By Liz (mom to Sunday, pre-3’s)
The holidays are a great time for capturing memories with your family. If there’s one thing that can be counted on at this time of year with the parade of holiday parties and outings, it’s lots of photos. Have fun, and if you are the primary photographer in the family, make sure you find a way into a few of the photos!
First, plan to take lots of photos. Most people use digital cameras that allow instant viewing of the photos, so there’s no reason to limit the amount of shots. The more shots you take, the more choices you’ll have later, and it’s easy to delete the ones you don’t like.
Consider the main focus of many of your photos- kids. Dressy holiday outfits are sweet, fancy dresses and little suits, but keep in mind that most kids prefer comfort to style. Consider packing a change of clothes or comfy shoes, even pajamas for a late evening event. Take pictures of the kids in their more relaxed outfits for a cute contrast to their dressed up attire.
Try going outside for some pictures. Family photos can be beautiful in the snow, near evergreen trees or festive decorations. The natural light will go a long way toward great pictures.
In contrast, try taking some indoor photos without using flash. Window light during the day produces soft sidelight, one of the best light sources for photos. Many modern digital cameras have user-programmable Auto ISO settings. Turning off your auto flash and increasing the ISO setting can help avoid blurry photos. The key is not to adjust your ISO so high that your photos contain excessive visual noise. You might get some great shots without a blinding flash.
Keep it fun and get down to eye level with the kids. Your subjects are more likely to have a relaxed, happy expression when you keep it light. Allow them, and yourself, to get silly. Tell jokes, make funny faces, have toys available. Ask kids to tell you a funny story or talk about something they find interesting, and just start shooting. More often it’s the unposed moments you’ll want to remember.
Try different angles. Portraits can sometimes look stiff, so sit, stand and kneel to energize the shot. Have adults sit and kids stand. Make a pyramid. Better yet, get a shot of everyone trying to make a pyramid. Or take a shot from a bird’s-eye view of your kids lying down. Try a cute close-up with all your family members with faces close together in a circle or stacked.
Lastly, know when to put your camera down. Take lots of photos, but don’t forget to have some time to just be with friends and family.