Everyone got a Christmas card from people who made their own instead of buying a box of pre-printed cards off the shelf. DIY cards are more personal and more fun to make. It's easy, all you have to do is take a photo and then print it at the local place where you normally print your other photos. However, the truly creative ones stand out and create wonderful memories.
If you're going to make your own card, you'll definitely want it to be special in one way or another. The first thing to consider is the light. You may want to take a few test shots in the room where you want to shoot to check the lighting. Take a simple picture of a friend or family member and see how it turns out. If it's noisy or yellowish, you'll need more light. If you can open the windows and let in more natural light, that might help. You may have to move. If you have photo editing software, these problems may be fixed on your computer. A bright, vivid image that usually emerges is more interesting than one that is dull.
Next, you'll want to think about your concept, and there will be a few things to consider. How will everyone be dressed? Even for a simple family group photo, everyone should be wearing clothes that complement each other. Will everyone be wearing Santa hats and red shirts? Shall we put on elf or reindeer ears? There are exceptions, everyone could be dressed as Santa, except for the rebellious daughter, who will only have a gothic outfit complete with piercings and black eye makeup. Anyone who knows a daughter would expect nothing less, so it will work.
When you're about to take a photo, do a quick check to make sure collars are straight, shirts are tucked in, dresses aren't full of static and aren't sticking to the leg funnily, etc. Remove bits of lint. Check everyone's hair, people will want to look their best and also check that strands of hair aren't going over people's eyes. The human eye won't notice loose strands of hair, but they really stand out in a photo and can be distracting.
Young children are often spoilers when trying to get a nice photo. Take your time and be patient. You may need to take a break if things aren't going well. Let them have fun taking pictures of everyone sticking their tongue out or making bunny ears with their hands behind someone's head. Everyone, stick your tongue out! Click! Now everyone smiles! Click! Kids get a chance to be goofy, and you get the picture you want. Take more than one shot to reduce the chance of someone's eyes being closed. If the kids still aren't cooperating, you may have to resort to bribing them with a treat to get your Christmas card photographed.
Whether you're creating your card in your living room or outside, make sure the scene is set. Clutter and unwanted objects in the background can be distracting. Dirty dishes, clothes on the floor, telephone poles, trash cans, don't just focus on the object, remember the background too.
Creativity goes a long way when creating a Christmas card. Simple things like dressing your dog or cat in a Santa suit can make the picture more fun. When you browse the internet, you can find all kinds of ideas that other people have created. Some are quirky and sweet, others are downright hilarious. If you're good with photo editing software, you can take pictures of Christmas stockings hanging on the fireplace mantle and then insert family members into them.
Taking an actual picture can be a bit of a challenge. If you can attach a camera or cell phone and use a self-timer, it might work for you. Otherwise, you may want to enlist the help of a friend or neighbor to take the picture. Be careful while doing this. You've seen it before, people are out and about asking a stranger to take a picture for them and the picture is terrible! The unknown person may have cropped the image, used a wrong angle, or it's blurry because they didn't hold the camera or cell phone steady. If handling the camera is a challenge for him, you will need to work with your photographer.
Even if you didn't take the photo yourself, adding a unique, special message to the image is a way to show the individual how much you care.
Merry Christmas!
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