![]() Sometimes this requires a little Photoshop work as the rollerblinds I use aren’t always wide enough to fit everyone in. I have a little handheld remote so we can all be in the photos together as I trigger the camera. When it's family photo time, with everything set up nobody has to wait around. Then I’ll just switch everything off and head to lunch. It's around this time that I like to shoot a couple of sneaky cover photos for next year's Christmas socials. These are in large overhead softboxes to ensure everyone is evenly lit. One stand has a Godox light and the other, a Canon Speedlite with a Godox receiver, all triggered from a Godox device on my camera. I usually use two lights at 45 degree angles either side. Using either myself or a family member as a model, I’ll pre-focus on them using a fairly narrow aperture (to keep everyone in focus) and then test my lights and tweak to taste. I’ll assemble the backdrop, set up the lights and bring in the props, with my camera mounted on a tripod. I’m still deciding on an appropriate theme for this year’s photoshoot but I suspect it will have something to do with vaccines.Įvery Christmas day, sometime before lunch, I’ll set up everything in the garage. Then came COVID which gave us ample material for creating unique poses. The first one was awkward family photos where we posed as ridiculously as possible and with a little creative Photoshopping replicated the awkward family photo trend that was all the rage some years back. She’ll yell out grumpy pose! Or silly pose, happy, gangster, excited, surprised and we’ll assume the position in fits of giggles, guaranteed to make even the staunchest family member lighten up.Īnd lastly came the themes. My neighbour does a fantastic job of this. Now I’ll tell you the story of my grumpy themed family adventures some other time because it is beloved by all who hear of it.īut basically I recruit an extroverted family member to help direct the shoot. The addition of a couple of lights really took our photoshoots to another level. Bed sheets on clothes stands at first, and then roller blinds on backdrop stands. I think my mother bought a kit of cardboard photobooth props and every year more and more props and hats were magically added, so that when it came time for family photos there was always something to wear and something to hold which alone made the whole thing less awkward. Now I’m not sure how the prop box started. That’s quite a feat! And it all started with one small box. Keep in mind I live in Australia where Christmas day is so hot you’ll have conveniently sweated off half your body weight before Christmas lunch rolls around, and yet my family is still willing to resist their food comas and haul themselves up from the lunch table to stand in a hot garage and have their photos taken. If that’s the case then your family is nothing like mine! We LOVE Christmas portraits and I’ll let you in on the secret of how I tricked my family into falling in love with having their photos taken. Every Christmas you have to harass your family into agreeing to pose for family portraits and there’s always someone who complains and someone who won’t smile and overall it’s just not an enjoyable experience.
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