Can I tell you a secret?

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2021 so far….

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4818 fully edited family and newborn photos.

15,951 fully edited school photos.

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and…..

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Less than 200 photos of my own family. (The last one being on Halloween. 😬)

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Other years, I’ve had 10 times that amount.🙈

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A tween in the house. Working more than full time. Zero desire to pick up the camera at the end of the day. No time to edit. 11 episodes of Love At First Sight Brazil that are begging to be consumed. I could go on and on, but the reality of the situation is that work took over this year and my kids became the last ones in front of my lens.

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I’m done beating myself up about it (although, I’m very good at beating myself up!), and am ready to dive into December and document our 25 Days of Christmas activities. One special activity each day of the month, that I’m going to photograph and then put together into a video.

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As I pep talk myself on how to do this without losing my sanity, I thought I’d pass a long a few tips for you too.

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As if the holiday season ins’t stressful enough, let’s not toss ‘getting-the-most-perfect-picture-ever-that’ll-amaze-the-instagram-masses-and-show-that-I-have-my-shit-together’ on top if it all, ok?

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Here they are: my top 7 tips for no-fuss awesome holiday photos.

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1.You don’t need a photo of every single present being opened. Know ahead of time the big presents that you know you’re going to want to catch the reaction for, and then for the rest of the presents sit back and be a part of the moment.

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2. Capture the details as well as the big picture. The Christmas cards, treats, kids’ crafts, the wrapping paper mess on Christmas morning, the decorations, etc. In the years to come, it’s often the little details that we miss the most.

3. If you’re photographing at night (is there anything BUT night in December?) make sure to tap your phone to set the exposure for what you want to see. Outside with lights? That’ll mean tapping to expose for the lights, fire, street-lamps, etc. Inside and things are looking too dark? Make sure to tap on your subject (who cares if it’s grainy? this is about the moment, not the perfectly exposed photo).

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4. Getting overhead can help show what your kids are doing. That bird’s eye view will show how they hold their pencil while writing to Santa, how they spray the whipped cream onto snowman pancakes and how they maneuver the paper while cutting out snowflakes.

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5. Don’t forget about the people who aren’t there. Although I’m sure more of us are gathering than last year, if you’re video chatting with family and friends on the big day, make sure to snap a photo of them on the screen. Even though it was just a year later, I look back on my photos from last Christmas and can hardly believed we lived through it without seeing another soul on Christmas day.

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6. Look for fun reflections. One of the best parts of being out at night and all the twinkling lights is that they make amazing reflections that can make a regular photo into something special. Including reflections from windows, marble countertops, ipad screens and TVs that are off can take a snapshot into a beautifully documented memory.

7. Lastly (and, no, you can’t hate me for this!), YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE PHOTOS TOO. You bought the presents, you wrapped them, you made the damn advent calendars, you cooked the dinner and you trimmed the tree. Show your kids you were there – through all of it. It’s ok if it’s not perfect, it’s ok to hand your phone off and ask someone else to snap away and it’s ok to demand that your whole family stops for a selfie.

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Ok, now you can start the holiday traditions.

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Enjoy.

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