The traditional family Christmas photo is not only a great bonding experience for everyone involved, but a great opportunity to show loved ones near and far how your family is doing. Grandparents get to see how the young ones are doing, and you get an annual memento of each year in your family’s life.
As wonderful as family portraits are, it can be a bit tricky to take the perfect one. Since this is an annual event, it can also be difficult to come up with original inspiration each year. Here are some tips and ideas to get you started.
Outfits
Coordinate outfits, but don’t match. If everyone’s wearing the same thing, they’ll blend together, or the outfit will draw attention away from the faces. So instead, choose clothing that complements each other, without attracting too much attention. Choose a color theme or design that everyone has in common. Be sure not to choose any loud patterns. Even though you’re not matching, it is important to make sure that everyone is dressed in a similar style. If one person is super formal, while the rest are in their Christmas Pjs, it may seem a bit out of place.
Scene and Lighting
Whether you decide to do pictures with presents in front of the tree, outdoors in a winter wonderland, or go to a portrait studio, there are a lot of aspects of setting to consider. Try to use as much natural lighting in the photo as possible. If indoors, this can mean opening windows or taking the photo in an open, bright space. Outdoors, work with the sun and shadows rather than against them.
The focus of your picture is the people, not the background, but the background does set the tone. Choose a setting that says something about your family. Go for a fun picture in the family room, or if you’re outdoorsy, incorporate nature into the photo.
Have Fun
The most important part of this photo is that it displays you as the happy, fun-loving family that you are. Don’t let the stress of getting the “perfect” picture get to you. Let the kids participate in picking their outfits so that their personalities shine through. Get some candid shots, and let the kids shout silly phrases before you take the pictures. Take silly pictures along with the serious ones so that you can make a variety of memories all at once.
Some Final Tips
· Be deliberate about your spacing. Squishing everyone together can be good for space and show dimension, but a bit of elbow room can add dimension as well.
· Use props such as ribbons and candy canes to incorporate the holiday theme.
· Have everyone hold letters spelling out a holiday message
· Can’t choose just one photo? Make a collage of the best ones.
· Save time and postage by sending personalized Christmas eCards instead of traditional greeting cards
Christmas is all about family, so use this time to take some great photos to share with the ones you love. They will also add to the holiday memories you can look back on every year. With a little bit of planning, you can take a picture you’ll look fondly on for years to come.
Stephanie Fader is an expert in the celebrations industry. As Sr. Marketing Manager for Punchbowl, Inc, she writes about celebrations and party planning.
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