To conclude our DSLR For Dummies series, we’re going to give you a few great tips to use when shooting friends and family. Capturing kids on camera can sometimes be tricky – they sure do move fast! And further to that, it can sometimes be difficult to convey the feeling and expression of a moment on film so employ a few simple tips and tricks to improve your family photos. 

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<div><a title="Friends At Two, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidlipscomb/5236196631/" target="_blank">[imageeffect type="frame" align="aligncenter" width="500" height="333" alt="" url="http://thebeginnerslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/little-girls-friends-copy.jpg"]</a></div>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Friends At Two</em>
Photo by David Lipscomb</p>
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<li><strong>Start by taking A LOT of photos</strong> – the more you take, the more likely you are to get a few that you like. Even if you only get one or two good ones from a large bunch, you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t work, much quicker. </li>
<li><strong>Move around your subject.</strong> By shooting from different angles you’re likely to get a more meaningful perspective. Changing the camera angle also changes the way the subject appears in the photo. For example, shooting from above makes your subject appear smaller in the frame, whereas shooting from below makes the subject appear larger than life.</li>
<li>Take a look at what is in the <strong>background.</strong> People don’t naturally have trees or buildings growing out of their heads, so whenever possible ensure they don’t have them in your photos! </li>
<li><strong>Get closer </strong>if you need to. Either use your feet to physically move closer to the subject or zoom in with your lens. Getting closer allows you fill the frame and reduce background elements that distract the viewer’s attention. Getting closer also helps you to reveal more detail in the subject. </li>
<li>Your on-body flash is best saved for backlit situations as it can create red-eye and harsh shadows. <strong>Try to avoid the direct flash when shooting indoors;</strong> if you need a bit more light try bumping the ISO. The ISO is the DSLR equivalent of film speed. A higher ISO means the camera will be more sensitive to the available light making the resulting photo better exposed. Your ISO is most likely set to Auto, but you can adjust your ISO manually to get better shots. Here are a few tips on setting your ISO: 
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-	An ISO of 100 or 200 is great for well-lit photos such as outdoors in sunny conditions. <br />
-	Move your ISO somewhere in the range of 400 to 800 if the scene is overcast or in the evening. <br />
-	You can go higher than 8000 but be careful that you don’t bump your ISO too high as it can affect the quality of the photo. The trade-off when boosting the ISO is digital noise (which can make your photos look grainy). </li>
<li>When shooting outdoors in bright light, <strong>try to find a shady spot</strong> to avoid harsh shadows and subjects with their eyes half shut. If it is a cloudy day, remember you can bump your ISO to get a brighter shot!</li>
<li>Lastly, be sure to set a high shutter speed when taking action shots! </li>
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Go forth and practice, practice, practice and more practice – before you know it taking great shots with your DSLR will be second nature. 
