Holiday photos aren't a snap

By Staff
Michelle Blaylock, Mom's Corner
Hello! This week I have a riddle for you. What do you get when you cross a family of eight with four dogs and a camera? First you're probably thinking, "Why on earth would you want to?" Well, the family of eight is myself, my husband and all six of our children. Our dogs are a part of our family and we try to include them in things like pictures for Christmas cards. What's the answer to the riddle? If you're lucky you get one picture taken in less than two hours, one that you can use in your Christmas cards! Even with our digital camera there are times I really feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. However, over the years I have discovered a few strategies that help.
Although it's so much fun to dress everyone up in their best clothes and even have them all "match," it can be more trouble than it's worth. I used to make matching outfits for the kids, but as they got older I soon discovered they didn't enjoy this as much as I did. Therefore, now I just aim not to have them clash with each other. You're not going to get a good picture if the kids hate what they're wearing. They'll be irritable and it will show in their faces and body language. So my first rule now is let the kids be as comfortable as possible. Nice shirts and jeans will make a very cute casual picture. However, if your really wanting that special portrait, then try to pick out several outfits you can live with and then let the child make the final choice. They will be happier if they have some say in the matter.
The next question is: What do you do when you have a child that just hates to have his picture taken? Well, I use positive reinforcement — better known as bribery. No, seriously. I take the approach that the picture is really for me (mostly to show off my family) if the children will work with me I'll treat them to something little they want. They know this isn't going to happen every time I tell them to do something, but I figure pictures for things like holiday cards are kind of special. One year when we lived in Kentucky I made a deal that if they all dressed up and did what I wanted then I would take them out to McDonald's for ice cream and some play time in the play station.
Location, location, location. Where to take the picture? Well, of course, if your working with a professional photographer you don't have a problem because they have sets ready. They also have an "eye" for a great background. As for us amateurs, we have to work a little harder. Here's what works for me:
I try to get a fairly close shot so that I don't have to worry about much background showing in the first place. Also, if your photographing small children you need to make sure you're down on their level. Otherwise your picture will have a distorted appearance.
If I am going to try to show some background, I look at it through the camera lens first without people in the picture. That way I can look at only the background and look for things that I don't want to show. For example, I was taking pictures of one of my daughters and I wanted to place her on our outside steps. Great in theory, but when I looked at the background, I saw that a really ugly outside water faucet would be right next to her. I still took the shot, but from a different angle to leave out the faucet. There are also some great editing programs that give you multitudes of options for "cropping" or cutting the pictures to have the look you want.
Just because you've carefully checked the background doesn't mean that you're home free. One year at Christmas, I sat the kids in front of the Christmas tree. It looked wonderful when I checked it without the kids. However, once I put the kids in the picture we developed a problem. The way a couple of the branches where placed made it look like one of my daughters had horns on her head!
If you've got several people or children in the picture make sure there's room for everyone and they're not too crowded. They need to be close, but too close is not good. Speaking from experience. I wanted to get this really cute picture in front of a sign when we were on vacation with friends. Altogether we had seven children ages 3 to 14. I initially tried to fit all of them into one picture. The result? Let's just say we ended up doing two separate groups. It worked better and was still very cute. I also try to make sure the kids are in a fairly comfortable place. If they are trying to teeter on the edge of a banister so you can get a great picture of the wreath on the wall behind them, they aren't going to look very natural in their expressions.
OK, how on earth do we get that natural expression I just mentioned? Well, I've found every photographer does it differently. My first suggestion is very obvious, don't do it when the kids are tired or hungry. Pick a time that is best for them. You'll get a better picture. As to how to get that natural smile. We usually say something silly or tell a joke. You have to find out what tickles your child(ren); and then be ready to snap the picture.
As for pictures with multiple subjects, take your time. Encourage the older children to hold still, and not pay attention to the younger ones. It's so hard for them because they want to help and they want to hurry and get the chore done. I tell mine the best help they can give me is to make sure they are ready when I get the little one to smile. This is where digital cameras are so nice. You know immediately if your picture is satisfactory. As for digital photography, I haven't gotten to play with it much, but what I have done has been so much fun. We have a good digital camera. You can change so much and fix so many boo-boos. It's great. Nevertheless, the better the original shot the easier it is to work with on the computer.
My final suggestions for pictures including children are simple. Patience and humor, especially if it's around Christmas. The kids are excited. We are usually tired and want everything to be "perfect." Well, it's probably not going to be. At least that's what I've learned to expect; that way if it does come out perfect, I've got a nice surprise. Basically, my goals are to have everyone's eyes open, have at least a pleasant expression on their face, and finally not to have anyone covering someone else's face! (That's not as easy as it sounds!) I hope these tips help you as you get ready for the holidays. If you have a tip to share please send it to: e-mail: moms-corner@juno.com.