It’s time to celebrate the Holidays with your little family! Why don’t you immortalize the moment with a parent-children picture? But be cautious: this photo op can quickly become trite. Thankfully, we’ve put together our best tips on how to get great festive photos!
The background is the décor, the setting that will create your family photo’s atmosphere. Be careful not to choose an overly busy backdrop full of decorations so as not to overpower your subjects.
If you take your photos outdoors, avoid positioning your family facing the sun. Harsh shadows can ruin your subjects’ facial features. Ideally, photograph them during the golden hours (the first and last sunny moments of the day), or else place your subjects at an angle from the sun. If the latter is on a vertical axis, ask your subjects to lift their faces slightly towards the light for more even diffusion.
If you take your photos indoors on Christmas night, take the time to properly analyze the sources of light. Is it too dark? Are there many lamps on? Is the sparkling tree too much? Set your camera to the widest aperture, avoid flash and use your tripod for best results.
It’s up to you to arrange your subjects. Show them where to go and the posture to adopt.
Your first point of reference is the direction of the light. The second is the background you want. Now you just need to place your subjects without lining them up. Try to vary poses. For example, you can take close-ups of subjects at a three quarter angle alternated with straight-on shots. It’s the right time to take advantage of someone’s surprise when opening a present, like the excited and pleased face of a child.
A family photo is inherently posed, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be authentic. It’s up to you to put your subjects at ease: talk to them when arranging them and give them clear directions about how to place their hands or where to direct their gaze. When the time comes to take the photo and say "Cheese!", delay pressing the button to give them time to relax. Finally, alternate poses with freer moments where each person can make a face, funny expression or particular movement. Don’t forget to warn them about keeping their eyes open before each photo.
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