed to ensure sharpness. With the 18-270’s VC capability, a little shake on your end is compensated for in the lens and doesn’t get transferred to your image.”

Bring your subjects into focus by simply minimizing their surroundings. “Shooting lenses at a wider aperture gives you less depth of field so you can blur out the background,” says Costantini. “A blurred background puts the focus back on your subjects, since your eye tends to favor the sharpest part of the image.” For a shot of a mom playing on the lawn with her baby, for example, Costantini used an f/5.6 aperture (130mm, 1/800th of a second, ISO 200) for a selective depth of field that isolated the good times in the grass.

Another benefit to having Mom kiss, cuddle, and clown around with her young ones is that she’s less likely to freeze up in front of the camera. “Interaction produces more natural shots,” says Costantini. “You can stage interaction to get reactions and to prevent a self-conscious person from focusing on their fear of the camera. Keep the atmosphere light and enjoyable.”

You’ll want to keep clicking away during the fun and games, as friend Michelle Brady did when Costantini handed her his camera. The result is an intimate black-and-white capture of a mom getting some up-close face time with her baby (shot at 50mm, f/4.5, 1/15th of a second at ISO 2500). “You may have to take many shots to get the perfect one,” he explains.

Mom can’t take all the credit for her progeny—after all, she has her own mother to thank for bringing her into this world and continuing the family’s legacy. Play up this angle by including multiple generations in one shot, or show the clan’s oldest matriarch holding the youngest member of the family, contrasting Grandma’s mature beauty and wisdom-lined visage with the baby’s flawless innocence. Costantini took advantage of the 18-270 lens, ideal lighting, and the perfect moment to zoom in on an immaculately appointed cherub hanging out on Grandma’s lap, shooting at 50mm, f/5.0, 1/250th of a second, at ISO 800. “There were actually three other people right there, but I was able to zoom right in on Grandma and the baby” he says.

Trying to capture spontaneous moments between mother and child means going for as many handheld shots as possible. The 18-270mm VC lens, in combination with faster ISOs, allows you to capture these memories without the use of a tripod. “With the lens’s ability to shoot effectively in lower light, you can use available light to add more dimension to your subjects,” says Costantini.

If you’re indoors, position Mom near a window for a posed portrait that takes advantage of the outside light streaming in. “The 18-270’s VC mechanism helps you get sharp images when you’re shooting at slower shutter speeds,” says Costantini.

If you venture into the great outdoors, however, using an on-camera flash is useful for a bit of fill—especially desirable if your subjects become lost in the shadows. “It can give you enough exposure to get an image,” Costantini explains. “The image of the grandmother and baby, for example, was taken on an enclosed porch on an overcast day. This diffused lighting was perfect in this situation to get a great image.” The shot of the mother and son in the forest was also supplemented by on-camera fill flash (shot at 70mm, f/1.6, 1/200th of a second, ISO 200) to compensate for Mother Nature’s shadows.

Sometimes it’s the backlighting that can provide for a dramatic picture-taking moment, such as the silhouetted mom and child shot in the early evening by Costantini (155mm, f/6.0, 1/2000th of a second, ISO 200). “Getting the sun without blinding yourself is the real challenge,” he laughs. “Use manual exposure to get the shot just right.”

Now that you’ve got your shots, you can frame them, place them into a photo album, or present Mom with a unique photo gift. Simply log on to any of the online photo-printing services (e.g., Shutterfly, Snapfish, Kodak Gallery), for instance, and browse their gift lines for the ideal photo memento.

Some products you can incorporate into your Mother’s Day pictures include:

• Custom photo bracelets, charms, key rings, or necklaces

• Keepsake boxes

• Stationery (notepads, notebooks, notecards)

• Mugs with candy or gift cards inside

• A picture cake (check with your local grocery chain if they’re able to scan your picture and incorporate it into the cake’s frosting)

• Kitchen décor that will remind Mom of her special day all year round (coasters, cutting boards, even refrigerator magnets)