Christmas photo tips

Hope your holiday shopping is "wrapping up" and you're getting settled in for a weekend of family, friends and unforgettable memories!  Just wanted to take a few minutes to give you some quick holiday photo tips and ideas.

Take photos in similar locations each year.  Looking through some heritage photos, I realized just how many family photos were taken in front of Christmas trees over the years.  Imagine a themed page or album titled "O Christmas Tree."  Other ideas might be photos each year with Santa, or photos with the cousins all in front of the fireplace.   Maybe start your own tradition or look for common themes in your current holiday photos and continue them this year!

Mom's family in front of the tree 1955:

Dad in front of the tree 1967:

Our family in front of the tree 1971:

One week old, in front of the tree 1992:

Coordinate your family's outfits. It sounds almost "silly" but a great idea for getting good photos of your kids together at Christmas is to dress them in clothes that match.  The photo of my son and nephew below is visually pleasing since their shirts match! Imagine the same photo with one wearing light green and the other wearing bright purple and yellow...not nearly the same effect as when they coordinate.

For portrait type shots, get in closer.  Although you defnitely want to capture the action, decor and sights of the holiday gathering, take a few portrait type photos of groups or individuals.  For those friends and family you don't see often, these photos become treasured keepsakes as well as great photos to use for non-holiday layouts.  Since typically everyone is in a festive mood, it's also a great opportunity to capture personalities.  The photos below are all ones taken at family holiday gatherings---just remember to get in CLOSE!  :-)

Fill the Frame

With Spring just around the corner, we can't wait for all the great photo opportunities that lie ahead--Easter, budding trees, Spring Break trips, and daffodils. Just think of all the new scrapbook pages we'll be able to create! Here's a photo tip you can try as you capture all these great memories: fill the frame. What does that mean? Try filling the entire camera frame with your subject and see what kind of results you get. Here are a few examples:

Kitty before:

Fill the frame:

Often by filling the frame, you can eliminate distracting objects in the background and focus completely on the subject. This technique often results in very striking images.

Statue at Hoover Dam (notice the distracting signs in the background):

Fill the frame:

Landmark before:

Fill the frame:

If you're a little hesitant to try this when you're taking the photo, this effect can be simulated at a digital photo processing kiosk. Simply choose the customize option when uploading your photos to be printed. Use the zoom and crop features to "fill the frame" with your subject. You can also have fun trying other kiosk customize features such as black and white or sepia tones.

Sweet baby before:

Fill the frame with sweet baby's face (also converted to black and white):

We hope you'll give this a try and let us know if it works for you!

Good vs. Great

Ready to take your photos to the next level? Have you ever heard someone look at a photo and say "She must have a really good camera"? We want to share a few photo tips with you that will help you take good photos and make them great. And all of these are ones you can use without having an expensive camera!

The photo below is a "good" photo taken one evening at the beach. How can this photo go from "good" to GREAT?

Change your perspective...

Did you know having your subject look up at you minimizes any double chin effect? (I always remember this when someone is taking a photo of ME...ha!) See how much different this photo is just by taking it from a different angle?Put your subject in the best light...

Both of the above photos were taken an hour before sunset. But in the second photo, her face seems to almost glow. Have you ever noticed in the evenings how everything outside seems to be bathed in a golden glow? At this time of day, the sun is low in the sky and acts similar to a big gold reflector like the professional photographers use. The light isn't too bright but instead hits the left side of her face more to create shadows. It also reflects in her eyes. If you're trying to capture this golden glow, remember to turn off your camera's flash.

Hmm...what else can you do to improve a photo even more?....

Add a tilt...

If you look at photos in magazines or today's senior portrait photographer displays, many of them have the subject tilted to one side or another. Try it! Rather than holding your camera with a horizontal or vertical orientation, just tilt it slightly to the left or right. You'll be surprised at how much more dynamic your photo can be. And at first, it does feel a little strange... but the results are worth it!

Give these ideas a try and let us know how they work for you!

Countdown to Christmas---photo checklist

Wow, where does the time go... less than a week until Christmas! Be sure to stop by the blog this week as you take a break from your Christmas preparations. We've got some "last minute" ideas for you... so let's get started!

As we all know, Christmas is a perfect time to take lots of photos that can be used in our scrapbooks all year long. Here are a few ideas of the shots you may want to include in your "must haves" this year:

• Group photo in front of Christmas tree--you might be amazed at how much styles, family members and even the tree change over time. At the time this photo was taken, it was "just another Christmas tree photo" but now it is a cherished memory.


• Photo of someone opening the "perfect gift" to document the reaction

• Christmas tree ornaments with special meaning--you can later use the photos to create a layout so future generations who receive them will know their story


• We spend so much time preparing special dinners and desserts...be sure to photograph them. I love a photo of my Great Grandmother's Christmas dinner table. I couldn't believe how much food she had prepared! You could later create a special Christmas recipe mini book to share your favorite holiday recipes with others. Or maybe create a book to house recipes you've gathered from family and friends during the holiday pitch-in dinners.


• Traditions--whatever they may be, take pictures of them! Traditions may change over time and you'll cherish photos of them later.


• Photos of lights--turn off your camera flash and take photos of your lighted tree or your outside light displays at night. You may need to set your camera on a flat surface or tripod to avoid blurred or shaky photos, but the results will be amazing.


• Special gifts from children or grandchildren--you'll want to remember the special gift wrapping skills of children as they plan special Christmas surprises for you. Don't forget to take photos of these treasures before you open them...like this example of a gift wrapped in cardstock and ribbon found in "mommy's" scrapbook stash! (This photo also shows the look that can be achieved when turning off your camera's flash.)

Do you have other ideas to share? If so, please post a comment and share your Christmas photo tips with us!