5 Tips to Help You Take Great Holiday Photos

Are you preparing for your annual Christmas photos or taking holiday photos for the first time? Here are 5 tips to help you take great holiday photos.

With the holiday season finally here, you might be planning a holiday photo shoot with your family or friends. Even if you aren’t sending out Christmas cards, the holiday season is still a great time to capture memories.

Here are 5 tips to help you take great holiday photos:

Choose a location

If you live in a cold, wet climate like Western Washington, I recommend booking an indoor location for your holiday photos. My top studio pick for holiday photos is IamCreativeSpace in Tacoma, WA. There three large rooms and plenty of backdrops to take holiday photos for your friends and family. Each room ranges from $120-$150 an hour and you can book online using their website or by sending them a direct message on Instagram. This is where we took our holiday photos this year.

If you want to take outdoor photos with your friends and family, I recommend checking out a Christmas tree farm or local farms around the area. I would also recommend checking out the State and National Parks in Washington State. I’ve seen families take photos in Snoqualmie Pass for snow photos as well as city parks like Discovery Park in Seattle.

Plan your outfits ahead of time

One way to ensure your holiday photos go smoothly is to plan your outfits ahead of time. Whether you want to dress up in a holiday dress, wear Christmas pajamas, or wear a nice holiday sweater, planning your holiday and Christmas outfits ahead of time will reduce stress. If you aren’t sure what to wear for your holiday photo shoot, I recommend:

• Go to Pinterest for inspiration. You can search “holiday outfit ideas” or “winter outfit ideas”.
• Head to your favorite Instagram influencer or TikTokers page to see Christmas outfit or holiday outfit ideas.
• Browse through Rent the Runway for holiday outfit inspiration.

Another tip I have around wardrobe is to wear something you’re confident in. If you don’t feel confident in the clothes, your discomfort will show up in photos. It’s better to feel confident and comfortable, especially if you don’t take photos all the time.

If you can, I would try on your holiday outfit before you head to the photo shoot. That way you can figure out if you want to switch out pants to a skirt or switch your heeled boots to a pair of sneakers. Or if you feel comfortable in a jumpsuit and a blazer.

Practice your poses and your smile in front of the mirror.

While it might seem funny at first to practice your poses in front of a mirror, it’s really helpful to see how you’re posing before you get in front of a camera. I would practice:

• Smiling
• Putting your hand your hip
• Holding a present up
• And more!

I recommend checking out Holiday Posing Ideas for Your Holiday Photos if you’re looking for tips on how to pose for those holiday photos.

Have fun!

If you don’t take photos often, it might feel uncomfortable at first getting in front of the camera. Remember that these photos are for you to keep and potentially share with your family and friends. It’s okay to have fun! If you’re feeling uncomfortable heading into the photo shoot, ask your photographer if you can play light music in the background.

What other tips do you have to help others take great holiday photos?

Thank you for reading!

Love,

Emma