The holidays are a time for family to come together! It’s not uncommon for you to want to take your own holiday photo. We’ve all been there, it’s nearing the end of the night and before the family members with kiddos head home for bed, you remember you want to capture all the faces!

The kids are tired, the lighting isn’t great, getting everyone to look and smile is near impossible! How the heck are you supposed to take your own holiday photo?

Here are my best tips for painlessly getting your own holiday photo.

1. Learn how to set the self timer on your phone or camera BEFORE people arrive. No one – especially kids – wants to wait for the camera man to figure out how to use their tool. Do this before people arrive to conserve peoples attention!
2. Take the photo early on in the day! The earlier the better – natural light is the best light! But beyond that… you know that turkey coma? Yea. No one wants to stand and smile after a big ol’ meal! Get the photos done while everyone has energy!
3. Make it fun, and don’t bribe! It’s so common for parents to use treats to get their kiddos to want to take photos. But the treats don’t make the photo taking more fun. Instead try this! Turn it into a game! Tell your kids that you’ve prepared something fun and different this year. Every time you take a photo (Self timer or not) say “Look to the person with/who”. Get creative! My favourites are “Look to the person with the smelliest feet!” “Look to the person who eats the most!” “Look to the person who is the grumpiest in the morning!” This will get some natural smiles. Once they’re warmed up to the camera, you can finish with a few “boring” shots looking at the camera.
4. Watch for lighting! As we mentioned before, natural lighting is best. With a phone camera, position the light in front of the family, so the window light is shining on their face. If it’s dark, try to light the room from in front of your subjects. Watch that the light isn’t directly above them, or you may notice that it’s hard to see peoples eyes due to the shadow casted by their eyebrows.

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