TAKE YOUR OWN CHRISTMAS CARD PICTURES IN 7 EASY STEPS

Every year there is a mad rush to book family photo mini-sessions and get holiday photo cards printed. Often we miss deadlines and cause ourselves undue stress. If this happens to you, exhale. Your friends won't stop loving you if you send them a non-professional photocard.

You can still get a nice family shot for that card in less time than it takes to place an amazon order. And once you have the picture, you want to send out, use your phone to edit and order cards. So basically, if you can pull off dinner for 4 on a busy Tuesday night in between soccer practice and dance drop-off, you can manage your own family photoshoot.

Here's a shortlist of ways YOU can take your photos with minimal effort. 

How to take Holiday photos of your family:

1) When to take pictures: 

Avoid the last-minute rush by taking your holiday pictures around Halloween. Give yourself plenty of time to order, address, and mail the cards. It also will give you a little breathing room should you have to re-take your pictures or need to reorder your cards for any reason. If you miss this window, it's not too late. You can edit on your phone with my fav app PicTapGo, and even order your cards from costco.com. Looking for something fancier? It'll take more time, but Artifact Uprising has beautiful cards you can order from their app.

2) Best time of day:

Typically early mornings and late afternoons is the best time for pictures because it’s when the sunlight has a warm glow. The closer you get to noon, the harsher the light and shadows. Make sure you consider your subjects before deciding what time of day to take pictures. If you have young kids, morning time might be the best time for photos. Older kids generally do well in the late afternoon.

3) Location, location, location: 

The outdoors is perfect for holiday pictures. Be it at your home or a nearby park. Find a place with even light and not a lot of dark shadows. If you want a more traditional look to your photos, head to an outdoor mall and use the decorations there for a backdrop.

4) What to wear:

The key to a good family portrait is coordinating outfits, not matching. Creating a visually pleasing family outfit is easy if you start with one outfit and use colors from that outfit to create the others. It’s much like decorating a room. Start with the rug and then pull out colors for the rest of the room. And I always recommend that my clients avoid buying all new clothes for pictures, instead maybe purchase a new sweater or an accent scarf. New clothing can make everyone slightly uncomfortable, and the more relaxed you and your kids are, the better the pictures will be. This works even if you’re opting for more formal-looking pictures. Dress like you’re going out to dinner or to a play.

5) Let go of perfection: 

All too often, we put pressure on our kids to stand and pose for us. If you can sit back and let them be who they are, your family pictures will be wonderfully natural and not forced-looking. I'm going to say that one more time to make sure it sinks in... if your family is the tucked-in, smile at the camera, kind of group, excellent. If you're more of wild, crumbs on the collar and jam on the jeans type of family, then go for a candid, natural (for you!) photo.

6) Have fun and be playful: 

Let your kids interact naturally - maybe play tickling games or peek-a-boo with the youngest ones. You’re sure to get happy faces! Bring your pet along when possible because it will give your family something to play with instead of just sitting still. Also, try to move ahead quickly. Pro tip: Recognize when your kids have had enough and let them take a break, or maybe change locations and try again. 

7) Get in front of the camera: 

It’s easy to take pictures of your kids, but who will take a picture with you in it?  Find a friend who will exchange family pictures with you. Have them spend just a few minutes with your family, and you can return the favor the next weekend. Don’t forget to keep that camera going! Taking pictures of several people together is much more complicated than taking a photo of just one or two people. The more pictures you have to choose from, the better luck you’ll have at finding one that you’ll be proud to put on your holiday card.

👉 One last thing, while these tips will help you get that last-minute photo for cards or gifts, I strongly urge you to avoid the Pinterest perfect Christmas card entirely and send out the authentic you.

At the end of the day (and decade), family pictures remind us how we felt will be far more meaningful than pretty pictures of how we looked.