While the holiday season is the most joyous, planning and preparing for a Christmas family photoshoot can be overwhelming. Holiday photoshoots require careful planning and meticulous preparations, especially if you are about to send your photo as a Christmas card to your friends and family members.
How to appropriately prepare for your Christmas family portrait
Considering that a Christmas family photoshoot can be pretty stressful, I have included some tips that will help you prepare. Taking these tips into account will ease the whole process, so your photo session can go smoothly.
1. Find the right photographer
The first thing on your list will be booking the right family photographer. You need to bear in mind that kids do not like taking photographs as adults do, meaning they lose interest very quickly. Therefore, you need a photographer experienced in taking photos where children are involved.
In other words, you need a patient professional who is also quick and can take amazing shots in a blink of a moment. If your family photographer rushes through the whole process, it will only make you more stressed, leading to disappointing results. So, prioritize finding an experienced professional who has worked with families before!
2. Pick the right shooting time and make sure that everyone is well rested
I recommend that my clients schedule their Christmas family photoshoot in the morning. This is the perfect time considering everyone will be fresh for this task. Posing in front of the camera can be tiring, so if someone has had a day full of activities and chores, they will not be really cooperative during the photo session. This is not an assignment you want to rush and get over with. For striking results, you need to enjoy every moment of it!
3. Select matching theme and outfits
An ideal family Christmas photoshoot requires coordination. This means you would want to have matching colors and setting for the portrait. As you’re coordinating your outfits, keep in mind that your outfits will look the most cohesive on camera when the color palettes coordinate, but don’t necessarily “match.” You should each aim to wear a different dominant color, but stay within a similar color palette family.
Once you select your theme for the photos, make sure that you find adequate outfits for the whole family. It’s much easier to have everything prepared beforehand and all the outfits and bags ready the the night before your photo session.
4. Prepare some snacks
Family photoshoots can take some time if you include the drive and the last thing you may want to hear while in the studio or at a park is “I’m hungry” and totally feel helpless. Take into account that children might easily get grumpy if they are hungry. So prepare some light snacks that are quick and easy to eat and something to drink as well. Some good examples are nuts, dried fruit, and cheese cubes.
5. Relax and look forward to natural photographs
You may have imagined that your Christmas family photographs will turn out beautiful and amazing and I’m sure they will! But most of the time it doesn’t feel like it because of the stress of the morning, getting the kids ready, trying to get the kids to listen, and a little bit chaotic at times. But know this, you are not alone! This is totally normal so do not stress over the level of perfection of your photos. Take it easy and strive for natural photographs rather than ideal ones. They will still be magical because your loved ones are in them. As a family photographer, the most important part for me is that I capture who you really are as a family, and that your personalities and love for each other shines through!
I hope you will find these tips helpful so you can organize your Christmas family photoshoot stress-free. Check out my blog for more inspiration, or book me for your Christmas photoshoot!
