When was the last time you took a great family photo? With the holidays around the corner. This may be the only time everyone is together until… well the next holiday.
They may not be interested in taking photos, but they’ll love you for getting the group together for a pic. Use these tips to take matters into your own hands and get the family portraits you’ll all love.

Let them know

Send a text or a mass email to everyone that will be at the family gathering letting them know what your plans are. Giving them a heads up avoids the excuse that they aren’t prepared. If you have a color scheme that you’d like people to abide by when choosing what to wear, let them know.

Make it quick!

It doesn’t hurt to give them an approximate amount of time you expect the photo shoot to last. I like to promise my fam no more than 15 minutes or promise to shoot no more than 3 poses – especially if you have young children involved.

Be prepared

Since you plan on keeping it short, you have got to be prepared. Get to know your camera, learn how to use the self-timer and practice (ahead of time) using manual mode instead of auto! This takes practice, but the photos will look a lot better if you take the time to learn how to use your equipment. The holidays will be jam packed with things to do. Try to be ready with the tripod and the location in advance to avoid frustration. Make it as easy as possible for people to get to the location you’ve chosen and give you a real smile. The living room or backyard is easy and painless.

Use gadgets 

Tripod’s can be cumbersome, but they are your friend when taking your own family photos. I used one for my family photos and I’m glad I did! I would also suggest setting up the self-timer or using a remote that way you can get in the photo too!

Share the  photos asap

Once you’ve taken the time to get your family together, and get a few photos, try to distribute them quickly. I suggest printing them out, but if you don’t plan on printing, then send the photos to your family using DropBox. Once uploaded you’ll be able to send the link to your family via email or text really quickly. Here’s my referral link to for Dropbox: click here to sign up!

Although these tips may help you around the holidays, don’t be afraid to gather everyone together throughout the year.

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