It’s beginning to look like Christmas around here! As we speak we are getting hit with a winter storm so today, I am feeling those Christmas vibes! We were able to take some family Christmas photos this weekend and I will let you in on a little secret, every year I’ve done them myself. I know they aren’t the most amazing, but for free, I’m loving it!
I have a Sony a6000 camera – I purchased it after our honeymoon and was advised by the sales associate that it takes great quality pics, is very portable and acts as a DSLR camera. Now, would I love a DSLR camera, YES, but this was what I decided to purchase 5 years ago, so we are making it work!
Outfit Coordination
Audrey and I led the charge here! She had an adorable grey poncho with brown fur so we decided to check everyone’s closet to see if we could pull off the grey and cognac brown coordination. We pulled out all the clothes that would work from everyone’s closet then laid it out! No new clothing needed!
I tried to avoid being too matchy, matchy and threw in some different shades of grey and tied the cognac brown in different ways – shoes, fur on Audrey’s poncho and checks in hubby’s shirt.
Below is our picture from last year – plaids, solids and differing colors not all one big blob of burgundy 🙂
Understand your Camera
It is extremely important to test out your camera beforehand. Have your husband or your kids stand in as a model – it could be in your backyard or wherever, just a little session to get comfortable with understanding your camera and learning what adjustments are needed to be made. The settings were then saved and I was able to get going!
For example: I used the self timer option (10 seconds so I could get in position) and changed the interval timer settings to 5 shots each second. This makes captures everything in sequence and saves you from running back and forth in fear someone was blinking – less likely this way! I also set my shutter speed to the lowest possible – they say a minimum of 1/125 to avoid motion blur which worked TREMENDOUSLY!. Aperture was was adjusted using my lens manually – photographers suggest f/4 of f/5.6 for group shots and ISO was kept as low as possible. Also, I shut off my camera’s autofocus
Please note: I do not know a whole lot about cameras – so much more to learn and I know the one I own is not top notch! Just working with what I have over here! YouTube and Pinterest have been so helpful for me!
Last year, I did purchase this compatible knock-off lens and it has worked really well – again it is no Nikon DSLR camera, but it does give me that “blurry background (bokeh)” that makes your pictures look professional! You can see that shown in the head shots below!
Take photos when the sun is low if possible
This would be early in the morning or late in the afternoon preferably an hour before the sun goes down – during that golden hour! We got to our spot a little late and the sun was dropping in the sky real quickly!! I had to act fast!
A tripod is a MUST
If you are taking your photos yourself – you will DEFINITELY need a tripod! I purchased this tripod a couple years ago in order to use it for video recording and to take less blurry photos. I love this tripod and it has come in handy! There is an attachment that is compatible with your phone if that is the route you choose to take your family photos!
Pose close and have fun!
We made sure to squeeze in nice and close and tried to make the kiddos laugh during the process! It was kind of nice taking the pictures ourselves, we didn’t have to be embarrassed of any silly behavior!!
Edit then print!
Just as you edit your photos before posting on Instagram, it is so important to enhance your photos – even if it is slight. I adjusted some of the brightness levels and pulled out the saturation
After editing…
As far as Christmas card printing goes….
I’ve utilized this deal for the past 5 years and it never lets me down! It is not the thickest most amazing card stock out there, but for this price, the quality cannot be beat!
I usually will create my own card in Indesign (you can use powerpoint) and then upload the PDF to Staples under the create your own card section.
And just like that, inexpensive/easy DIY family photos and Christmas cards done in a flash! Hope you have a great Tuesday my friends!
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I have both a DSLR and a camera that acts like one and I honestly prefer my non-DSLR most of the time only because I seem to intuitive know what to do with the non-DSLR more often. Other than family photos (which we’ve only had taken twice!) I take all my own photos. I do need to get a tripod to take family photos but I have a much easier time convincing my boys to pose for pictures than I do getting my husband to agree!