Catch the grins, tears, surprises, and hugs that make for memorable pictures. Keep your camera handy and turned on so you’ll be ready for those spontaneous expressions.

To capture the light from those burning candles, turn off your flash. Hold the camera extra steady on a railing, the back of a chair, a table, or against a door frame to prevent blurry pictures. Or use a tripod, such as an inexpensive tabletop one.

Fill the camera’s viewfinder or LCD display with your subject to create pictures with greater impact. Step in close or use your camera’s zoom to emphasize what is important and exclude the rest. Check the manual for your camera’s closest focusing distance.

The typical digital camera flash range is 6 to 10 feet, up to 15 feet for film cameras. Subjects that are outside the flash range will be either too dark or too light. Check the camera manual and make sure your subject is within the flash range.