Tips for Perfect Holiday Photos

Getting the perfect shot of your family for your holiday card can be a stressful experience. After all, you’re only sending it to all of your family and friends. Bribing your kids and husband to smile over and over again, making sure everyone stays clean before the photoshoot, and trying to get everyone to look at the camera at once…stress might be an understatement. The key to great photos is twofold—careful planning and a positive attitude.

Planning the Photo Shoot

Choosing a good photographer is very important—you want someone who will make things easier on YOU, by being fun, down to earth, and realistic. A good family photographer will want to make this experience a fun one and will be used to photographing kids and pets, not annoyed by meltdowns and distractions. The best way to find your photographer is by recommendation from another fellow mom, so ask around! Once you have a photographer booked, it’s time to start pinning your inspiration images. Search ‘family holiday card’ or another like keyword on Pinterest and then take a look at what all your favorite images have in common. Is it the background? Coordinating but not matching outfits? A particular type of pose? Write all these down and send a message to your photographer with your ideas.

What to Wear

There are a few different ways you can go when it comes to picking out outfits for your family to wear to their holiday photoshoot. The two biggest categories are formal and casual. A formal shoot would mean wearing holiday colors such as red, green, gold, silver, or black. This is the time to break out puffy Christmas dresses for girls and collared shirts with ties or bowties for boys. A holiday dress for mom and a button up with or without a jacket would be great for dad. If you’re looking for hair ideas, long loose waves are a very feminine option with the added bonus of elongating your face so you look thinner—the camera does add a few pounds, after all. If you like this type of hair style but need some more length or volume to pull it off, clip-in hair extensions are an easy option that you can add & remove yourself, no appointment with the hair salon necessary. If you’re looking for more casual options, jeans and festive sweaters or plaid button ups are two great seasonal ideas. Add a cozy scarf or knit cardigan layer to add depth.

During the Shoot

A good attitude is a must-have during a photoshoot—after all, your children and/or pets will feed off of yours. If you’re laughing and having fun, they’ll be quick to join in. Keep in mind time of day when you schedule your shoot and be careful to avoid scheduling right before naptime or a meal. Sleepy and/or hungry kids are a recipe for disaster! Bringing snacks or having little treats on hand can be a good bribe—along with the promise of ice cream when you’re all done. Shooting at a location like a park that has a playground is another good option as kids can burn off steam in between shots.

My name is Matthew Boley and I write for The Lauren Ashtyn Collection.