Create a family portrait for the holidays
Why not make a special effort this year to create a family portrait to include in your holiday cards? With your digital camera, a friend to act as photographer, and a little planning, your cards will sing with creativity and a personal touch that will make you the envy of the neighbourhood.
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First, think ahead about how you'll incorporate a family portrait into your holiday greetings. Will you simply enclose a print along with your store-bought holiday cards? Or will the portrait become an
integral part of a homemade holiday greeting? Also, plan accordingly when you create your family portrait--horizontal photos are best for a top-fold greeting card, while a vertical format might be better if you're planning a side-fold card.
Why not create a theme? It could be as funny as baseball attire for the entire family, or as silly as Rudolph noses for everyone or it could be a photo of a major family event in the past year.
Portrait tips for the non-professional With a little planning and the following tips, your friends will wonder who the great photographer was for your greeting card. First, even if you have a tripod and a self-timer, it might be better to recruit a friend to act as photographer so you can be in the picture. They can stand in your "spot" as you compose your shot, provide some creative input, and then take over behind the camera when you're ready.
When composing your family portrait, avoid the portrait pitfalls. Find a location that suits your theme and that allows you to arrange your subjects in a nice flow. Your fireplace hearth may convey the holiday mood, but if all you can do is line up your family in a row, look for an alternate backdrop.
Shady days for flattering portraits Next, even if you are outside, turn on your camera's flash. Our crisp autumn air causes even harsher shadows than usual, and the flash will help offset them. Better yet, find a shady location or wait for an overcast day, and still use the camera's flash--it adds a professional touch and helps your subject stand out from the background. Be sure to work within your flash's distance range; too close and your family will appear washed out; too far and everything will be dark.
Indoors requires careful composition Avoid placing your family up against a wall, or their shadows will result in dark halos around their heads. Instead bring them a few feet away from the wall, and move in closer to keep the background clean and simple. Also avoid backgrounds with reflective surfaces. Mirrors, windows, and fireplace covers will simply bounce back into the lens, resulting in distracting flare.
Likewise, red eye is caused by light reflecting off the back of the eye. Change the angle of this reflection by asking your family to look over your shoulder or slightly to the side. Turning on all the room lights also helps eliminate red eye by shrinking the pupils in your subject's eyes. If all else fails, red-eye can usually be removed by your PC photo software. Finally, don't forget to set your camera to the highest image quality settings.
Photo collages of the scattered family Even if your son is three states away in college, or your daughter is overseas, a recent snapshot is all you need to include them in your holiday portrait. A montage of photos, assembled using a photo-editing software package, can be just as much fun (if not more) as a traditional group shot. Think about what might convey the most unified look, if that's your intent. For instance, if only one family member is away, photograph everyone individually to de-emphasize their distance.
You could accomplish this, of course, with scissors and glue, but even the simplest photo-editing software would save you the trouble. We had great success with all the software packages we tried. First choose a background image, then "paste" the portraits over it. In inexpensive packages, we had to resize the portraits before moving them. Also, make sure you are happy with the placement of one picture before moving on to the next, as the "glue" is permanent. If you get frustrated, use the online help.
For something more original, you can create your own cards from scratch. Use blank cards, print your photos to a corresponding size, and then embellish with some rubber stamps and a little ribbon as a final touch. The sky (okay, maybe your wallet) is your limit. Take a walk down the aisles of your local office supply or craft store for some inspiration. You'd be surprised at how many times you say "I can do that!"