The holidays are fast approaching and I thought it would be fun to share a few tips or ideas for taking holiday photos.
1.Look for the light
For the ever important Christmas morning photos, pick the room in your house with the best natural light. The more light the better, opening blinds or drapes to let the most light in. A higher ISO will allow you to minimize using your flash if needed. You can also practice using your camera’s fill flash before the big day to see what options it will offer you.
2.Photos of the lights on the tree
In low light situations like this, your best bet is a tripod or putting the camera on a flat surface like a table to keep the camera shake to a minimum. A slow shutter speed will allow the lights to be soft but the stability of the camera should help to keep your subject in focus.
3.Shiny means reflections
We’ve taken some amazing photos in the reflections from shiny ornaments. You have to get really close and be able to stay still for it to be in focus. You’ll start seeing opportunities for these shots everywhere!
4.Look for the candid moments
If you look back at favorite holiday photos, it’s likely that in many of them the subject is not looking at the camera and smiling, instead they are talking or playing. You’ll get more genuine happiness and excitement in interactions and relationships without the “say cheese”.
5.Favorite decorations
Don’t forget to take photos of your favorite holiday ornaments or decorations. There are memories attached to these items and stories to be told about them. Are there certain items that come out each and every year no matter what? Stories that are this important deserve to be told. For example, two sets of porcelain baby shoes make their way onto my tree each year.
6.The gang’s all here
The holidays are a perfect time for group shots. At our house, on Thanksgiving and Christmas we do mini photo shoots with each family and then group shots. Those family photo progressions each year are some of my most treasured photos. Our family continues to grow, with new relationships and new life. Take advantage of the captive audience and get some small and large group photos this year. We like to do them early in the day while everyone still looks fresh and hasn’t spent a while in the kitchen 
7.Fun with filters
Most of us have phone cameras and several photo apps with fun filter opportunities. Try out a few of them when you have a few minutes. Odds are you’ll be surprised and capture some fun holiday memories you wouldn’t have otherwise.
8.Zoom in (but not always!)
While we can take exceptional close-up photos with our cameras today and we do, remember sometimes to take a step back to get a little bit more of the whole scene. Wouldn’t it be fun to see more of the setting behind the older holiday photos you have of your parents and grandparents, seeing more of their home in the background? Wouldn’t you like more of a peek into their everyday life?
9.Fun with bokeh
One year, my daughter cut a heart in a round piece of black cardstock and then taped it carefully over the camera lens. This made the tree lights into a heart shape but didn’t distort the photos of the people in front of the tree. It’s a fun trick to try!
10.Live in the moment
While we all like to have adorable photos of our children opening each and every gift, savoring the excitement on their faces from behind the lens, it’s important to remember to put the camera down and be in the moment. You’ll never scrap all those photos, get a few good ones and be ready to get down on the floor and put together that Lego set with them.
Last of all, make sure your battery (and a spare if you have it) is charged. You don’t want to pick up the camera to grab a precious family photo and have the battery be dead.
About the Author: Stacia Hall is an accountant by day, and a super scrapper the rest of the time. She describes herself as a storyteller at heart, who wants her children to understand and feel what she was thinking when she created her pages. Her scrapping goal for 2015 is to continue focusing on everyday moments but still finding time to scrap scanned heritage photos.