The end of the year can be so chaotic and busy and it is yet one of my favorite moments of the year. I love how families and friends come together to celebrate the end of another year. Oh, and those pretty Christmas lights. Why do they feel so magical? With lots of celebrating there are of course lots of planning to do. So when it is time to snap those photos for our holiday photo cards, I always follow 3 simple steps. Because if I don’t make it easy (and I mean, super easy), I know I won’t do it at all.
1- S E T T I N G
I like to make the setting super simple. Just a simple background. Maybe trees or maybe a solid colored wall. A garage door is also a great option. I want the focus of the photo to be on the kids and their heart melting smiles. This year, I placed our outdoor seating in front of our evergreen bushes that happen to be facing our neighbor’s gorgeous pine trees. Once I decide on a setting, I take a couple of pictures to test the lighting and best angles and then, I am all set!
2- C L O T H E S
Once I know what kind of setting I have to work with, I start thinking about the clothing. I start my clothing choice by picking items that are somewhat neutral. Maybe a solid black shirt and black pants. Always think solid first. Then I add some texture or pattern. Stripes always work well for a pattern that is not too busy. This year, I chose Bela’s dress as the piece of clothing that features a little bit of texture and pattern. Lastly, I add a pop of color. Red or green are usually my first choice. Other great color combinations could be mustard yellow and navy blue for a golden Holiday Photo card. Or perhaps silver with neon colors for a modern twist. Once I gather all clothing I lay them out in bed to see if they do work well together. Then, and only then, I shout: “KIIIIIDS, Christmas Card photo time!” And they come dragging their little feet. “Really?!” they ask…
3- H A V E F U N
No stress allowed. I put some music on and snap as many pictures as I can in about five minutes. Yes, only five minutes. The preparation takes way longer than the actual photo session. Five minutes is all the time I have before those moving targets are way too difficult to manage. Snap. Snap. Snap. And usually from about 100 photos, I will have just one or two that are Christmas card appropriate. The “inappropriate” ones, though, oh, they sometimes are my favorite. How about the one of Marcus diving onto the flat ground? Mr. Claus, I am afraid we have three little naughty kids over here.
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