Christmas Prep Guide
in home sessions
PREPPING YOUR HOME:
The first thing to think about is the placement of your tree. Most important is light - find the biggest window in your home and set up your tree next to the window (don't place it right in front or it will block the light). It may be your living room, or it may be next to a big patio door. It might not be the spot you usually set up your Christmas tree.
Decorating your tree: My number one tip here is to use stands of WHITE lights and lots of them. Colour lights casts on your skin, clothing and hair that are different in every image. It's not ideal and can make the images look wonky. White lights are clean, bright and classic. Using white will ensure your images have lighting that is crisp, clean and true to life. Be sure to add extra strands of lights to your tree. You can never have enough. A well lit tree looks so much better in photos, so run to Canadian Tire and by 10 extra strands.
The next important thing is timing - when does that window get the most light coming in? If the window is on the east side, it's probably morning (10am) and if the window faces west, we are best to schedule the session for early afternoon (1pm).
I'll capture some formal portraits (everyone looking at the camera) and some casual, lifestyle photos of your family interacting together near the Christmas tree. Little ones can point out their favourite ornament, hold their Christmas stocking, you can read them a Christmas book, or wrap or open a present together to get those casual, "day-in-the-life" images.
Another idea for an activity is to decorate cookies or play a game.
WHAT TO WEAR:
Photos look best with everyone in bare feet (no socks) so try to remove them before I arrive.
Coordinate using a complimentary colour scheme, but don’t dress everyone matching.
Embrace seasonal colours - the holiday season has rich colours like deep greens, warm reds. Draw inspiration from these shades but don’t feel like you need to dress in green and red. Your Christmas tree will have plenty of holiday colours. Neutrals and metallics like gold and silver are a sophisticated option and even cream and navy together can still be festive without screaming over-the-top Christmas.
Suggestions on coordinating colour palettes:
Red and green: the classic Christmas colours, timeless and elegant.
Navy blue and white: crisp and modern with a touch of holiday cheer.
Burgundy and emerald green: these warm shades complement each other beautifully
Grey and mustard yellow or gold: mixing muted tones with a pop of warm yellow colour will make your outfits stand out
Black, white, pops of red/green/blue: pick any combination from these bright hues for an eye-catching palette that will turn heads this holiday season.
Metallics with neutrals - gold, silver, creams, whites all together is very classy looking
All neutrals - stick with a mixture of creams, white, browns and greys to let the other festive elements in your photos pop while your family looks classic and timeless
Add a festive touch - this doesn’t mean a full Santa suit or Elf costume, unless that’s the fun look you want to go for ;) but simple holiday prints or having everyone put on a Santa hat for a couple light-hearted photos works.
Tips for mixing patterns and textures
Some families choose to do part of the session in Christmas pyjamas. This is the only time I’ll agree with everyone matching. It’s kind of fun to have everyone snuggling together in pjs, similar to what Christmas morning probably looks like in your home.
Lastly, if you are choosing to do some of your photos in a non-Christmas theme so that you can hang portraits up on your walls year-round, make sure your family has an alternative outfit that isn’t holiday-themed.
Check out my PINTEREST BOARD for some visual inspiration.
THINGS I CAN BRING:
Here are some items I have in my studio that I can bring along if you need extra support:
If you'd like any of the above, just let me know the day before our session. :)
final notes
Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. It is my pleasure to photograph your family and I look forward to the fun we will have!
Thanks for taking the time to prepare for your session.
I look forward to our time together. I will be in touch a couple days before our session with any last minute details.
