It’s the most wonderful time of the year! But with that time can also come stress. Where are you spending your holiday? Are you cooking or ordering takeout? What about those all important family photos? I didn’t realize how many choice we have to make during the holiday season, until I actually say down to write this post. While I don’t have answers for all of those questions, I can help with one of the most stressful events of the season: family Christmas photos.
Family Christmas Photo Ideas
Every year, we struggle to get ourselves together and figure out family photos. When are we going to take them? Where are we going to take them? What are we going to wear? The struggle is real, my friends. I know you know what I mean! Using a photography service, like Portrait Innovations, is a great way to solve all those problems in one stop.
What to Expect at Portrait Innovations
My mom really wanted to take generational photos with my girls this year, and I was excited to check out what Portrait Innovations had available to us during the holiday season. We took generational photos with them a few years ago, so we knew how the process worked, but we were still eager to see what they had available as far as holiday props and backgrounds went. Once you locate your local Portrait Innovations, you’ll want to schedule an appointment. We had to go with a Sunday afternoon appointment for a lot of reasons, but, if you can, I would suggest a weekday appointment. Our appointment time was a bustle of activity, but I imagine weekday appointments are a little slower.
Photography Session Process
Regardless of the studio’s business, from arrival to exit, the entire process only took 2 hours. I appreciated how efficiently our photographer ran our session! When the session begins, the photographer will take several photos in a variety of poses on 2-3 backgrounds. Feel free to request your own poses! We asked for my girls to do some solo, together, alone with me, and alone with my mom. I know we will treasure the individual photos just as much as the group ones.
Tips for What to Wear
During the holiday season, Portrait Innovations will offer a variety of Christmas or general holiday themed props and backgrounds. Families can choose to wear traditional colors or not. It’s completely up to you. I would highly suggest at least one change of clothes to mix it up. Take advantage of the seasonal colors, but also consider something non-traditional that you could display in your home year round. Our second outfits were somewhat Christmas-y, but not so much that it was over the top. Do consider how patterns will mix (or not mix) together. Solids are always a great option if you’re unsure.
Photo Purchasing Tips
After the session, photos will be immediately available for viewing (gotta love technology!). This is the hardest part of the session for me, personally. There are usually so many good photos to choose from, and, if you’re not careful, you could end up spending a ton on photos.Right now, the special Holiday Offer is 42 portraits which includes 1-10×13, 2-8x10s, 4-5x7s, 4-3x5s, 16-2x3s, 5-5×7 Cards, 10 Portrait Gift Tags for $29.99. A high resolution CD of the images and a copyright release of the portrait package is also included!
BONUS GIFT! With the 42 portrait package purchase, there is also a choice of a 16×20 Gallery Canvas OR an 11 oz photo mug and 2 Ornaments.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Portrait Innovations is a great option for family Christmas photos. Their sessions are affordable, and their indoor studios make taking photos convenient no matter the time of day or what the weather is like outside.If you haven’t chosen a photographer for this year’s family Christmas photos, maybe it’s time to give Portrait Innovations a try!