Going to a professional to have your Christmas card photos taken can sometimes be a waste of time and money. For amateur to professional photographers, taking your own Christmas family photos may just be the perfect way to go!
Get Out Your Camera
In order to take your own Christmas family portraits, you must first and foremost have some sort of a camera to take the pictures with. Most people have a basic point and shoot digital camera. With today's technology, most digital cameras are able to offer decent quality photos. For quality professional like photos, D-SLR cameras are the way to go. D-SLR cameras allow you to control the many different settings, which yield better photos. Manual D-SLR cameras are slightly pricey, but a camera in between a point and shoot digital and a D-SLR are also great options to look into! For those who are not familiar with how to work a D-SLR camera, it is best to spend some time prior to your photo shoot to understand the basics of lighting, aperture, ISO, and f-stop. This may seem a bit daunting at first, but you will get the hang of it after a few shots! If not, you always have the option of taking the photo in Automatic.
What to Wear
Depending on what theme you want for this holiday, have the family wear clothing that goes with a theme or a color scheme. This doesn't mean everyone has to wear the same color, wear matching Christmas sweaters, or look like the Partridge Family (unless you want to). Having the family wearing clothes that match usually conveys a sense of unity and cohesiveness. From a photographic artistically point of view, colors that mesh well will result in better looking photos. So plan ahead and pick out your outfit beforehand! As a side note, try to stay away from wearing reds. Red is a popular choice for Christmas, but it is a color that does not photograph well.
Location, Location, Location
The next important factor is where you choose to take your picture. Pictures have the best quality when there is natural light. Natural light works the best with our skin, creating soft and healthy looking subjects. Check your weather forecast to see if there is an optimal day where the sun is out and the weather is agreeable. Some great locations to take pictures can be as simple as in your yard, in a nearby park, or a local attraction. If you are planning on taking your pictures inside, make sure there is enough artificial light. Remember, the more light, the better the quality and the less grainy your pictures will come out.
Patience and Tweaking
An important thing to remember is to be realistic when taking your own Christmas card photos. Depending on the size of your family, number of young children, and photo knowledge, you might need to take a few hundred of shots before you have 10-20 shots that you can choose from. Keep in mind that even professionals have to take at least 10-15 shots to have one good one. Even after getting some quality shots, it is within your best interest to tweak them by changing the contrast, color, and other features by using any Photoshop or any basic photo software.
Taking family Christmas card photos can be great for family bonding. Have some silly pictures that you can share within your family. Have some embarrassing pictures for blackmail. Just remember to have fun with it!
Emilie lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She enjoys blogging about random holiday tidbits such as photography for Christmas photo cards.
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