A few tips and tricks on how to get that perfect holiday card pic with an unruly infant or toddler at hand!
You might think that we have the holiday card pic thing all down to a science- you know, because I share lots of pictures of Aren on social media.
But no my friends, holiday cards are an entirely different beast all together.
Because no matter how comfortable your child may be with the photographer or the location- getting that Christmas card picture is always going to be a challenge!
Here are my tips and tricks to make it a little easier!
How to take that perfect Christmas card picture with a baby or toddler
First and foremost, if you can be in the picture, it’s going to be a lot easier. Like A LOT. Less moving on the part of the child, less stress- just better overall. Unfortunately for me, I have a husband that isn’t quite ready to make an appearance on the holiday card so we have to get a little creative.
Have a change of outfit ready
Even with those older kids, you need to have a back up. You never know when an accident is going to happen and you can’t always count on photoshop to help you out. Have a back up outfit just in case. I loved this cute onesie that came with a matching bow tie, but I had a back up one just in case!
Have a toy to distract the child with
I find this works really well. Usually the photographer can hold it with one hand, or you or another family member can stand right next to the photographer with it. If you’re taking the picture yourself, using a tripod will let you get a clear shot while holding the toy! Here’s the catch- it can’t be something that the child is going to want to play with, otherwise you’re going to have an upset baby!
Have time to set up the shot
Essentially, give the child something to play with (not the same item as above!!) while you or the photographer set up the shot/test for lighting. Kids have small attention spans and crawling infants even more so. Walking toddlers? Forget it. You got to get in and out for that picture. We gave Aren a box that made noise to amuse himself with while Lisa Renault got the shot ready. It wasn’t a fun toy that he would miss when time came to remove it from the picture.
Lower your expectations
There, I said it. Probably not what you wanted to hear but that’s ok! I originally wanted a fun smiling shot of Aren for this years card. He was pretty cranky the day we were taking the pictures and would only smile when we removed his pants- true story. He gave us a few smiles but the picture that got me the most was the one above. It wasn’t what I originally had wanted but it’s just perfect to me now!
Keep it simple
Sticking with the theme above, don’t make things too complicated. You’re taking pictures of a small child- they just don’t have the patience for something too complicated. And if they’re young like Aren is- they’re not going to understand that they need to stand in a specific spot or hold a specific item. The time will come when you can have your complicated holiday pics- this is not it!
And when you’re finally done? Make sure to pick a card that suits the colors and props in your photo! We love doing our cards with Minted– they even have a service where you can send them your picture and they will recommend a holiday card for you! How easy is that?!
We did both this year and last year’s cards with them and couldn’t be happier with the quality, the selection and the whole process in general. Definitely makes the experience a lot easier.
Have you guys taken your holiday pics yet? I’ll be honest, I’m glad ours are behind us! Next year should be interesting though- maybe we can get Ara in the mix as there will be two kids to manage!!
Minted kindly gifted us our holiday cards this year however there was no obligation on my part to mention them in this blog post! I choose to because they’re a company I have long supported and I know you will love them too! I used them for all of Aren’s baby bash stationary as well- they have been our favourites for years!
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