Hey Y'all! Hope your week is going well. The holiday season is upon us and I'm watching Hallmark Chistmas movies already! LOL The holidays are special and time to spend with friends and family. A great time to capture the meaning of the season to you.  Holiday photography can be fun and memories can be had to share with the ones you love. Now we've all had that uncle Bob who had a good camera and was taking all kinds of photo's and fumbling with his equipment all of the time. Sometimes you had to wait for ole uncle Bob to get his stuff together before the shot was taken and the mood may have been lost. Don't be that guy! For Christmas photography simple is better. Being spontaneous and quick to the trigger is the best for these type of photography and don't be shy of using your mobile phone. When I think of intimate family photography I think of my friend Jennifer who takes great cell phone photo's. She post and shares online and the photographs are fantastic. She has a big Girl Camera and takes wonderful photo's but the everyday shoot from the hip shots are great. (Don't tell her I said this don't want her to get a big head) LOL Now there are all types of photography from formal portraits, Christmas cards, casual snapshots, to details of decorations and food being prepared. Lets talk a little about each.

Christmas Cards. These need to be planned well in advance of time to send these out. And they may be a thing of the past with all the new advances in tech. People don't send cards like they used to. Or if they do one they send it via Email or online. But I'm in favor of the Printed card with a special personal note when sent out. I must confess I haven't done one in a while but they are fun to do and are sure to make someone's fridge or mantle. 

Formal Portraits. I did this one Thanksgiving and of course I over did it. I had backdrops , Lights , Tripod the works. The photo's came out well but it was a lot of stuff going on. I wouldn't recommend this but a great family portrait using a self timer is a must do every year. This way you get at least a photo of everyone every year. With additions to the family and youngsters growing up in the photographs. This can easily be done with a cell phone or your big boy/girl camera set with the self timer. Make sure you get everyone in and go wide enough so you can crop a little to get the right size for framing.

Now you can use your phone to take most of these shots. I suggest bringing them into LightRoom to give them the sparkle that they need. Although most shots shot with your phone look good you can make them look better. And of course bring in your regular shots into your photo editing software like you always do. Afterwards you can export in any size or quality you want to social media or to get printed.

Details. To me this is the fun part. Table decorations, Decorations around town. Christmas lights, Food being prepared , the turkey coming out of the oven . To me photographing these things during the holiday really puts me in the mood for the holidays. Stupid Hallmark movies are getting me all misty eyed. LOL Until next week Get out and Shoot!

I'm looking forward to the holidays and hope you are. I wish that each and every one of you have a happy and safe holiday season.