My husband asked me a few weeks ago if we were going to take family Christmas photos, to which I responded: NAWL. Then one week before Christmas, I accidentally bought matching outfits for the entire family while Christmas shopping and decided we would just drive out to somewhere pretty and take a few photos with my fancy DSLR camera and it was an epic fail.
Don’t Ignore the Weather
I didn’t take weather into consideration. Because it was so last minute, my impromptu plans quickly started to fall apart because and it dramatically impacted where I took the pictures and what we experienced when we arrived. Southern California is know for it’s stable sunny weather and it rarely rains. Well it rained hard the Friday before these pictures and most of the beautiful preserves and locations were closed for safety reasons. The one nearby state park that was open had a few mini mudslides that my family almost fell victim to, so the locations within the park that we would have loved to take pictures are were no easily accessible.
Dress appropriately. Because it took so long to get dressed and find an alternate location, we didn’t even come close to taking pictures until sunset, and sunset after a rainy day in California during December is dramatically colder than during the day. So the outfit I chose for the kids were perfect for mid afternoon, but inadequate at sunset. My kids spent most of the shoot crying and whining, and would only attempt a smile when I bribed them with sweets.
Do Wear the Right Clothes
Beyond considerations for weather, wear clothes that you look great in. The right closes will camouflage the angles that ruin pictures in your mind, and accentuate the parts that you love. I wore these overalls that I looked great in walking around town but looked kind of mediocre in when photographed. I didn’t feel comfortable and I hated every photo I was in.
My daughter, on the other hand was wearing the perfect outfit with this cozy sweater and bright knee socks from Misha & Puff. A week before I meticulously combed through the sites of the most amazing children’s clothing boutiques to find something special for her. There was something both empowering and easy about purchasing these great pieces from small businesses. I knew that every dollar I spent was going directly back into the local economy and check out was so easy and secure because many small businesses utilize PayPal as a payment option. I prefer to use PayPal for my online purchases because it adds a layer of extra security, last year I printed last minute expedited event cards from a large online vendor and didn’t receive them until after event, the vendor was unresponsive to my emails and I filed a complaint through PayPal’s portal and received all of my money back shortly thereafter and a $50 store credit from the vendor for my inconvenience. On top of that, if you get sign up for PayPal credit and spend over $100, you have 6 months to pay without interest, which is how I opted to pay for a big ticket item, which I have already begun to repay early because there is no prepayment penalty.
I received my daughter’s new sweater and tights from Misha & Puff in just a few days with regular shipping and dressing her was just so easy with the right touches. She was all smiles and twirls when I put on her new knee highs and cute little seater over her corduroy dress. Make sure you chose an outfit that makes you twirl with confidence.
Also, don’t over do it with matching but do wear colors that compliment each other.
Don’t Fake the Smiles
I ended up taking the pictures when the kids were hungry, moody, and freezing (because I forgot the big comfy coats). The smiles were atrocious and I deleted half the photos that we took because of this. My daughter started crying on three seperate occasions and it was an epic fail.
Do Utilize Best and Most Natural Lighting
Lighting is half the battle with pictures so picking the best time of day for your pictures is key. The golden hour, also called the “magic hour”, is around the first hour of light after sunrise, and the last hour of light before sunset, although the exact duration varies between seasons. During these times the sun is low in the sky, producing a soft, diffused light which is much more flattering than the harsh midday sun that so many of us are used to shooting in. In our case we choose a location surrounded by mountains so the sun was obstructed during the last hour of light leaving it darker and colder.
Do Be Creative
My friends have had some great holiday photos, some silly, some uniquely them utilizing skateboards and other unique props. Whether you pose or take more candid and relaxed photos, make sure it represents your family in interesting and creative ways.
Perfection
This is still on my refrigerator
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
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