Holiday Card Photo Shoot with 42nd Street Photo

It’s not too early to think about the family picture for your holiday cards! No matter which holiday you celebrate, sharing your family faces with loved ones is a good way to connect and chronicle the passing years. 42nd Street Photo has some simple tips to keep in mind when deciding to take that special shot.

Think about your reaction to the holiday cards you have seen in the past. Do you really like that crazy, zany photo shoot with all the wild sweaters and chaotic decorations? Do you remember faces or the setting? It’s fine to have a family shot like that if everyone in the family is on board but you want to remember to capture the facial expressions of all involved. Those photos take a lot of thought and props, and it is a good idea to use a camera with multiple exposure settings and flash options and experiment a few times. Get familiar with what your camera can do so that the flash reflecting off the tinsel doesn’t hide the cute grin.

If you would rather have a family portrait that doesn’t end up ‘dated’ except for kid sizes, have everyone wearing a classic outfit in solid colors. Some even will opt for the same color family, like shades of green or red or blue. This will allow the beloved faces of your family to take center stage. Hairstyles can be in current fashion, but remember how you chuckle at old yearbooks and tone that ‘do’ down a bit. Think about the background of your photo and keep it simple.

42nd Street Photo sells a number of accessories and props for professional portrait photographers, and browsing their site might make your eyes glaze over but will give you some ideas about lighting and backdrop. They also sell dvd’s that will help you use your existing camera to its full potential. One of the reasons that professionals use things like extra lights and accessories is to avoid red eye…that demon glow that turns your little angel into a devil with ruby eyeballs.

Red eye is caused by the light of the flash reflecting off the blood vessels inside the eye. You can avoid this by turning off the flash and using other light (try turning on all the lights in the room and maybe bringing some more in), moving the flash farther away from the camera lens to change the angle of the light, or checking to see if your camera has an anti-red-eye function that gives a series of short flashes and hopefully causes the iris to be smaller as it reacts to the light.

Once you have your family in place and are taking your shots…maybe with a timer so you can race into place…take a number of them. It is much easier to sift through a bunch of rejects for the prize than it is to recreate the moment for another try. If you are still unhappy with your pictures, a visit to 42nd Street Photo for a look at a replacement might be a good idea.

Advertisement