It’s the time of year… well, maybe too soon for Christmas music, but if you want to send a personalised Christmas card, it is the right time to get snapping. So here’s some tips on how to photograph a personal Christmas card.
What do you want on the card?
Is this a family shot? Just the children? Do you want it smart and formal, or fun and festive, or maybe you just want to show off your Christmas baking?
Find your light
It’s dark for so much of the day at the moment, you will need to try and use a high point of the day which if the children are in school means you need to plan to do this at the weekend. Of course outside is best, but if you are shooting indoors, position your subject near the window.
Embrace the Sparkle
Everyone loves a Christmas tree sparkling in the background. If you are using an SLR camera, then if you use a shallow focus, you will get that lovely bokeh blur in the background. I usually take my f-stop down to it’s lowest to create as much blur as possible.
Get the pets involved
If you don’t have children or yours have grown out of wanting to be involved in a family portrait, then send the love through your lovable pets.
Set a stage
If you haven't got a Christmas tree up, snow on the ground or any theming, create a background or use some props. This particular design was drawn on a blackboard wall and the children loved being involved in the drawing of the Nordic Tree
If you have run out of time
Find a family photo from the Summer and switch it to Black and white.
There are loads of sites that have pre-designed cards. You can scroll through all the designs and choose the one that suits your photo best. I have frequently used companies such as Photobox, Snapfish and Vistaprint for ease and cost saving, but if you want premium quality then find a local printer.
So get your camera and create something personal to send some cheer this Christmas.