More Holiday Card Photo Tips from the Pros

Do you know Laura Black from Laura Black Photography? This mommy to three (an adorable preschooler and twins on the way!) takes amazing photographs of children all over the Charm City area. She also does frequent free (yes, we said free) mini-sessions at Wee Chic - A Baby Boutique. We joined Laura for her last Wee Chic mini-session of 2010 and LOVE how she captured the Bug! The photo on the left is a Bug shot that Laura shared on her blog a few weeks ago...

Laura was kind enough to share some tips for capturing your kiddos this holiday season for the famous annual family holiday card. Budding shutterbugs, enjoy! Want more tips? Check out tips from some of Baltimore's other favorite photographers.

Thoughts from the pro...

Plan for the best time of day for your kids. The most difficult part of getting a good holiday picture is cooperation, picking a time of day where you think you have the most chance of success always makes things easier. If you have a variety of ages in your house go by the youngest ones schedule since the older ones are more likely to be reasoned with or bribed.

Start with your favorite look or location. The best shots are usually the ones you take in the first part of any session. The longer you are taking pictures the less interested most kids become especially as a group. If the holiday outfits are you favorite or the fireplace in the living room has the best view, start there, then go on to other options once you have what you wanted. Also keep in mind if you have already chosen a card whether the images you need are horizontal or vertical.

Take some picture of the space you want to use before including the kids. Even the most basic of digital cameras now have dozens of setting on them where you can press one button and choose a special setting for portraits, indoor light, or wide angle etc. Take a couple of shots of the couch with a teddy bear on it or a blanket under the tree and see exactly what settings work best for you. That way you are ready when the kids are there and can shoot away.

Thanks for sharing, Laura!

(cool) tip: Wanna get in on the next freebie mini-session at Wee Chic? Like Wee Chic on Facebook to get the inside scoop!