Hire a Local Christmas Card Photographer for a Professional Holiday Photoshoot

The start of Fall means cool fresh air, a change of wardrobe, seasonal beverages, and family gatherings. It’s also time to start thinking about the holidays! Christmas card photography may be a bit traditional, but we love photo traditions because they are a way to see the family grow and change every year. It’s also the one chance you have to get everyone together in one photo!

We asked our professional Christmas Card photographers for their favorite tips and creative holiday card photo ideas. Whether it’s ideas for Christmas Card poses, how to dress a large family, or even how to keep kids from going rogue and give a genuine smile, these insights from family photographers will have everyone looking their best.

If you are interested in hiring a professional Christmas card photographer in your area, make sure to check out all our photography packages and prices below.

Hire a Professional Christmas Card Photographer

Take advantage of your family vacation for professional Christmas card photography in a beautiful setting. If you travel as a family for vacation during the holidays, a Christmas Card photoshoot is also a great way to remember your yearly tradition. We have professional Christmas Card photographers in over 200 cities! If you are interested, check out our photography packages below.

How to prepare for family Christmas Card photography?

We’ve got the ultimate guide and tips for family photos.

How much is does a Christmas Card photographer cost?

Prices vary by city! Find your city and scroll to see the pricing table. 30-minute mini sessions are as low as $200!

How are my photos delivered?

You’ll get a link to your online gallery in your email. Everything about your mini photo session is contact-free!

Family Christmas Card Photoshoot Ideas

What setting do you envision for your holiday card photo ideas? Is it in a studio with tons of props, from the comfort of your home, in a nearby park, or while you are on a family vacation? Having the photo spot in mind will help you when deciding whether to hire a Christmas Card photographer.

Whether you stage a family portrait every year, come up with fun family Christmas card photoshoot ideas, or put together a collage of the year’s memories, sharing these moments with your friends and loved ones during the holidays is a great way to add warmth during a chilly season.

Do Something Active in Your Christmas Card Photo

Add some action to your family Christmas card. Forgo the formal, standard family Christmas Card photography and capture you doing something together. You can bake something sweet, decorate the Christmas tree, make a snowman, pick out a Christmas tree, or light a menorah to capture more active Christmas moments.

Let Kids Be Kids!

Go easy on the kids! Don’t pressure them to be perfect. Children absolutely sense the tension and will turn on you because they are uncomfortable. Let them be kids! Capturing your family candidly and organically is what every professional Christmas Card photographer strives for — but kids are unpredictable so maybe keep some snacks or candies handy. A good trick for handling children in Christmas card photos is to give them a job! Have them hold an ornament, or focus on holding a coin in their hands. It’s a great trick to keep them still for a few moments!

Stay Home

Sometimes you don’t have to go far! Arrange the living room in a fun way, set up a camera, or get a Christmas Card photographer who is experienced with at-home mini sessions to capture your family in their natural habitat. You’ll be extra comfortable and you’ll get to remember how your home looked in the years to come.

Christmas Photoshoot Poses

Some families need to be posed, but if you want to capture the heart of what makes your family YOUR family, hire a Christmas Card photographer to capture some candid family moments. Dance, play, laugh, kiss – have F-U-N! You can then arrange the photos in a collage on your family Christmas card and enjoy the photos for years to come.

Family Poses for Christmas Pictures

• If you are camera shy, why not feature just the shoes or hands, instead of a full body shot. Add Christmas lights, ornaments or even real or fake snow around the feet to add the Christmas feel.
• Have fun being yourselves and pose with or doing something that represents your family, that may not be within the Christmas theme. Perhaps you are big football fans or love dancing. A fun action shot is also great on a holiday card.
• Get your pet involved. Everyone loves a cute Christmas card, so get your furry friend in the shot with you. There are some great holiday outfits for pets out there if you would like to make the pose more festive.
• Try to get everyone’s faces on the same level. Pick up small kids or sit together on a blanket. This way you can capture a grand family portrait as well as cozy intimate family moments. You want to create a sense of balance, so mix the heights during your Christmas mini session so it doesn’t look too unnatural.
• Snuggle together, and take tight shots – focus on the family. If you try to capture the whole room or the entire Christmas tree, the kids’ faces will be too small. Get down and get in closer,  be more intimate, and the kids will be the focus. You and your family should take up at least 60% of the frame, preferably 75%.

Christmas Card Poses for Couples

Posing as a couple can sometimes be awkward, even when you have known them for years. Once that camera is pointed at you, the feeling of being relaxed disappears. Some of the most effective poses for a Christmas card are often the least staged. Why not try;

• Stand up, facing your partner in a hug. Chat like no one is watching, and let your photographer work their magic. Alternate looking at your partner and then the camera, and don’t be afraid to laugh. Your photographer will get that magic shot when you least expect it.
• Act like kids. Decorate the tree. Pretend to open gifts. Have a snowball fight. While not exactly posing, you will find that by doing a fun activity, natural poses with your other half will happen, and they certainly won’t look awkward.

Holiday Card Outfit Ideas

It is best to start thinking about the type of photoshoot you want before you book your photographer. Do you want a nice posed shot or do you want fun, silly and spontaneous? Scroll through Pinterest for some fun and creative ideas if you are looking for some photo ideas.

Snuggle up and get cozy in your pajamas! Add warmth to your photo with your coziest pajamas or onesies, snuggle under a blanket, and even pour yourselves a hot chocolate. After all, this is one of the reasons we love the holidays.

Coordinate your colors and materials. While you don’t all need to wear the same outfit, sticking to a color palette can really make a photo pop. If you want to avoid traditional Christmas colors, try tan or light brown, with navy blue and white. Having your outfits in similar colors while also mixing the fabrics and styles e.g denim and linen, pants, and flowy dresses, your photo will be brought to a new dimension.

We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again – don’t go matchy-matchy (well….Christmas pajamas are an exception). There’s a rule in fashion that you can mix patterns as much as you want as long as the colors work. Plaid, stripes, polka-dots are all fair game as long as the colors go together. Professionals suggest children wear items that pop like buffalo plaid and bolder colors. Moms and dads can compliment the kids with black, navy, cream, etc. Everyone should have a pop of the chosen color. For example, if Mom is in a red dress, hubby can wear a red tie, and children can wear red plaid. Also – loosen up! Wear something comfortable and not to stiff. Silly sweaters, antlers, hats, or New Year’s glasses are just what your Christmas card needs.

Get out the silly pajamas, strings of lights, champagne, and anything else festive you have around the house! Make it a party.