Thursday, July 23, 2020

How To Take Photos With Masks - And Protect Your Phone or Camera

I haven't seen any instructions on taking photos with masks.
A week ago, a month ago, things were worse. You could not sit outdoors.



Now, in Singapore and many places, we can go out. Are masked people spoiling photos? How can we photograph ourselves and take good photos?

1 Take Masked Photos To Make A Dated Topical Point
First, let us look at the benefits of masks. Masks are useful in showing the date of photos. Like wartime gas masks. We will look back with interest. We will say, 'Hey - that was a photo taken in 2020!'



2 On screen no masks.
My first attempt with a green screeen.



You can take a holiday photo or locality photo to show your location using the photo as a background on Zoom.



Talk to people at the place you will visit, showing both groups without masks.

3 Start a holiday or trip slide show with photos of yourself and family at home beside your suitcase, maybe in your holiday clothes.

Wear a tee-shirt showing your location. So the emphasis is on the tee-shirt rather than the face.


My tee-shirt says Los Angeles. I have others saying San Diego and Singapore.


4 Show two photos alongside.
Superimpose your silhouette (unmasked at home) on the edge of the photo of holiday scenery or the beach or seaside.

5 Or put the holiday photos in an album frame, with yourself alongisde or behind as the person reading the book.

6 Take Photos Where Being Unmasked Is Allowed
What about eating and exercising?

In Singapore, currently, July 2020, you can remove your mask whilst eating or exercising. You could have a photo taken of yourself eating or exercising.

If you don't want to hand your camera or phone to anybody else, to avoid contamination, use a wet wipe or take a selfie.

a) Eating
Some places are extra strict. You cannot have your mask off for the whole meal, only whilst eating. So take a photo of yourself with the spoon lifting the strawberry towards your lips.

Or just take the food.

b) Exercising
In Singapore July 2020 the swimming pool and gym are open. You wear your government supplied mask walking to and from the pool or gym. But you can take a photo of yourself afterwards or show one from last year.

Take a selfie photo of yourself alone on your hotel or home balcony. As soon as the sun is out, you go out.

Keep your mobile phone handy to take photos. You can still take photos of people back view, of animals such as cats and dogs, or wild animals, insects and birds. 

You can take photos of your family in the swimming pool. Your whole family. Your spouse. Your children.

7 Indoors you can still photograph food.

8 Back view photos of workers in masks can be quite effective. No need to ask permission.


Finally, how do you protect your camera or mobile phone? I have read that mobile phones because you constantly touch them are often covered with bacteria, or viruses, let's just say germs.

When I pass a sanitiser I make sure I disinfect both hands, and then run my sanitised hands over the mobile phone. Hm? Doesn't that undo all the work of santising the hands, rather than helping the phone? If in doubt, do it a second time.  

Whatever you decide to do, remember that your phone also needs your care.

Stay Safe. Happy Photos.

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