Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Photography Tips For Capturing Your Family's Holiday Celebration


Can you believe that Christmas is just days away? I can't wait to celebrate with my family and I hope that all of you have a wonderful holiday!   This time of year gives us so many great opportunities to capture precious memories in photos. As Christmas morning quickly approaches, I've put together a few tips for capturing your own family celebration this year:

1. Get that camera ready!   Make sure your camera battery is fully charged and put in a fresh memory card.  If you like to take video clips along with your photos (as I do!) have an extra card on hand since videos can take up a lot of space. Once your camera is ready, put it in a place where it's easy to grab. 

2. Capture the excitement.  Some of my favorite holiday photos are those that capture true expressions. Whether it's the excitement of everyone opening gifts, or the focused attention while decorating cookies, or grandma's laughter while playing with the grandkids…these are priceless shots! Try to capture real emotions as they unfold, and then afterwards ask your subject to look at you for a posed shot.  Take lots of candid photos, and get in close to your subject. 

3. Don't forget the details. There are so many beautiful details to photograph during the holidays.  A special ornament,  a plate of cookies, presents wrapped under the tree, stockings hung by the chimney. These are so fun to look at years later and to remember all the small details of that favorite ornament or special gift.  Get in close for these shots and try to eliminate distractions in the background. 



4. Document family traditions.  In addition to Christmas Day, there really is a whole month of holiday events and traditions that make the season special.  Capture these family traditions like baking cookies, decorating the tree, or going to see a holiday play.   

5. Photograph mealtime memories. With all the preparation that goes into holiday meals, it's always nice to have a photo to remember who was there and what was made.  Snap a few shots in the kitchen of the meal prep and also the table setting. I always love to take a quick photo once everyone has gathered at the table. 

6. Have fun and get yourself in some photos.   If you're the person who is generally behind the camera, make sure to hand it off to someone else every once in a while and get yourself in some photos.  Even if being in photos is not your favorite thing, your family will love it! 

7. Make a photo book.  After you've captured all of these wonderful holiday memories, you might want to make an album or scrapbook.  Below is a photo of my Christmas scrapbook.  While I usually don't do much scrapbooking these days, I still always add a few pages to my Christmas book every year. 



I hope you try some of these tips as you capture memories and celebrate this year. Happy Holidays!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Nature Walk | Family Photos in White Bear Lake, MN

I love the beautiful light we have in the Fall when the sun peeks out from behind the clouds. It was just that kind of morning for my photo shoot with this adorable family. We took our time exploring the woods of Tamarack Nature Center and took some great photos along the way.

Thomas was eager to explore and climb on any tree stump or picnic table we encountered.

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Katherine was full of smiles and ready to show me her best poses!

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Katherine had a very minor tantrum along the way (let's just say it involved Twizzlers....) and she had such a cute pout going that I just had to sneak a picture.   A couple hugs from dad and she was all smiles again. :)

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