We blinked and SUDDENLY the holidays are around the corner! While 2020 seemed to draaaaag on (and on, and on and on….) the holiday season came at us in full force. There are many, many ways to start preparations for the holiday season, but one that frequently gets overlooked until the last minute is setting aside time for your family holiday photos! Whether you’re prepping for fall mini-sessions or finding the perfect matching plaid for this year’s Christmas cards here are four things to keep in mind!
Setting
Sometimes your photographer offer specific locations, sometimes it’s totally up to you! That can seem overwhelming, but don’t overthink it! Often times the best place to take family photos is right in your own home. That can mean taking photos in the living room, in front of your door or even huddled up in the backyard!
To make the most of your home, try adding in some cozy corners and seasonal decor that helps to make your holiday photos extra special.
Color coordination
Many times this is not thought of until AFTER photos have been taken (hindsight being 20/20 and all) but being intentional about your family’s outfit choices can have some major impact on the final result of the photo. It almost goes without saying that neutrals are never wrong, but this is especially important to take into consideration when planning for Christmas cards.
While it may be SUPER tempting to dress the family up in matching tartan or in bright red sweaters, keep in mind when choosing your holiday cards themselves that clashing reds or greens can seriously limit your card design selections. So to prevent retrospective decisions making, we can’t recommend neutrals enough. And, bonus! They’re ultra-flattering!
Timing for family AND Lighting
Choosing a time slot for your photos is another make or break moment that doesn’t seem important at the time, but can have some serious impacts on the way the photos turn out. Firstly, try to aim for the “golden hour” as closely as possible. Your photographer should be able to help steer you in the right direction here, but it’s helpful to ask just the same! It lets them know you want that glowy look.
But equally as important as lighting is your family’s attitude during photos. If you’ve got littles, sometimes golden hour happens *after* bedtime, so while glowy may be the goal — smiling children might be more important :) The best window to shoot for is after a nap and well before a mealtime.
Bribes
This applies to both children and furry children — bringing smile-inducing and behavior enhancing knick-knacks can totally change the game for getting them to sit still, and sit still *happily.* Sometimes that’s a favorite toy, sometimes that’s having a favorite song handy and ready to play out loud (you’d be shocked at what a good round or two of “Baby Shark” can do for candid giggly photos) and sometimes that means keeping snacks handy just in case hunger strikes.
Taking the time in advance to pack a bag of “happy goodies” can uplift the entire mood of the photoshoot and make it fun for you AND your kids.
At the end of the day show up, smile, and trust your photographer to work their magic. After all, they’re the professionals and they can turn what felt like a total failure and turn it into pure magic.
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