Shoot Your Own Christmas Card Portraits – Part 2

Let’s face it, about the only thing that sets a Christmas portrait apart from any other family portrait is the fact that it clearly says “Christmas.” Any good family portrait tells the story of the family’s personality and bond; but when you’re putting a portrait on photo Christmas cards, the holiday is also part of the story that the photo needs to tell. When planning a photo shoot for a specific reason, a photographer can turn to the setting, props and appearance of the subjects to help make clear the point of the story being told. Let’s look at each of these elements to help you plan for shooting your own Christmas card portrait at home.

Choose a Setting that Fits Your Style

As a photographer I can tell you that there really is no right or wrong setting for a Christmas portrait – it all really has to do with what makes the family unique and the photographer’s vision of how to tell that story. As someone who has seen the tens of thousands of photo Christmas cards printed here at 123Print I can tell you that the most popular settings fall into a handful of categories. The chances are good that you’ll have no problem identifying a place in your own home that fits the style you find appealing.

Traditional – This is the timeless vision of an old-fashioned Christmas capturing the warmth of home, family and rituals passed through generations. Traditional makes you think of sitting in a cozy chair near a roaring fire, sipping hot cocoa with loved ones or being welcomed by family at the front door.

• Architecture and Décor – Anything between Colonial, Classical and Victorian
• Great Features – Fireplace mantel, built-in bookcases, staircase, foyer, entryway, archway

Contemporary or Casual – An updated, modern version of traditional Christmas that captures the warmth of home and family in a casual way. When you think contemporary; busy, active families taking time out to kick back, relax and watch movies or sports together during the holidays, come to mind.

• Architecture and Décor – Bright, open and comfortable like a family room or great room
• Great Features – A big, cushy chair or loveseat, a fireplace, stairs or a room divider

Whimsical, Country or Rustic – We’re talking about a themed take on traditional Christmas here. Simpler, less complicated and slightly more primitive in nature; the warmth of home and family is embodied in a well-worn and hand-made style.

• Architecture and Décor – Farmhouse, cabin, lodge, cottage-chic, primitive, western or seaside
• Great Features – Fireplace or hearth, rustic or vintage wood features, antiques

Trendy – Trendy portraits take many forms and can be complicated. High-key and low-key portraits with bright white or very dark backgrounds are popular. Get simple versions of these by hanging plain white or black fabric on the walls. As long as you can pin-up cloth to cover twice the width of the group you’re fine. Cheap cotton cloth or bed sheets will work. Just make sure that the fabric isn’t see-through and you can cover at least a foot above the tallest head and the floor a few feet in front of everyone.

Regardless of the setting you choose, once you have selected a room, pick a place that has enough space for everyone to fit close but not cramped at least a few feet from any walls. A spot in front of or beside one of those great features you looked for in the room will add ambiance.

Head to the Attic and Grab Some Christmas Decorations

I may be going out on a limb here, but I’m going to venture that the decorations you have will jive up pretty well with your tastes in setting. You don’t need a ton of props. If you’ll be posing near something like a mantel, a bookcase or a staircase, choose items that would naturally appear there when you decorate for Christmas. Decorative candles, greens and garlands, ribbons and bows, and objects identifiable from a distance are all good candidates.  Try to avoid anything highly reflective as it may cause odd glare from the lighting.

If you don’t have a feature in the room to pose near, you may want to get a little more elaborate with a large decorative item or even a simply decorated artificial or potted pine tree. For the high or low key look props aren’t needed; although if you have some mostly white items they’ll look neat in a high-key shot.

Dig out Some Winter Duds (and Turn up the Air Conditioning)

Unless you live somewhere like Miami; summer clothing doesn’t really say Christmas. Conversely, if you do live in a hot region, a fuzzy reindeer sweater isn’t believable either. First and foremost select a wardrobe that is appropriate for Christmas time where you live. Next you can decide if you are going for any kind of a theme or unified look. That can be achieved as choices in color, pattern, style or even completely matching if you’re that daring and not afraid of ending up on a photo blog that makes fun of that sort of thing. If you are letting everyone do their own thing clothing-wise, just make sure that there is some coordination – or at least no serious clashing going on.

There’s a lot you can find online about what kind of clothes complement or accentuate different body types. Now’s the time to seek out that advice. From a photographic standpoint; solids, simple stripes, and larger patterns or graphics work best. Keep jewelry and accessories simple and appropriate for the outfit and the Christmas season and remember that a lot of shiny surfaces can cause problems with lighting and reflections. Finally, since you’ll be shooting this portrait early to give you time to print it on your Christmas cards, it may still be a bit warm in your neck of the woods – do the family a favor and crank up the air conditioning since you’re making them put on winter clothes. Sweaty faces and frizzed hair don’t do a portrait any favors!

Have fun figuring out how to turn your house into a photo studio but stay with us – in the next installment we’ll talk about making that photo gear of yours do more than take snapshots!