Taking Ministry Pictures

(1) Faces first. The best ministry pictures show faces. Emotion is best conveyed through facial expression. Faces also help viewers identify with persons they know in the photo. Pictures of faces become our most treasured memories. Look in your home at the photos you frame--nearly all of them will be of people's faces.

(2) Get close. Close up photos are nearly always better than wide shots. Take a few wides to show the "big picture," but take the majority of your shots (say, at least 80%) within 10 feet of your subject. Remember that camera's flash also has an effective range of less than 10 feet. Most amateur pictures suffer in quality simply because they are taken too far away from the subject.

(3) Know your camera. Whether you have a feature-filled digital SLR or a simple point-and-shoot digital you bought at Wal-Mart, know what kinds of pictures your camera takes best. A point-and-shoot won't take good pictures of a stage presentation under dark light, or capture fast sports action well. Likewise, an SLR camera's size and complexity makes it more difficult to slip in your bag for impromptu shots "in the moment". Take the types of pictures your camera is suited for.

(4) Don't wait. Move continuously when taking photos. Avoid the temptation to "stake out" in expectation of finding the perfect shot. Concentrate instead on taking a volume and variety of pictures. Some will be duds, most will be okay, and a few will be great. Let your pictures represent the breadth of ministry and participants versus concentrating on just a few subjects. If you find yourself in one place for more than a few minutes, force yourself to move on.

(5) Don't get too digital with your digital camera. Digital cameras are fantastic tools with tons of features. One feature most digitals have is the ability to see your shots immediately--but don't do it. Leave editing and deleting shots until later--keep your focus on looking for photo opportunities and taking pictures during an event. You can always flip through your shots and delete duds after the event has concluded. Some cameras also take MPEG movies. Some of these offer excellent video quality, but I would still recommend using one tool for each role. If you are taking stills, then take stills. If you are taking video, then use a video camera and concentrate on video instead--mixing the two types of media more often yields mediocre results.

(6) Scout it out. Take a few minutes before you start taking pictures to scout out your shooting location. Where is the best light for photos? Where can you stand or sit to get good shots? Where will you have to be (place and time) to get those shots you really want? Will there be moments where a crowd moving or other logistics will prevent you from being where you need to be? Look at your site, get they lay of the land and think through the shots you will take, and when and how you will take them.