When was the last time you’ve had a good photo taken of your family at the holidays? Imagine if you could take that photo yourself this year! With the camera on our phones always readily available to us, we often take for granted the time and effort it takes for a good photo. But don’t fret! It is not hard. Here are some actionable tips for you and your family to really capture the warmth and love of being together for the holidays.
1. Timing
The best time to gather everyone for a group photo is soon after everyone has arrived. The excitement of everyone having arrived is great energy to flow into picture taking! This will also ensure that the cooking is more likely in a good spot to pause and everyone isn’t sleepy or bloated after eating!
2. Lighting - Don’t be afraid of a flash!
First thing you’d want to avoid is harsh direct light. You want to aim for nice, even lighting across faces. This is where an on-camera flash can be really helpful to fill in where the existing light falls short. Check out these flashes from Promaster to really light things up! Practice “bouncing” the light off of ceilings or nearby walls to cast a softer light on your subjects.
3. Use a Tripod
Using a tripod for a family photo ensures that no one is left out of the photo and eliminates potential for blur from shaky hands. To do this, arrange everyone into the frame as you’d like (don’t forget to leave space for you!) and set a delay timer on your camera for a few seconds, just enough time to hop into the photo! If you don’t already have a tripod, check these out for awesome options to get started using one for all kinds of photography.
4. Candids & Detail Shots
Candids and detail shots are great ways to capture the essence and environment of an occasion. For Thanksgiving, walk around with your camera on you, snap shots of people talking, setting up the table, and cooking together. Have fun sneaking great photos of laughter, sweet moments, and the occasional embarrassing shot of a family member. Grab some fun detail shots of the food, decorations, and table settings to immortalize all that effort!
What’s next? Show them off!
Once you have your awesome family photos, use them! Family photos at Thanksgiving make for awesome holiday cards for Christmas and New Years. So show off your work and get those bad boys printed!
Richmond Camera makes it super simple to order this year’s holiday cards online. Order holiday cards here!
Free in-store pickup is available or choose to ship to you directly!