How to Photograph Awards

Capture important milestones with your camera.

Awards and certificates serve to honor a personal, academic or career-related achievement. Because of the significance of these awards, they are often photographed by the recipient's family and friends. However, framed certificates or glossy metal plaques can be difficult to capture because of glare. The small text on most awards also requires a suitable shooting mode to be recorded in the resulting picture.

Things You'll Need

• Black fabric
• Gooseneck lamp (optional)
• Camera

Instructions

1. Lay a piece of black fabric on a firm, flat surface. Place the award on top of the fabric.

2. Position a gooseneck desk lamp so that the light hits the face of the award at a 45 degree angle. Alternatively, wait until late afternoon on a sunny day and photograph the award under natural light.

3. Engage your camera's Macro shooting mode. This shooting option is often represented by a flower icon. Choosing this option prepares the camera lens for detailed close-up work. If your camera offers an image stabilization or anti-shake feature, turn it on.

4. Look through the viewfinder and compose the photograph. Perform any minor changes in positioning or lighting as needed.

5. Press the shutter button halfway to automatically focus on the award. Aim your lens toward a hard edge or a high contrast area on the award's face to achieve accurate focus.

6. Press the shutter button to take the photograph. If you're using a digital camera, check the LCD screen for the results and re-shoot if desired. If you're using film, take several shots to ensure acceptable results.

Tips & Warnings

• Using your camera in Auto mode will usually provide acceptable results under average lighting conditions. Consult your camera's instruction manual for more information on other shooting modes.

• If you're using a single lens reflex (SLR or digital SLR) camera, you may manually focus your lens if desired. Switch off the lens' autofocus function, usually located on the lens barrel or front of the camera body, to engage manual focusing.

References

• Historic Glasshouse: Taking Photographs of Bottles and Glass Objects
• Ken Rockwell: Macro Photography