Smilebox Blog

You want professional photos done for your holiday greetings this year, but you’re not in the market to spend a lot of money. Feel like you’re out of luck? Fear not, professional photographer Lisi Wolf, of Seattle, WA, and Smilebox have teamed up to bring you insider tips for Do-It-Yourself holiday photos to keep the strain on your wallet to a minimum and your pictures looking professional!

Read on for a few easy ways to make your photos and greetings pop this holiday season.

Family Photo Playdate

We love DIY projects, but in this case, don’t try and do it all by yourself! Borrow a photographer from another family, and in return, offer to photograph their family as well. Swapping photo shoots is a great way to maintain the quality of photos, says Lisi- you can still shoot from great angles and have an extra compositional eye on deck- without upping the cost!

On the day of the shoot, have a family photo playdate. Both families should agree upon an outdoor location, such as a local park, to be the set for your shoot. Choose a location with some natural diversity to get a variety of shots.

Make sure that the location you choose has ample shade in case it is a sunny day. During the shoot, try to avoid taking pictures into direct sunlight, and do not use water as a backdrop because it doesn’t photograph well. If it’s cloudy on the day of your shoot, don’t fret! Clouds actually diffuse light which is better for your photographs.

The Real Deal

Treat this photo shoot with friends just as you would a professional shoot. That means preparing the outfits, getting the haircuts and whatever else you want to do to get your family looking in tip top shape!

Lisi suggests to avoid wearing white and small patterns, which will make you look washed out. Also remember that the whole family doesn’t need to match! Instead of everyone wearing the same top colors, pick tones that compliment each other. Try all wearing earth tones or pastels; all you need to do is choose a theme and stick to it!

You can also enhance your photos by playing up the season with a colorful scarf or hat- just make sure that hats aren’t covering the eyes! Fun extra winter items make for great artistic elements in the composition of your photos. Remember that it’s okay to bundle up in clothes that match the season- you don’t need to freeze in order to get a great picture! Think sweaters, coats and gloves to make your pictures really read holiday.

Focus on the Face

When taking the portraits for the other family, remember that closer is always better. You don’t need to capture the family head to toe; capture the emotion in the faces and the mind can fill in the rest. According to Lisi, people are most drawn to headshot photos, so ignore the feet and focus on the face!

Keep subjects’ faces as close together as possible. Varrying the heights of of subjects so that some are kneeling and some are sitting is one way to do this. You can also experiment with different angles- like shooting from above or below.

During the shoot, also remember to get all the different dynamic varriations. Get pictures of the entire family, a couples shot, Mom and daughter, etc. If it helps, plan in advance what combinations you will want. Write them down and give a checklist to your photographer so that you won’t be surprised by something left out later.

Most of all, remember to have fun! If you are having fun during the shoot, it will show on your faces and your pictures will carry that emotion.

A Little Editing Goes a Long Way

Once you’ve loaded your photos onto your computer, use a few simple editing techniques (now even more options available inside Smilebox!) like making your photos black and white, sepia toned, or enhanced color to really make them look professional.

Then, choose a nice frame that compliments the colors embelished in your photo. For holiday greeting cards, we loveJoyful. Check it out, along with all of our other holiday greetings!