4 Tips For Taking Family Photos in Christmas Pajamas

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some of my main mama goals this christmas was to (1) not stress about the holiday and (2) get some amazing photos of our first christmas as a family of three.  i knew i didn’t want traditional photos in front of the christmas tree and i wanted them to be natural and reflect our everyday happiness as a new family.  so when i stumbled across a family set of burts bees christmas pajamas, i whipped out my credit card faster than you could say “fa la la la la.”  this was happening.  lifestyle family photos in our christmas pajamas was right up my alley and i am blessed with a hubby that is super chill and lets me live out these moments.  if you are wanting to do the same with your family this year, check out what 4 tips i recommend for taking family photos in christmas pajamas.

christmas is the perfect time to grab that camera!  be sure to be inspired by the 25 christmas pictures you must take.

4 Tips For Taking Family Photos In Christmas Pajamas

What Gear To Use

before i share the tips, let’s chat about gear.  for this family collection, i knew i wanted it to be a theme of “at home with the deschamps” and take on a strong lifestyle feel.  when i think of lifestyle images, i think of incorporating the home within the frame as well, making a wide angle lens an easy choice.  all of the photos in our family christmas collection were photographed with my nikon d750 and sigma 24mm art f/1.4 lens and a tripod.

1. Set the Tone

before you take out the camera and drag all your family members into the room, take a moment to set the tone of the room in which you will be photographing.  i am essentially clutter free, so this didn’t take much effort on my part.  but setting the tone could mean simplifying your space by removing any distractions on nightstands or around the room.  by doing this, you will make sure your subject (your family) remains the focal point.

because i wanted my collection to take on a wintery and bright feel, i removed our pale grey comforter cover and only used our bright white down comforter.  this not only helped to brighten my photos and act as a natural reflector, but it allowed our red pajamas to pop within the frame.

2.  Make A Photo List

before you start, make a quick list of the photos you hope to achieve during the session.  this helps immensely!  trust me, once you get your gear out and your family is all ready to go, you will want to make the most of your time in front of the camera without worrying about thinking up photos to take.  for me, i wanted a whole family photo, lots of the three of us together, individuals of our daughter, me with our daughter, my husband with our daughter, and candids of her playing on the comforter.  once i had my list, we started taking photos and checking them off!  and we had fun and made up some photos along the way, which turned out to be my favorite.

3.  Start With The Whole Family

let’s be honest, that’s the photo you really want.  the photo of your entire family together.  i mean, the whole purpose of splurging on the outfits is for taking family photos in christmas pajamas.  at least, that’s what was on the top of my list.  start with the most important photo so you can accomplish that before everyone gets grumpy or sleepy.  if need be, take breaks throughout the session to make sure everyone stays happy and fresh.  thank goodness, we didn’t have to do that…however i made sure to plan our pictures around our nap schedule.

need some help figuring out how to photograph the big day?  check out my 4 ways to prepare to photograph christmas day.

4.  Be Authentic

forget everything you once knew about taking pictures.  don’t look towards the camera, but instead interact with the ones who surround you.  this creates portraits that are authentic instead of forced and posed as you stare at the camera.  gently instruct your family on what to do, by telling them were to look or by giving them an activity to do.  fun activities could include lifting your children in the air, tickling your kids, looking at your family, reading a favorite christmas story etc.

above anything else, make this a fun experience for your family.  taking family photos in christmas pajamas will prove to be really fun for the whole family.  your kids will think it is fun to be dressed in their pajamas, so keep the mood light and fun.  and as always with little ones, bribing them with hot cocoa after the photos is always a wonderful trick.  heck, that bribe may work for the hubby too!

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