Tips for Taking At Home Christmas Card Photos
This post is in partnership with Christmas Tree Shops andThat!, a brand I love. All opinions here are my own.
I love sending out Christmas cards and have been taking my own at home photos for a few years now.
Using these tips, you can easily take your own photos at home for your family’s Christmas card this year!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!!!!! Christmas season has begun in our house and I have been SO excited to decorate our new home for Christmas. I think we can all use some extra cheer so I figured why not start decorating and getting festive earlier this year?!
One of my favorite traditions is to send out Christmas cards. I love looking back at them from years past and see how much the kids have grown! I also love receiving cards and seeing all of our family and friends near and far.
This year, I teamed up with Christmas Tree Shops AndThat! to get in the Christmas spirit for our photos! I was able to pick up our fun outfits and some decor to set the scene for our photos! I love shopping at Christmas Tree Shops AndThat! for every season, but shopping there during the holidays is one of my favorite times! They always have so many different styles, great prices, and a huge assortment. I always feel like I am on a little hunt in the store! I first browse everything to see what direction I want to go with and then I go back through and actually pick up the items I love the most!
TIPS FOR TAKING YOUR OWN CHRISTMAS CARD PHOTOS
Hopefully when using these tips, you will be able to get beautiful photos of your family to use for Christmas cards. I know it can be hectic and crazy, but it can also be fun and memorable!
- Pick your outfits: I like to do some sort of coordinating look. This year, I went with a fun option with these ugly Christmas sweaters from Christmas Tree Shops AndThat! and they are SO perfect. They have them in kid sizes as well as adult sizes. We decided to get gingerbread cookie sweaters for the boys and santa sweaters for the girls. I love them! They are also super warm and cozy! We also picked up some adorable holiday socks from Christmas Tree Shops AndThat! because who doesn’t love a festive sock!?
- Set the scene before taking photos: I love creating a festive background when taking Christmas card photos. Since I am taking them at our home, I use decor that we will have on display through the season which makes it so personal. I set everything up before any kiddos come around so that I am not scrambling to get things in their spots with little hands in the way. This year, I used all decor from Christmas Tree Shops AndThat!. The pillows are so whimsical and I love all the fun non-traditional Christmas colors. I think they are playful and perfect for young kiddos. The dog pillow is hands down a family favorite! I also found this stunning red blanket from Christmas Tree Shops AndThat! which is so cozy and soft. On the coffee table, I added this cute tree sled tray and topped it with a variety of bottle brush trees, all from Christmas Tree Shops AndThat!. I added some battery operated candles from Christmas Tree Shops AndThat! for some glow and ambiance. This little gingerbread house is perfect for cookies and the kiddos have quickly figured out what we store in there! What Christmas photo is complete without some festive mugs?! These fair isle mugs are so cute and they are HUGE, perfect for all the coffee and cocoa consumption during the holidays! I went with a very colorful Christmas theme, but choose some pieces that speak to you when setting up your photos. Christmas Tree Shops AndThat! has so many different styles, I am sure you will find something that will work!
Use a tripod: The easiest way to take your own photos is with a tripod. I use a DSLR camera, however, you can easily use your cell phone too! I put my camera on the timer setting and then hop in the photos before it takes the picture. You can use a remote to actually ‘click’ the photo too! Very helpful for taking full family photos
Lighting is key: When taking photos, you want to have as much natural light as possible. I like setting up in front of a window and I like the window to be behind me, if possible. So for this set up, we are looking at the big sliding doors in our living room. The natural light is behind the camera. This helps to create a better quality photo. You also don’t need the sunniest day, in fact, cloudy days are great for taking photos so that there aren’t as many shadows.
Be natural: It can be hard to keep the kiddos entertained while taking photos at home and there isn’t an extra person to help make the kiddos laugh or smile. I don’t really sweat that though. I try to say funny things while taking the photos. I will tickle them too if I really want a laughing photo. Give the kids things ‘to do.’ I switched things up during this shoot and said let’s open the cookie jar and eat some cookies. This gave us a brand new set of photos and they are some of my favorites as the kids are having fun and in a more natural setting of ‘living life’ while shooting pictures.
Take a million photos: Well maybe not a million, but take A LOT OF PHOTOS! Even if you think you have enough, take more! Take as many as you can at first while the family is happiest and most cooperative. My kids tend to fade as we take photos so I try to be as quick and efficient as possible. This is why setting up the scene ahead of time is helpful so that they are not waiting on you to fix everything. I think for this shoot, I had over 100 photos. Lots were blurry or we were making funny faces or we weren’t all in the photo. My camera has a setting that allows for multiple photos in a row so I put it on that setting and it takes 10 photos at a time. This is so helpful with kiddos who are constantly moving because chances are you will get lots of photos of moving kids.
Have fun: This is the best one, but also the hardest. I know you want the photos to be perfect, but the ‘outtakes’ can be the most beautiful too! Of course, we want the family all smiling and looking at the camera, but sometimes the funny ones are most memorable. Remember, these are memories for your family and you get to choose how those memories will be remembered. Make it a happy moment and the kiddos will follow suit, hopefully! Also, if you have kids that nap, try taking photos right after their nap when they are well rested so that they aren’t fussy or tired during the shoot!
I hope these tips give you a boost of confidence in taking your own family Christmas card photos this year! I LOVE how ours turned out and now you know a bit of the behind the scenes of these precious photos.
I had so much fun shopping at Christmas Tree Shops AndThat! for all of our Christmas card photo accessories, decor, and ugly sweaters. They really have everything for every season! Check them out for all of your holiday needs!
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XO
-LA
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