Family Photo Day! - Sponsored by Shutterfly

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It's that time of year again, all the Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles are going to be checking there mail soon for those Christmas Cards. Every year I do a dreaded search through my pictures, trying to find the perfect ones to put in the cards. Last year it took me over an hour to decide what photo's where going into the Grandparents simple Photo Books. So this year I am going to try to make it simple. Key word... "Try".

It will be the same this this year, I am going to drag the kids out of bed and we are going to try to have a successful family photo day. Good luck right? Every time I try to get the kids together, we end up with an elbow in the rib and someone with a black eye or pink hair. Seriously. My family does  not do photos well. This is why I simply gave up on taking them. I just sit around and wait patiently for school picture day to come along so I have at least one good picture a year.

I suppose I am just in the Christmas spirit, but this year I demand change. We will have a good, no GREAT family photo.

Here are some tips and tricks I picked up along the way. Most of them are don'ts, but you are welcome to learn from my mistakes.



1. Make a day of it! No one wants to sit down in some musty photo shop and pose stiffly. Go to your favorite beach or park. This way you have an amazing back drop and can just have fun.

2. Invite another family. To cut cost of hiring a professional photographer, invite a second family. Let them take pictures of you, and you take pictures of them. This way, no one is missing from the pictures.


3. Try to cut out the wobble. If you decide to film, rest your elbows on your hips while holding the camera. This will cut down on the wobbly camera effect. 


4. Video, Video, Video.  Also, if you are filming, find a software that allows you to pause and take a picture. This way, if you film for an hour, you may just get the ultimate photo or be able to capture a silly moment in a picture. 


5. Let the kids get involved. Let them pick poses or take a few pictures by themselves. Even if silly faces are involved, it is there day too. 


6. Keep it simple. Coordinate, but don't match. 


7. Be CAREFUL with color. Don't have someone else wear a color you don't look good in. Try simple colors like black and white or beige. If you are standing next to them, it will wash you out as if you are wearing it. 


8. Get close. REALLY close. Take pictures of faces. That is what everyone really wants to see. 


9. Be silly and have fun. You want this to be something that your children will want to do again. If you become Sergeant Mom, they will dread the next family photo day. 



What are some of your tips and tricks? Did you have a terrible photo experience? We all learn from each other, so let me know!

This is a post sponsored by Shutterfly. All opinions expressed are my own.