The season of festivities has arrived. Here are seven tips for better pictures during the holidays:

1. Don't forget your camera – Keep a point and shoot camera in your pocket or purse so you are ready. Most cell phones are 2 megapixels or less. That may give you a solid 4'X6? print if you are lucky, but nothing bigger. These images often suffer from poor quality lenses as well. You need about a 6-7 megapixel camera for a solid 8?X10? enlargement. Do you want all your holiday memories to be captured on a poor-quality cell phone? If not, don't forget the point-and-shoot or DSLR camera.

2. Try a different camera setting – In dark locations, switch your camera to "night" mode or, if you have a DSLR camera, set your camera to slow sync flash. This slows down the shutter speed, lets in more background light, and also fires the flash to light up subjects or objects nearby. Experiment before the big event and see what happens.

3. Photograph the small things that make the season bright – Try taking some photos of ornaments, candles, favorite food items, lights, and other parts of the holiday that you cherish. These types of photos can bring back great memories.

4. Photograph people in action – A mother reading a child a holiday book, a grandmother helping to prepare desserts for the family, a father carving the turkey or ham….these are all great moments to capture when people are not paying attention.

5. Rethink your group shots – When a large family gathers, it is nice to have some great shots, but many group photos often come out boring or poorly composed. For large groups, it is helpful to shoot from a higher location than the group. This can really help with the problem of Uncle Fred's head blocking half of Aunt Sheila's face. Position the camera high up and put the self timer on so everyone can be in the shot. A flexible tripod can be a great addition to your point-and-shoot camera. It allows you to attach the camera to a railing, post or other object so you can take photos from new vantage points. For group shots, also try to get people to turn their bodies so they are not facing the camera straight on. A 45-degree angle is typically more flattering. Ask couples to turn their bodies partially towards each other before turning their heads towards the camera.

6. Get down low – When children open presents or play with new toys, they are often on the floor. If the photographer shoots from "adult" level, the shots will not be very engaging: tops of heads everywhere! Try using the maximum optical zoom on your camera and get some shots from a distance when you are not being noticed. Then move in and use a wide angle setting to take in the action from a different perspective.

7. Give yourself the present of "bokeh" – Bokeh (pronounced boh-k?) is based on a Japanese term for blur quality. When you see blurred lights in the background that look like little circles, that is bokeh. You can make your own by opening up the lens aperture to the maximum size (which is the lowest number – e.g., f 2.8) and focusing on people standing in front of a lighted tree or set of candles. The people will be in focus and the lights will create bokeh.

I hope these tips help you get more out of your holiday photos.