Many families spend the long Thanksgiving weekend snapping photos for their annual Christmas card. The holiday weekend is an especially good time to take a family shot if you have children, who are home from college, or you have grandkids visiting from other parts of the country.
Family gatherings are also ideal times to snap shots because you have more photographers at your disposal. If you can’t stand working with your camera’s self timer or you don’t own a tripod, it is virtually impossible to take a decent group shot of your entire clan when you are at home.
If you have able-bodied siblings or cousins, who have some photography skills, then have them take your family’s photo before offering to return the favor. This reciprocal picture-taking system is also helpful if you have children. Youngsters are less likely to whine about having to sit still for a family photo if they see other family members having to do the same.
Family shots featuring a slew of young children should be handled with care. Toddlers and preschoolers are notorious for getting antsy at photo shoots. If you plan to have young children in the shot, it’s best to arrange everyone else first, and leave spaces where the younger children will be positioned. Then, right before you take the photo, place the children in their designated spots.
Once you snap a few posed, formal portraits, get creative. Experiment with a few fun poses. For example, you could have everyone in the shot lean in for a group hug. Shoot a few pictures, then take several more immediately after they release. You’ll capture some great facial expressions and genuine emotion from almost everyone.
Finally, don’t be afraid to get into your snap happy mode. Take 40, 50 or 100 pictures. Do whatever you have to in order to get a few winners. You only need one good one for a Christmas card, but you can use the extras to add to scrapbooks, photo books or have framed as a reminder of your holiday gathering.
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