A Canadian Christmas - Family Stories

Christmas season is a time when friends and families get together and the season is full of special and wonderful moments that are worthy of being photographed. This is a time of the year when so many activities are done together as a family and these special moments deserve to be preserved as special memories to cherish. Each year is different as everyone gets older and there are new additions to the family. So do not miss out on documenting the changes over the years!

The Christmas cheer begins right from putting up the Christmas tree to Christmas shopping, writing Christmas cards, wrapping presents, having fun at the fairs, baking Christmas goodies right up to the Christmas Day when family and friends open presents and have Christmas dinner.

As photographers this is one of the best times for us to document your activities as a Christmas story and as you know it is unique to every family and tradition. These photographs can be made into a digital or paperback photo album as well, so you can share the memories with friends and family.

Each family has a different story – so create yours!

We take candid photographs that tell a story, rather than posed images because the purpose here is to create a story of the season. Since most of these images are made indoors, we may be struggling for light. If we are shooting during the day, we make sure we have things around or near a window so we get plenty of light through the window.

As much as possible, we do not shoot towards a window, as it may make the pictures dark, instead we use window light as side light.

If we are shooting in the night, we will be using ambient light. So we make sure we shoot at wide apertures and slightly higher iso to get sharp images. We do not compromise on shutter speed and always try to have it greater than 1/250 of a second. If the light is too low, we use the 1/(2 x focal length) rule for shutter speed, taking into account the crop factor as well.

Putting up the Christmas Tree:

This is an activity, that brings in the cheer and joy of the Christmas season and this is an activity that children absolutely adore to take part in. We make use of this situation and photograph as many candid moments and even some photographs of the kids around the Christmas tree.

Decorating the House with Christmas Ornaments:

Besides putting up the Christmas tree, you may also be decorating the sitting room, other rooms or even outside of the house with Christmas ornaments and figurines. We take this opportunity to shoot more images. If children are playing around, we include them as well in the images.

Family Times and Bedside Stories:

Christmas season is also time for more family time. Members of the family who may have lived far away come home for Christmas and this is a time when they get together to share life stories.

We do not ask anyone to pose, but just make images of the scenes that we see around in the house. We also photograph kids and adults in their Christmas costumes or playing and having fun around the Christmas tree. This is also the best time to photograph relationships that siblings share or the family, pets and friends share with each other. If there is a bedtime or fireside story reading, document that as well.