The holiday season is fast approaching, and for many this means it’s time to take a digital photo of the family to send out in the yearly holiday card. Doing something interesting and uncommon can make your cards more intriguing, but you can’t beat the traditional family portrait. The same rules for conventional digital photography tend to apply, but you also have to account for the difficulties created by trying to get everyone in the family into the shot.



You should probably think about the timing of your photos, whether you want a theme, and how you’ll get a “good” photo. You can take great holiday family photos to send out with the yearly card, year after year, without worrying too much about these details. But if you don’t have the time to waste an afternoon without getting anything, you probably need to invest some time and forethought so you aren’t just shooting blind.

First, decide if you want a recurring theme in your yearly family photo. Many choose to shoot their family photo in the same location every year, or to wear similar clothes every year, which is not necessary, but it helps to give your photo a unique and identifiable element that people will recognize. It’s easy to do and also means that after a number of years you’ll be able to put together an album of just those photos that will show how the family has grown and changed.

The next hurdle is getting everyone in the family ready and in position at the location for the photo. The easiest way to do this is to pay a professional photographer to direct the action and take the photos. If you want to do it yourself, you need a decent camera with a timer, a tripod, and some patience and experience. You don’t have to get too creative with your shot composition or anything like that. You just want soft, even lighting that makes everyone’s faces clear but doesn’t create harsh shadows. You should hone the skills necessary to do this before you get behind the camera with your family waiting, as it’s not immediately obvious how to use natural lighting and maybe a bit of cheating with bounce cards to create the right light.

Once you have the framing and lighting right, you just need to set up the timer and take several photos. This is important because especially with children, the odds that everyone will be smiling and looking at the camera at the same time are slim. If you have a camera that can snap several shots with each timer, this makes it much easier. Regardless, take the time to reposition everyone, let them relax for a minute, and then shoot again. The more photos you get, the better your chances of finding one you like that seems both happy and natural.



On the other hand, just picking a great photo from a family vacation or trip is completely reasonable. If that’s the easiest way to get a shot of the whole family having fun together and being natural, there’s nothing wrong with this route. The important thing is to be sure it’s a digital photo you will be happy with sending to all your friends and family, because you’re the one interested in investing the time and effort to make it happen.