The Truth Behind Great Christmas Photo’s

“A photograph is the pause button of life.” -unknown

Last year I wrote an article about what really goes on behind Christmas photos. The planning, the effort, the immense amount of struggle to get everyone dressed and somewhat happy sometimes seems close to impossible. But if you are like me and determined to get a few good photos for your Christmas card here are my suggestions…

*Plan Ahead! Nothing is going to stress you out more than if you are trying to take a picture mid to late December, then get them printed, addressed and mailed off in time for Christmas.  If you haven’t taken your photos by early December then I suggest you decide to make them New Years cards, or even Valentine’s Day. I’m not kidding. People will love your originality to do something different and you will have more time to get it done. Otherwise I suggest getting them done BEFORE Thanksgiving, it will give you enough time to edit, order, stuff and mail.

Because I am a planner I usually start thinking of what type of photos I would like in late September/early October. Then I decide if we will try to take it ourselves or hire a photographer, which last year we hired VelvetVioletPhotography and it was the best decision ever! If you are going to hire someone, which I strongly suggest, then email them right away and ask for prices and dates of availability. Once you pick a general theme for the pictures then start planning the outfits. This year we picked the pajama idea, which I think might be my favorite so far because we were all super cozy and in the comfort of our own home. All I did was go to amazon and found matching jams for the entire family. Comfy kids=happy kids.

*Pick a Good Time! There will never be a perfect time to take pictures, but there is a better time than most. Don’t schedule pictures in the middle of nap time, meal time, bed time, etc… Pick a time that the kids are well rested, fed and generally in a good mood. For us that meant morning, after breakfast and a few cartoons. Also, do not pick a day that you have a million things going on. You don’t want to be rushed getting ready or have somewhere to go right after in case the session goes longer than expected.

*Stop Posing! In my humble opinion the best shots are when people are laughing, playing, or just loving on each other. There is a time for everyone to look at the camera, but if that isn’t happening then embrace the “candid” shots. The days of posing your family and having everyone smile at the camera are over, embrace it and you will end up a lot happier with your photos. And stop telling your kids to say “cheese,” usually this produces a fake smile that you will not be happy with in pictures.

*Stop trying to be someone else’s family. Embrace your own unique family! Try not to copy what you see online, instead think about what your family likes to do. If you are not a beach family, then don’t try to create this beautiful image of y’all in the sand. Heaven knows you will end up with little Sally May trying to eat the sand instead of gracefully playing in it. Maybe you love being goofy, then put on some funny Christmas sweaters and have some fun just being you. If you love baking, put some aprons on and take some pictures creating memories in the kitchen. If your kids love adventures, go on a hike and capture them in their element. Just Be You.

*Pin this Image*

What about you? Do you like to take holiday pictures? What are some of your tips?:) Leave your comments below!  AND If you live in the SoCal area definitely check Kay out from VelvetVioletPhotography for any type of pictures you may need. She was a gem to work with and really know’s how to capture those special moments. Being a mom herself she gets working with kids and realizes time is precious. So go check her out!

*affiliate link is used above for Amazon. Go check out the cute matching jammies.