FAMILY
Christmas Clicking The Perfect Holiday Card
by Jamie Brinkman T
he Christmas Season is just around the corner and that always brings up the op- tion to send out Christmas Cards -
which can be a total chore if you don’t know how to get a decent photo of your family. If you’re going to have your pictures taken by a professional, or you are going to attempt to
take them yourselves, there are many ways you can prep to make the experience more seam- less.
Before even looking for a photographer or
worrying about how you are going to take the photos yourself, brainstorm location ideas. Even if you’re not quite sure where to take your pictures, think about which backgrounds and textures you like and what kinds of colors you want to incorporate. Think about places your family likes to go together, narrow it down … the beach, a field, a park or even your own home. Also keep in mind your kids ages and what will be easiest for your family. Next, pick a photographer,
whether that is you with a cam- era and a timer, or a profes- sional. If you decide to hire a professional, be sure to ask their opinion about the location you chose. Time of day is just as im-
portant as the location itself. For outdoor loca- tions, the best time of day is early in the morn- ing (the first two hours after sunrise) or the hour before the sun sets (this is even more im- portant for beach locations). After an exact lo- cation and time has been decided upon, it is time to move on to outfits. For outfits, the days of jeans and white T-
shirts are gone. Although it might be easier to dress the entire family in the same outfits, this actually takes away from the individuality of each family member. By choosing a color group instead, the photo can still look cohesive but it allows each person’s individuality to shine through. It also gives people more clothing op- tions, something that flatters their body type. Stick to three to four colors, for example dark or light gray and navy blue. Or maybe three neutral shades, with a big pop of color - tan, brown, cream, and coral. Start with one outfit, article of clothing, or accessory for inspiration and build off that one piece. Keep in mind the location because you don’t want to choose col- ors that will blend into or detract from the background. If you are totally lost, try choosing outfits that blend well with the colors inside your home, because after all that is where the photos will be displayed.
After you have the outfits and the location,
the last piece of the puzzle is the equipment. If you have a photographer, they should be able to help you select the location, and time of day and direct you during the session through a number of poses and candid shots. Most pro- fessionals will make sure to take both types of shots as well as individuals of everyone and dif- ferent combinations of family members (sib- lings, mom and dad, mom with kids, dad with kids etc). Hiring a professional takes the work out of
the actual photography part, but if you want to try it on your own, all you need is a tripod, camera, the self timer option and possibly a flash. Today, 99% of cameras have self timers, and the ability to take multiples photos at once. Set the self timer for at least 10 seconds and to take multiple pictures, making sure you pose the family before you hop into the shot. If you don’t know how to do this, search for your camera model and self timer on you tube and/or Google and watch a how-to video. You can also look at websites such as Pin-
terest for inspiration. Most importantly go into it with an open mind and remember, pictures just capture a moment in time and should re- flect your life as it is now, not perfection.
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