1. LIKE ALL HOLIDAYS, SIMPLER IS OFTEN BETTER
A couple of eggs, a classic basket, and a simple handmade sign and all of a sudden it’s Easter. Easter does not require much in terms of props. Kim Anderson did a lovely job of posing her kids in an alley way making them pop in their spring outfits against the old weathered wood. And notice that the basket is not necessarily one of the multicolored ones from the drugstore chains. Add one colored egg to any kind of basket and it screams Easter. Keeping things simple in photography is often the the most direct route to visual impact.
2. EASTER IS A COLOR HOLIDAY
I’m not sure that I’ve met anyone who is quicker to convert a picture to black and white than me, but even I must admit that black and white photographs of Easter seem to miss the point a little bit. The pastels of Easter clothes and the many shades of spring green and flower petals practically demand your Easter pictures be in color. They are such a welcome sight after the many shades of gray and white of winter. I had to convert one from a recent Easter egg hunt just to prove my point— not that it needed any proving.
3. IT OFTEN BOILS DOWN TO CLOTHES
Even if there are no Easter bonnets involved, there are plenty of moms that go to the trouble of coming up with something that has an Easter Parade vibe to it and their efforts need to be documented. After last year’s Easter egg hunt we walked quite a distance to this yellow cottage so I could pose the boys in their recently discounted clothes from the Gap. I’ve included this lovely family snapshot courtesy of Jo Ann Sinclair to remind us all of just how important Easter clothes are even if we can’t see the colors. Without any caption, most of us would have assumed this picture was taken on Easter morning.
4. ….EVEN A LITTLE BIT OF CLOTHES
All you need are some rabbit ears and you’re set—not much else. ANY picture of ANY baby wearing some Easter bunny ears is a winner.
5. THERE ARE LOTS OF SWEET DETAILS TO BE FOUND
Details without faces often tell stories that overall shots can’t. Dirty knees suggest that finding those eggs wasn’t as easy as you might think. As the kids get a little older, the Easter Bunny becomes more clever and possibly more desperate for challenging hiding places.
A closeup of clothes and a few jelly beans, on the other hand, says Easter as much as a basket of colored eggs.
6. EGGS ARE A CLASSIC PRACTICE SUBJECT
And speaking of eggs, It’s not unusual for a photography instructor to assign eggs as a photo topic—it’s a classic. After Easter and before the egg salad, you may find yourself home alone with your camera and a bowl of willing subjects. If you are learning how to use your manual settings, that bowl of eggs next to the window is a photo lesson unto itself.
7. BUT EASTER CAN BE CHALLENGING
Taking pictures at the Easter egg hunt can often boil down to Photographer vs. Bright Sun. It’s 11:30 AM, the sun is straight over head and people are getting squinty and the shadows are nasty. All you can do is go with the flow. Putting the background out of focus as much as you can really helps. Getting in nice and close on your subjects and using the largest aperture you have (that’s the smallest number) can make a big difference is how the sharp the background is.
8. A HINT OF THE SEASON IS ALMOST ENOUGH
In the end, Easter is a celebration of rebirth. Nothing says that springtime. A beautiful day and beautiful light may be all you need to capture the season and a sense of this glorious day—Easter.
