Tips for Great Family photos for the holidays

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I don’t know about you guys, but I am extremely excited for the holiday season. As fun and as exciting the holidays can be, I know there are some aspects that can be stressful. One area that I am hoping to eliminate some of the stress in family photos. Most people really only take family photos about once a year. If you are one of those people, I am here to help make your photos for the holidays go a bit smoother by sharing tips for great family photos for the holidays.

Believe it or not, as a blogger taking family photos or even solo pictures can be a bit stressful. You would think that because it is my job, that it just comes easy. Not true. I am sure most bloggers will tell you that when shooting with family or any kind of photo shoot it requires a lot of planning, and planning ahead. Which actually brings me to my first tip for great family photos.

Plan ahead

Like with most things “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. That same concept goes for family photo shoots. You can’t just wake up one morning and say you want to do a family photoshoot. I can almost guarantee the quality won’t be great and it will be extremely stressful, especially if children are involved. If you are fully committed and want to take great family photos for the holidays, plan ahead. Some things you should consider: a date, time of day, who is taking the pictures, locations, and outfits.

Choose your time slot wisely.

I can not tell you how important this is for you, not only if you have little ones, but for photography purposes. If you have little ones, shooting is already going to be difficult, because kids can be unpredictable. The last thing you want to do is choose a time slot right before naptime, lunch time, or a particular time where the kids may tend to be a bit more fussy. For me I like to shoot first thing in the morning. This goes for all types of photo shoots, especially if my daughter is involved. This is when she is in the best mood and it is fresh in her mind, because I always remind her the day before. 

Also if you are shooting outside you want to make sure you choose a time that is going to have the best lighting. The photographer will usually tell you the best times for shooting outside. One thing I suggest avoiding is “golden hour”, that is the time when the sun is going down and could cause a lot of shadows, unless that is the look you are going for.

Dress comfortably

This is also a big one. I know when taking photos you may want them to look as good as possible and sometimes we skip over the comfort level of our outfits. Shoots can run anywhere for 30 minutes upwards and that is a long time to be in uncomfortable clothes and shoes. Some people are better at hiding their discomfort than others, but to be on the safe side make sure you are dressed comfortably, essentially the little ones. Also don’t be afraid to shoot in holiday pajamas, check out my blog post on Matching Jammies for the Family, seriously though who doesn’t like matching pajamas?!

Bring a helper

Now I know this is not always possible for everyone, it’s not alway possible for me either. However if you can, try and bring along a friend, cousin, aunty, grandparent, anyone who can possibly assist. This is especially helpful when you are shooting multiple holiday outfits. It is also helpful when there are a lot of kids, or  you are shooting in various locations. Having an extra set of hands is always helpful.

Get ready the day before

You would think that this is really a no brainer, but not really. You will be surprised how many people actually get prepped and ready the day of. The day before a big shoot or any shoot at that. Make sure all of your clothes are out and ironed along with all the accessories and props. If you are doing a change of clothes, make sure to have those ironed, folded nicely, packed up and if possible in the car already. You rather be over prepared than underprepared. For hair and makeup, if you are unsure, or plan on trying something new give it a trial run a few days before. Doing so, you eliminate having any surprises. Also pre packaged drinks and snacks may be needed, depending on how long you plan to be shooting for.

Communicate with the Photographer

Once you find the photographer you want to work with, it is important to communicate with this photographer. Make sure you are sharing all the key details with them.. Some of the details you should be sure to include are: location, mood, number of people, number of outfits, and various props. If you communicate with the photographer you will see that they may offer you options and insight for your shoot that you may have not considered before.

Go with the Flow

The day has finally come, just sit back and go with the flow. There is no point in being uptight and tense over a photoshoot. Photo shoots are supposed to be fun and exciting. So when the day comes just try to have fun with it all. Some of my favorite family pictures are candids.You will be surprised what great photos happen when someone is looking away or if someone cracks a joke.

I hope these tips were helpful. Remember to not stress and just have fun and enjoy the ability to be making fun memories with your family for the holidays. If you liked this make sure you share it with a family member or friend who may also need tips for great family photos for the holidays. Leave me a comment, let me know which tip was the most helpful.

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