Before you know it, the holidays are here. Have you thought about what your Christmas cards will be? Have you started gift shopping yet? Are you thinking about holiday family photos? Family photos during the holidays make for incredible memories and gifts. They can also be used for Christmas cards and so much more.
If you want the best possible family photos, read on to find out the tips and tricks you need from Jonathan Fanning for this year’s photoshoot.
Professional Holiday Family Photo Tips
Color Coordinate
Red, greens, blues, and whites make for stunning colors for just about all types of holiday photos. Depending on where you take the photos and the backdrop, you may want to bring multiple outfits to change in and out of to get the best color combinations. Try on the outfits before the photoshoot.
Make sure to coordinate with everyone in the photos – don’t wear the same colors in the same combinations between family members if you can help it. Switch things up so if you wear a dark-colored shirt, have someone else wear a light-colored shirt or vice versa. You don’t want to get washed out in color across the photo.
Inside vs. Outside
Indoor or outdoor holiday photoshoots will require careful planning, picking the right décor for the holidays, and coordinating outfits that keep you warm or cool. If shooting outside, consider a more neutral backdrop with minimal distractions, foliage, or background noise that’ll interfere with the photoshoot. Also, consider dressing up and checking out what you and your family look like on location to ensure it works, especially once you decide what you want to wear.
If you’re doing an outdoor photoshoot, consider the setting and whether you need to ask permission to shoot there. Sometimes you may need to book a time or spot at a park or other outdoor location. Again, do your research before you show up to ensure no issues once you arrive for your holiday photoshoot.
Practice Together
Take the time to practice posing, smiles, and stances with your family. Get everybody dressed up, in place, and smiling. Try out different ways to stand, sit, and interact with the background and world around you. You can use your phone to take some practice photos to review and see what to adjust before your actual photoshoot. This will also help everyone loosen up and have more fun during the shoot.
Use a Tripod
If you’re taking holiday photos yourself, consider investing in a tripod. They’re cheaper than ever – you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars for a heavy-duty tripod. Instead, you can get one specifically for your phone that often comes with a clicker that’ll allow you to set your shot, get in the frame, and snap multiple photos from your hand without setting a timer or moving back and forth.
Frame Properly
Framing a picture you take will change your life. When it comes to family photos, framing your shot differently vs. the most common center of the frame will bring out unique angles, lighting, and more during your shoot. Consider framing your shots on the sides for more candid shots, focusing on your children or other members of your family. By changing the way you frame your shot, you can change how people see what’s in the picture.
Check the Lighting
Lighting is one of the most important aspects of any photo. Make sure your lighting is good for indoor vs. outdoor photoshoots. There are affordable options for you to buy nowadays. Invest in lighting if you can and if not, consider a professional photographer like Jonathan Fanning who will have the lighting you need for the best pictures possible for the holidays.
Take Multiple Photos
Anybody who says they take one photo and it’s perfect is lying to you. When taking family holiday photos, take multiple photos – take hundreds. You may get lucky and capture a good photo, but by taking multiple photos during your photoshoot, you’ll get more perfect shots to use, capture memorable moments, and find surprises that showcase your family being natural together.
Consider Touch Ups
Everybody wants to look their absolute best in every photo ever taken of them. Unfortunately, this just isn’t realistic or always possible. Sometimes you can’t control stray hairs, glasses glare, or other things that happen when the camera snaps a picture. Touch-ups are a quick, easy way to take care of these random events and other aspects of your photos you aren’t a fan of. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with touch-ups – you want your family holiday photos to look the best, and this is another tool in your arsenal to do just that.
Bonus Tip: Hire Jonathan Fanning
Taking your holiday family photos is exciting and brings a family together to something fun. So why worry about the little details to make those photos great? Hire Jonathan Fanning to take your holiday family photos and get the best possible photos to share with family and friends this year.
When to Take Holiday Family Photos
If you want to schedule professional holiday family photos, make sure to book by the end of October. Most professional photographers are booked up for the holiday season by then.
If you want to take photos yourself, you can schedule a shoot for your family whenever it works for everyone. Keep in mind what the weather will be, the time of day, and how busy the location might be for your photos when doing it yourself – all these factors can make or break your holiday family photoshoot session.
How to Use Your Holiday Family Photos
Holiday family photos can be used for much more than just the annual Christmas card sent to everyone far and wide. Consider using your holiday family photos in different ways, such as:
- Share them on social media: Show your connections your whole shoot, even the outtakes. Change your social media banners or profile pictures to showcase the holidays.
- Create an online gallery: Create an online gallery and share everything with anyone you’d like. This gives them access to every photo – or just the ones you want to add – and gives them more than just a Christmas card to put on the fridge.
- Custom ornaments or decorations: Photos can be used to create custom ornaments and other holiday decorations to showcase around your home or give as gifts to family and friends. Photos can be printed on just about anything nowadays, from pillows to blankets to candles and more.
- Build a scrapbook: Another great gift idea, especially for the grandparents or other extended family, is to create a scrapbook not just of your holiday photos but photos from throughout the year, like school photos of your children.
Jonathan Fanning is Your Holiday Family Photographer in Tampa Bay
Consider Jonathan Fanning for your holiday family pictures. His eye for detail, use of lighting, and ability to bring out smiles in everyone he photographs will bring light, joy, and holiday cheer to your photoshoot. Contact us or call us at 727-851-9965 to schedule your holiday family photoshoot.
