Ahh, or UGH. Holiday Photos...

Tis the Season!! To invite family over ( even the ones you don’t like), spend more on gifts than you should, and eat (and drink, and drink) enough to remember why another new year's resolution is looming on the horizon. Most importantly, to send and receive those holiday cards. Yes, I realize that the holidays are next week and you likely sent out your cards weeks ago, but I’m new to blogging, so maybe you can recycle this nugget next year :-)Choosing the best family photo for your holiday card is not exactly the hardest decision you will make this year, but it is noteworthy (see what I did there?). Sometimes the choice is easy, if you went to Milan over the summer and have glorious golden sand beach photos, you are likely all set. But for most of us, we have to plan this ahead of time, or we end up at the mall taking photos with “Santa” who is an egg nog or two away from guiding his sleigh into a cornfield somewhere. We don’t want that.So what are your options? While generally speaking, I like to keep things simple, I also am a fan of putting thought behind, and being intentional about what I want this card to represent. If we were to look at this on a spectrum, at one end is the cheesy holiday backdrop, and on the other, Milan. Personally, I would look for a photographer who can almost create an experience, and I for one would take a great experience over “things” any day of the week. Look for a photographer who has lots of experience in creating unique holiday photo experiences. Oftentimes, there are also very talented photographers who, like me, love mini-sessions. This way, you can get a great holiday photo, without the time and expense of a full-blown photo shoot. If you don’t have a photographer like this in your area, then try to find one earlier in the year who can take amazing spring, summer, or fall photos of you and your family. I for one, love being creative, I love the process of thinking about what I want a photo session to look like. Here on the Eastern shore of Delaware, there are thousands of families visiting the beach each summer, and many are visiting for only one week. Many of these families want traditional photos on the beach, and understandably so. Beach photos are sort of like visiting New York City for the first time (which I did very recently). The first time, (or 5) that you go to NYC, you simply have to hit the famous (I hate the word touristy) places, but after a few visits, you feel more like a local, or at least like a regular. The first time or two that you visit a beach, of course you want photos there. But know that there are many other equally, or even more beautiful locations for photograph. It’s always wise to find and follow a couple of really great photographers who match the style that you are looking for, so that when you ready for photos, holiday-ish or not, you will have the right fit. Happy Holidays!