I feel like the holidays is the most popular time of the year for family photos, friends photos, event photos, and just photos of any kind. Today Peter Minkoff is guest posting to share some simply fabulous tips to take beautiful family holiday photos!
Taking photos for Christmas is a very sweet tradition that shows the growth and change of your family and its results are cherished forever. That’s why it’s worth putting some extra work into your photos this year. If you’re planning to take pictures of your family and want to capture some Insta-worthy shots, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Dress up
Let’s start with a simple dress-up party. In general, professionals recommend that you dress more neutrally without super-loud patterns, which can be very distracting. Plus, going overboard with colors and patterns can create editing issues later on. For a more classy and elegant shoot, seasonal colors like reds, whites and greens are a great option. But if you’re going for a fun vibe with ugly Christmas sweaters and silly onesies, disregard the tips above—you’re going to have extra fun results even with over-the-top clothing.
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Pick the moments that count
It’s important to capture those moments that make the holiday season special for your family. Maybe you love decorating the house, unwrapping gifts or making tasty recipes—whatever it is, focus on those sweet shots. Many times, in those situations, you don’t even have to plan anything, just have your camera at hand.
Choose a meaningful location
You and your family will feel most at ease in locations that you know and love. And because Christmas is a holiday of coziness, closeness and love, it’s important to incorporate all your favorite spots into your shoot. Most families choose their living room or their backyard, and these are great choices. For a family portrait, it’s best to opt for a background that’s calm, so the people can be in focus. However, don’t mix “calm” with “plain”—some fairy lights, trees, presents and snow can always capture that holiday spirit.
Use the right lens
It’s not necessary to get technical with your photos, but some help from the right equipment can make a huge change. If you’re hiring a professional in family portraits to do your Christmas shoot, they will know just what kind of equipment to use for the best results. So, you don’t have to do much but relax, have fun with your family and enjoy the occasion. However, if you’re shooting alone, keep this in mind: you might want to use a wide-angle lens to fit more people in the frame, but this will create distortions. Instead, stand far from the subject and zoom in with a standard kit lens.
Think about composition
Here’s another technical element on this list—composition. When organizing the group in your family portrait, try to place everyone’s head at different levels by using chairs, armchairs, etc. For instance, one person can use a regular chair, one can sit in their lap, one can use the armrest and some can stand or sit on the floor. Start with the center of the frame and go towards the edges, placing people according to your wishes. If you’re not sure of the frame size, look through the viewfinder and place two people at the borders of the frame, asking all others to stand in the space between. If you also want to be in the shot, set the timer on your camera. And don’t forget to take multiple photos in case someone bas their eyes closed.
Play some music
And finally, as you prepare and conduct your shoot, try to avoid silence. Silence can make taking photos a bit awkward and make everyone look stiff and bored—this shows in photos so well. Instead, turn on the music to get you in the mood to celebrate, dance and laugh. Having portable speakers with you can do wonders for outdoor shoots.
This year’s Christmas family photos will blow everyone’s mind, and make you super excited for the holidays. And some extra effort you invest will pay off in so many ways.
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