It’s THAT time of year again, moms… time to plan for the Christmas card photo! If you’re anything like us, you agonize over things like what the kids will wear, whether the photo should just include the children or the whole family, when and where the photo should be taken… the list is seemingly endless!

This year we decided to lean on some professional experience to help ease the pressure. We hope these ideas from Angela Scott, of Angela Scott Photography in Sacramento, CA help make the process a whole lot easier – and more fun – for you!

LCC: Angela, what is the best time of day to take a photo outdoors?

Angela: Ideally, the best time for outdoor photos would be early morning, within a few hours of the sun rising. A couple of hours before the sun sets in the late afternoon can also work well. Of course, that assumes a sunny day… during the winter months here in Northern California, we tend to have more overcast days, which can provide an excellent filter from the sun and allow for beautiful pictures. So don’t be afraid of overcast weather on your photo shoot day!

LCC: What about indoor pictures? Do we need a place with a lot of natural light or would it be okay to use regular room lighting?

Angela: For the best photos, try to plan your shoot for a time when the most natural light is available. On the other hand, be careful to avoid direct sunlight which can cast hard shadows across your faces. If you have access to professional or semi-pro lighting equipment, they would be effective as a substitute for natural light. Using your personal lamps and/or fluorescent lighting can give a very yellow-orange tone to skin, so I try and avoid using them.

LCC: What wardrobe colors photograph best? Should we avoid wearing patterns or stripes? And, what are your thoughts on everyone in the photo wearing matching clothes?

Angela: (laughs) This one really depends on your family’s personal style. Some clients like to have everyone match, which creates a very classic photo. My suggestion is that parents wear the neutral colors and kids wear the brighter colors… just make sure they blend well and don’t clash! That approach usually makes for a more fun and relaxed family photo. Small patterns are okay (ie, light plaid or pinstripe) and I suggest that only one family member wear a pattern to avoid a chaotic looking photo.

LCC: As a photographer – and a mom! – do you have any tips for getting the kids to cooperate during the photo shoot?

Angela: Yes, if you have younger children make sure they are well rested and fed. And, my number one suggestion during a shoot is for parents to be patient. As any parent knows, it’s difficult to have a child sit still, and a photo shoot is no different. Allow your photographer to work with the kids… funny enough, they tend to listen better to the photographer when being asked to sit and smile. Once the parents step in to get the kids to cooperate it often turns into a battle, and the frustration shows in the photos, which is the last thing we want. Try and have fun with it, moms! The more fun, the better the photo!

Feeling better already? We hope so! Many thanks to Angela for her words of wisdom on the topic. If you live in the Sacramento area and would like to connect with Angela to ask questions or to schedule a photo shoot, please feel free to contact her at:

Angela Scott Photography
Email: angelascottphotography@gmail.com
www.angelascottphotography.com

Angela has a special promotion running that’s perfect for a Christmas photo shoot… check it out here: http://www.angelascottphotography.com/specials/

Every year I have the best intentions of trying to get an early start on my Christmas shopping, but to no avail. I end up get bogged down with birthdays, kids’ activities and Thanksgiving and suddenly it’s December and I have a very large to-do list.

At a MOPS meeting a couple of years ago, we heard several suggestions of how to save time and plan ahead during the Christmas season. Our mentor mom gave us a great idea to take a family photo on vacation and use it for our annual Christmas card. She also suggested that we have our Christmas cards printed, addressed and stamped well ahead of Thanksgiving and then all that’s left is dropping them in the mail the first week of December.

Last year, I took her advice. While on summer vacation, we took a family photo and it was probably the best picture our family has ever taken together. Just getting the picture taken early was a huge relief and I was so happy not to have to schedule a family photo op in November or December. With the picture done, all that was left was picking out a Christmas photo card and having it printed. When December rolled around, I had a lot of shopping to do, but my photo cards were finished and ready to be mailed and it felt great!

If you want to get a jump start on Christmas, we have a great collection of Christian photo Christmas cards that will be sure to compliment your favorite photos. We are also excited to announce that by the end of September the top designs from the Christmas Design Contest will be featured on our website. Check out our Facebook and Twitter accounts for the latest news, information and specials and let’s all get started early on our photo cards this year!