Capture your family at Christmas
The nicest thing about Christmas is seeing the excitement and happiness on children's faces and having your family together. That's why it makes it the perfect time to capture memories to look back on and remember all the fun. Some of my favourite family photographs from my childhood were taken at Christmas playing with my sister and experiencing things for the first time, like meeting Santa or riding my first bike. Not forgetting the unwrapping of gifts on Christmas morning with photographs capturing my mum in the background in her dressing gown and slippers, drinking tea and enjoying watching our excitement after all her hard work getting everything ready.
So with this in mind I have put together some tips for taking some great photographs at home with your children for you all to treasure in years to come. You don't have to have an expensive camera or be a professional photographer and many of these shots can be captured on your camera phones.
1) Why not get a photograph of your baby sitting under your Christmas tree? The lights and ornaments make a lovely background and if it is their first Christmas then it's such a special photograph to try and get. Although I'm not going to take responsibility if any low hanging branches or ornaments get pulled or smacked about! ha ha....it's all part of the fun.
2) Reading a Christmas book and story is a lovely photograph to get and can be one child looking at the book, siblings reading it together or even a grandparent reading it to them. You should get nice natural expressions too as they will be concentrating on the story rather than trying to smile for the camera.
3) Don't forget to get on some photographs with your children. It doesn't matter if they are selfies, if you don't think you look photo-ready or if you are still in your PJ's.....your children won't care! All they will remember is that you were there with them and part of their memories.
Me with my dad and great Uncle Stan.
4) Get some photographs with their new bike, skateboard, dolls house or whatever it is that they wanted so much. Looking back I can remember a few of my main presents from some Christmases but not all of them. Our memories fade so help your children remember these happy times in the future.
Me with my sister Emma and our dog Sam on Christmas morning.
5) Last but not least....please print your photographs! It's so easy to keep photos on your phone and computer and then forget about them. It's such a shame that we don't print photographs as much any more as I personally love looking back at albums from my childhood. You never know when your phone or computer might decide to stop working and some of your memories will be lost with them. Why not set yourself the resolution of getting your photographs printed every 4 months and put in albums or photo books for your children to treasure in the future?
Me as a Christmas Tree!
With all this talk of Christmas and excitement ......I'm off to scoff some mince pies and have a hot chocolate! Have a wonderful Christmas and I look forward to seeing some of your Christmas photos shared on social media over the next few weeks.
Love Leah x
