It's one of the few times when all your friends and family are in the same room at the same time. That makes a holiday gathering the perfect family-portrait photo op. But it's not always easy to squeeze everyone into a single, well-posed, properly-lighted shot.

Here are some tips for making the most of the opportunity:

If you use a basic point-and-shoot digital camera, or prefer to rely on the camera to do most of the work for you:

• If your lens has wide-angle capability, this is the time to use it. Zoom the lens out to its widest angle. A 28-mm-equivalent is minimally sufficient; 24-mm is better. (Our digital camera Ratings, available to subscribers, points out which cameras feature wide-angle capabilities.)
• Then set the camera to program mode. Arrange your group as a triangle, with short or seated people on the ends, heads tilted toward the middle to avoid distortion. Taller or standing people should be in the middle. (If there are too many people to fit into one row, see the more advanced tips below.)
• Reduce red-eye by placing a light behind you.
• To add a vintage holiday feel to your portraits, use the setting for sepia tones, if your camera has one.

If you have a digital SLR or a camera with advanced features that you want to use:

• If you're shooting more than one row of people, use a higher f-stop setting to increase the depth of field (focus range).
• Set the flash to the highest power available—the idea is to light the largest area you can.
• Experiment with slower shutter speeds to allow more background light into the picture, but still use the flash.
• For more tips on seasonal shooting, such as holiday-lights, gift-opening, or winter-sports shots, see our free Tips for taking your best winter shots.

For advice on how to choose a digital camera, watch our digital camera buying guide video by clicking on the embedded player at right. And you can check out our free digital camera buying advice on ConsumerReports.org for more helpful information.

—Jeff Fox

Is high-fructose corn syrup better or worse for you than regular white sugar? —S.H., Nipomo,Calif.

Probably neither. The two sweeteners are almost identical chemically, both about half fructose and half glucose. Manufacturers began substituting high-fructose corn syrup for white sugar in the 1970s, mainly in beverages and processed sweets, because it costs less and helps extend a product's shelf life. While high-fructose corn syrup has been implicated in a rise in type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other health problems, there's no clear evidence that it increases their risk more than regular sugar does. Instead, the association may simply reflect the fact that we consume so much of it. Limit consumption of foods with added sugar. Sweeteners of any kind (except blackstrap molasses, which contains some calcium, iron, and other nutrients) provide empty calories and show up in foods that aren't very nutritious to begin with.

Read more on the whole truth about high-fructose corn syrup, and see our recent report on cereals for kids and our cereal Ratings (subscribers only).

The National Retail Federation is forecasting that gift-card sales will drop by nearly six percent this holiday season as fewer shoppers buy the cards and those who do spend less on them.

The NRF, which surveyed nearly 9,000 consumers nationwide, estimates that Americans will plunk down $24.9 billion on cards this season, a $1.4 billion drop from last year. Overall, fewer people are expected to purchase gift cards as well — 53.5 percent of shoppers down from 56.6 percent — and the average amount they plan to spend on cards has declined, too, from $156.24 in 2007 to $147.33 this year.

“Since gift cards never go on sale, some price-conscious shoppers will be passing up gift cards in favor of holiday bargains," said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin. “Retailers may need to make minor adjustments to holiday plans as fewer people may be hitting the stores in January to redeem gift cards.”

The survey found that the biggest gift-card spenders this year will be men, who will spend an average of $156.98 on the cards, and those over age 45, who will spend $168.02.

People are buying fewer cards primarily because they consider them impersonal. Other reasons cited in the survey: Shoppers would rather stretch their dollars by buying merchandise on sale; they’re turned off to cards with expiration dates or added fees; and they simply don’t know which gift card those on their shopping list would want. A smaller percentage of respondents were sour on cards because they’re worried the recipient would lose it or the retailer might go bankrupt.

A similar holiday poll by the Consumer Reports National Research Center revealed that gift cards remain highly popular — in fact, they’re among the most desired and most-given gifts — even though we continue to warn folks the onerous fees associated with some cards and the billions of dollars in gift card deposits that are never redeemed. An astonishing finding in our poll was that one-quarter of those who received a gift card in 2007 still haven’t used it. The most common reasons: They didn’t have enough time; forgot about the card; couldn’t find anything they wanted; or the card expired and became worthless.

Related:

• Michigan’s new gift card law a step in right direction
• Tweeter files for bankruptcy: use those gift cards fast
• A call to make gift cards safer
• Avoid gift card pitfalls

The countdown to Black Friday and the holidays is on. The GPS team has watched the calendar closely, as we have felt the pressure to test and rate the latest automotive GPS units that went on sale late summer and early fall. There are a lot of new products now on store shelves, and we have updated our comprehensive Ratings and recommendations to help you make an informed purchase decision.

The latest Rated navigators include:

Alpine PND-K3 – This new unit is a pleasant surprise, marking a significant improvement over past-tested Alpine units and boasting attractive graphics.

Garmin Nuvi 265WT and 500 – Part of the latest 2x5 generation, the widescreen Nuvi 265WT features free real-time traffic. A dual-purpose, the Nuvi 500 unit combines traditional Nuvi car navigation with the ability to serve hiking and geocaching duties, as well.

Mio Knight Rider – We couldn’t resist testing this nostalgic homage to the 1980s television show. And yes, it does use the original K.I.T.T. voice.

Navigon 2000S, 2200T, and 7200T – An all-new Navigon line sees notable improvements, including easier address entry and quicker calculation times. “T” models include free real-time traffic.

Sony Nav-U NV-U44, NV-U74T, and NV94T – Ranging from basic to 4.8-inch premium, the new Sony navigators are quicker than previous models for route calculation and moving through menus.

In addition to car navigators, we have also recently posted handheld hiking GPS buying advice and ratings.

The road ahead
The GPS team has been busy, but we’re not done yet. The handheld hiking GPS buying advice and ratings will go live in a couple days. (View our hiking GPS video.) Plus, we are already at work on the next update, targeting early December for providing ratings on more recently introduced automotive navigators.

Check out our redesigned GPS special section. It has pages of buying advice, including information on in-car navigation and cell-phone navigation. Be sure to use the slick, new product selector (available to online subscribers). This dynamic tool lets you sort and filter ratings by the features that matter most to you, and it even includes information on units in testing.

—Jeff Bartlett

For more information on portable automotive GPS navigation systems, see our Ratings and buying advice and watch our video guide. Discuss GPS devices in the forums. 

Deep-frying turkeys has become more popular in recent years. Unfortunately, the delectable results deep-frying your holiday bird can produce come with some significant risks, as we reported in "A Safer Way to Fry a Turkey." Watch our video (right) for more information on deep-frying turkeys if you're planning to make this cooking method part of your Thanksgiving tradition.

Having seen the rising sales of gas-fueled turkey fryers, manufacturers are introducing electric models as well as appliances that cook turkeys without all that oil. As part of our June 2008 report on gas grills, we tested the Orion Cooker, $139, and the Char-Broil Big Easy Infrared Turkey Fryer, $129, which allow you to cook whole turkeys, chickens, and roasts.

The charco