Allison Vorcheimer We all love to see those beautifully photographed family portraits and professional images of our friends and families children against the perfect holiday backdrops but sometimes we just don’t have the time or the budget to schedule those professional photos this time of year. While the DIY version won’t exactly give you professional images, it will get the job done. Here are some tips for taking great photos for your Holiday Cards from home!
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Keep It Simple
This is probably the most important tip! My photos always come out the best when I keep it clean and simple! Especially with young children, the more props you try to include, the more difficult getting that perfect shot becomes. If you have older children, you may get away with a few more props.
Background
Here in Florida, we don’t exactly have the perfect winter wonderland backdrop outside our front door! If you opt to use the outdoors, a park or area with greenery can create a fall/wintery feel with the right accessories. If you choose to shoot inside, it is easy to create a simple backdrop.
Use what you already have:
- If you have a simple bed set and neutral/holiday bedding that makes a great backdrop for fun family photos.
- Cozy Couch? Have your kids snuggle up watching a holiday movie or drinking from holiday mugs. Warm inviting kitchen? Bake Christmas cookies and take candid photos. Bonus, you’ll have cookies to eat when you’re done!
- Don’t have anywhere in your home that will work? Use a white sheet, blanket or a simple photo backdrop. You can tape to a wall or use a frame to create your scene. Add some Christmas lights for some a twinkly backdrop or a fun prop.
Holiday Background Ideas
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Outfits
Now that you know where you will shoot, what will your subjects be wearing? I have young children so my last few holiday photoshoots have been with their holiday pjs on. Keep your back drop in mind. Holiday pjs could be a great option, or if you are outside maybe some outdoor gear (if you catch a cool enough day!). A kitchen shoot would be adorable with holiday aprons! Whatever attire you choose, try to coordinate your subjects in a similar color palette to help with the aesthetic of your pictures.
Basic Editing
If you have a nice camera and photoshop/editing software that is great, but, you can get great photos and effects right from your phone. I actually do have photoshop but when photographing my kids, I usually just need to brighten up their photos and enhance the saturation a bit right from the camera app. You can even play with adjusting to black and white or using different effects to get the feel you are looking for.
Have you shot your own holiday photos before? What are some of your favorite set ups? Check out our pinterest board for more inspiration on holiday photography.
