Family photos- Worth the hassle

It’s that time of year again, time to gather the whole family in somewhat coordinating outfits and barter with everyone to smile for the camera. Family photos are my families favorite… I’m pretty sure said no one ever.

I get it. I’ve been there many, many times. Family photos are a lot of effort. Between picking a color theme that everyone agrees on, to figuring out a location, to getting a photographer, it’s a lot, but I can certainly say it is worth the effort. Every year our family gets together to take the photo that we will send out for the Christmas card. Not only does this get a photo done for the card, but it gives us a proper photo that records a moment in time that I will treasure for years to come.



It does it check off the box of Christmas card photo and the photo that I will frame in our home, but my favorite thing to do with our family photo is to frame it in a silver frame and add it to our Christmas tree. This is a tradition I started when my husband and I were married . I can’t believe we have 22 frames on the tree to look back at how much are family has grown over the years.



OK so back to tips and tricks on what I have learned from gathering the family and family photos…

First off, plan ahead! Similar to buying Christmas presents, we know that we will be sending out cards the beginning of December. Don’t wait until mid November to take your photo. You could even do it months in advance to get it off your plate and have that box checked. We are in a time in our life now when not all of our kids even live at home. Family photos have to be planned while our daughter is visiting from college.

OK, now let’s look at step one planning the photo...

In advance I come up with two color themes that I plan to work with. Why two? Because someone always has a problem and therefore if need be we have a back up without going into full meltdown mode. Gone are the days of a white T-shirt and jeans on the beach. Now photos are coordinated but not to matchy matchy. When your kids are little, this is relatively easy as they are going to wear whatever you pick out anyways. The tricky part comes in when they become teenagers, not to mention for me having four of them.

Here is an example of what I do to layout our outfits in advance to give everyone a game plan of what I’m looking for. I shop from our closets. No, we don't need to all go out and buy all new outfits. We're at the point where we have plenty of clothes to start and if we need to add something, at least we have a starting point.

I use a rolling rack to hang the clothes once they are ironed, but laying them out on the bed works. I will say though, I use my rolling rack so much so it certainly is worth having one.

Here's a quick link for my go to inexpensive rolling rack:

This process has certainly become less strict as my daughters have gotten older, but at the same time they know that my husband and I do have expectations for them to coordinate and not show too much skin.

OK so step one was outfits. Let’s move onto step two.

Step 2: Hiring a photographer.



Everyones budget is different and that applies to family photos. Hiring a real professional photographer will give you some pretty amazing photos. If you can swing it, I’d say do it. If you can’t though with digital technology being so amazing, you can still get a great photo without breaking the bank.

Another option I have used is to have a friend take our photo, and then I return the favor and take their photo. This works with the help of some editing on the phone and a good filter. This certainly is a doable option if Free is the budget you’re working with.

My most used option is to get someone that does this as a side gig. I have a wonderful friend from our church who does this as a fun side gig and I am happy to pay her for her time and her efforts to do this. She has a great eye and uses a great camera. Not only has it been less expensive than a professional photographer that is relying on this as their sole income, but in our own family it has worked very well because she knows our kids and knows our family so well so the smile that she gets out of them is fantastic. My kids don’t want to be rude and give the sass. She knows what to say to get them to do their thing. Yes, this is the middle ground option that I tend to go with the most. As much as I would love to go the full professional route each year, in my home it’s just not in the budget plus her photos are so so good! We are certainly very grateful that we know such a taleted lady!



Step 3: Location

Being here and sunny Southern California, yes, we do have the beach. However, it’s just not the photo we want to do year after year. I really do like adding architectural elements to bring interest to the photo. We have done field photos and all the typical locations and they have turned out great. I think the biggest factor when looking at where to take the photo is the amount of ease that will go in to getting there. Obviously I’m not talking about just staying home. There is a little effort. However, if you don’t make your family walk a mile to a certain location and you don’t make your photographer drive a far distance for that perfect backdrop, it seems like the photos turn out more comfortable and natural.

For a family photo this year, I told my friend to pick a location that is convenient for her as she was doing us the favor of taking our photo. I simply let her know that I just wanted some thing with some cool architecture in the background. She chose a church that was right around the corner from her house that was modern and had some cool architectural elements.

The point… you don’t have to stress out about the location, the photo is about you guys anyway. Backgrounds get blurred and long as they offer some thing pretty with good lighting and go along with your theme. I think it’s much more important for the subjects to be happy and everyone not being grumpy.

Now you’ve picked the outfits, you’ve picked a location, you pick the photographer and before you actually take the photos I think the biggest tip is that your family is fed. This is absolutely the biggest step that I have learned from doing this so many times. Feed your family and bring snacks. You don’t want the hangry photo. Trust me from my mistakes. It’s a bad lesson to learn.

Step 4: Ordering the Holiday Card

OK so now let’s fast forward. Do you have your photo? The next thing, if you do participate in the Christmas card exchange is to order that card. There’s some pretty great holiday card companies out there, but pre-warning they are expensive. I send out so many cards that paying $2.25 per card and then slapping a $.55 stamp isn’t going to happen.

Hint: Buy a pre-done template

What I have done to keep my cards pretty, but without breaking the bank is all thanks to this site… Etsy. Etsy has downloadable Christmas cards that you can purchase and then simply upload your photo and send it off to a printer. Typically they are around seven or eight dollars for a template and they look just like what you would order on a more expensive card printing site. Just head over to Etsy and type in "downloadable photo holiday card". Get ready to have so many options. Typically I will click on a sellers site that has the style I like and see what else they have to offer.



Step 5: Ordering the printing of the Card

Simply download the template, insert your photo, save it as a JPG or PDF and now you’re ready to send it to print. I have printed through Staples the last couple of years. Not only do they print two sided on card stock and provide the envelopes, they are very, very in-expensive. I typically pay about a dollar a card. That is including postage.

Some tips for ordering your cards through Staples or another printer. Look on sites such as Groupon or LivingSocial for an even bigger savings. They very often have a coupon for purchase for 100 cards including envelopes. If you want a double sided print, there is an option to add that on for very little.

Step 6: Printable address labels and return label

Now you need to send the photo, but there’s so many people to send it to. My biggest tip for this is you need to get your digital address list. There’s apps that you can use, but I use an Excel spreadsheet. I have everyone’s address that I check and make sure they haven’t moved and then I simply print the label on an Avery sticky address label and slap it on the envelope. Not only is this great for a Christmas cards, but I keep a copy printed in case I do need someone’s address for another occasion. Over the years, I have started adding them to my phone, but the point is to have somewhere a digital address system that you can print labels from.

Here’s a link to the labels that you can order that are so easy to print on and slap onto your envelope…

I also strongly suggest you buy your own return label stamp. These can be ordered through Amazon and the one I linked is only $14.99 and has free shipping with Prime. Buying your own custom pre-inked stamp saves you so much time, looks cute and honestly they last for years. Well worth the under $20 investment.

Here's the link to the $14.99 Custom Return Stamp:

OK and that’s it. My tips and tricks on how to get your family to participate in the annual family photo. It’s a hassle I know, but it is well worth the reward. I might’ve been there, I certainly might know that.

Xo,

Mama