All I want for Hanukkah Christmas is a picture of my family of four that conveys two simple feelings: happy and relaxed. This photo will go on my holiday card, which I usually order from Tiny Prints, and be mailed to a long list of friends and family across the country.
The light, the weather and the timing of our annual Thanksgiving trip to my mom’s house in L.A. have lead me to set aside a few minutes for a photo session in front of her house each year. We dress casually and the photographer is my mom; the camera, an iPhone. But still, I want it to look good.Why this is so difficult, I do not understand.
Last year, I did not get a single shot I could use. Here are a few of the choices.
1- Forgetting that Julian’s over-the-top smile doesn’t go with my “relaxed” goal, Scarlett refuses to be seen.
2- Ok, we see your face now, Scarlett. Can you put your hand down? Please?
3- Julian! Really? P.S. How’s my “happy and relaxed” face looking?
4-Civil disobedience from the littles: they intentionally closed their eyes.
5- So close. So close.
6-Hmm. I look great. The rest of them can suck it!
When I got home and reviewed these photos, I threw up my hands and used a photo that Scarlett’s Kindergarten teacher took of us on her first day of school. My hair is wet, but at least we look happy and relaxed.
{tiny prints *wishful happiness* card is here}
Do you have any tips for me this year?
This is so timely… We’re moving in January and our new place has a fireplace and a mantel that is crying for a large canvas print. My husband refuses to have a professional photo shoot:(. My brother in law has professional equipment(but normally doesn’t shoot people) so I’m hoping to use his camera and skills to grab a nice shot of us in coordinated clothes for thanksgiving at my in laws Thanksgivikkuh weekend. All done without his knowledge so he can’t protest…I’ll cross my fingers for you if you cross yours for me?;). My 2 yr old son has developed a “cheese face” and it’s starting to include tilting his head all the way back….I hope it’s just a phase for both of us:/
I think you know what I’m going to say. Hire a photographer!
If you can’t do that, then do the following for children the age of your children. Have your mom stand there with the camera. Have someone DIRECTLY BEHIND her (not to the side) pretend to pull her hair or make bunny ears or punch her in the head or pretend to throw up. Basically make the kids laugh and look in that direction. Getting the kids engaged with real smiles is like 95% of the success of a photography shoot. Since your kids haven’t seen it before, they will probably love it.
This year, send the “I look great. The rest of them can suck it!”
I can totally relate. Slightly different problem for me. I take thousands of pics of my kid and yet when it comes time to choose for the Xmas card… it’s a struggle to find one where even just HE looks card-worthy by himself! Forget the whole family – you’ll see when we get our card – Ross is not even looking at the camera. 😉
I finally convinced my husband that we need a professional photog to take our family photos. They came out great! We were at a playground and then ran around a park, throwing dry leaves in the air and making all sorts of silly noises and faces. Best advice from the photog: follow the kids, let them run around. Then, when they stop for a second, the parents can run up to them, hug & smile, and the photog snaps the shot. We got several great photos out of that technique.
I like the picture you went with, it looks like you’ve all been skiing because the background is whited out.
bribery.
To be honest, I would have gone with #5. I’m all about embracing the imperfections that are so representative of whatever stage of life we’re in at the time. Like the picture with Santa of my then-3-year-old who had dressed himself, but had the pants on backwards and shoes on the wrong feet. Or all of the more recent pictures of him with his tongue sticking out. I figure that’s a better representation of what our life is about than the few and far between “good” pictures 🙂
Last year I did a card with writing in the middle and little photos framing it all around the edge. It was awesome – I picked 10 photos from the entire year, so I wasn’t putting all my eggs in one basket with that ONE photo.
I have 4 lil kids…. Family pics are hit or miss. For cards – individual pics printed collage style into one print. Everyone’s best pic!
My tip: Photoshop!