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MyPublisher has kindly sponsored this post and giveaway.
Thanksgiving’s arrival this Thursday marks the official entry into The Holiday Season, and this is a time of year when even not-so-shutter-crazy people tend to get out their cameras an awful lot. (I blend in better at the holidays.
So, I thought this would be a good time to share some tips for taking better holiday photos, especially since after my last MyPublisher post, a lot of you had asked for some tips.
First up, though, I want to point out that imperfect holiday photos are way better than no photos at all, so if you aren’t a natural at photography or you only own a crummy camera, don’t let perfectionism keep you from snapping away. (You know the yellowed prints that your parents took when you were a kid? I bet you don’t critique the lighting or angle; you just love that there’s a photo of that moment in time.) That said, I firmly believe that everyone, no matter what gear they own, can learn to take better photographs. Great gear helps, of course, but it is not the be-all, end-all, so most of these tips will be applicable regardless of your camera level. 1. Turn off your flash (if at all possible).Probably the number one thing that makes amateur photos look amateur is the presence of on-camera flash. Flash can be used tastefully if you have umbrellas and diffusers and such, but in most cases, the flash is just awful. See?
It makes backgrounds too dark, faces overexposed, and adds harsh shadows around people and objects.
(these are super old point and shoot photos from 2005. Even so, see how the no-flash photo on the right is much better, even though it’s not a stupendous shot?? You can actually tell it’s not pitch black on Christmas morning!) Go outside, open the blinds/curtains, move near a window…do anything you can to avoid using flash. There are definitely times where you really do have to use the flash, especially with cheaper cameras. But do yourself a favor and at least try shooting without a flash first. If you get disastrous results, you can always turn the flash back on, but occasionally you may discover that you don’t even need it!
(If you have an SLR and you frequently are in situations too dark for no-flash, do yourself a favor and buy a Lightscoop. It’s $25 and makes a world of difference.) (Also: If you have an SLR, a fast prime lens like the 50mm makes no-flash shooting waaaaay more do-able.) 2. Follow the light.For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the holidays fall at a fairly dreadful time of year, lighting-wise. The days are so short, the sun never get very high in the sky, and it’s frequently too cold to go outdoors where there’s more light. So when I want to get a good shot at this time of year, I think a lot about light. If the family wants a group photo, I try to remember to take it before the sun goes down, and if it’s even faintly close to being warm enough, we run outside to take the photo. If I want a food photo, I move the food near a window if I can.
If I want photos of the kids playing, I station myself right by a window and take pictures of whoever happens to be near the good light. When I ask a friend to take a shot of our family, I do it outside, either under overcast skies or in the shade (avoid bright sunlight because it gives you unflattering, harsh shadows).
I know not everyone is as anxious to find good light as I am (and that is totally ok!), but if you really want to improve your holiday pictures, following the light is key. 3. Take un-posed photos.Sure, there’s value in posed photos (like the group family shot) but some of my favorite shots to use in photo books are candids. You can often capture people’s personalities better when they’re not posing, and I think these types of shots are really fun to look back on. You’ll get a lot of duds, of course (people will move and blink), but there’s no harm in taking bad photos if you have a digital camera (it costs nothing, whereas film is expensive!). Shoot a lot, and you’ll probably get some keepers. Dud:
Not dud:
I generally keep my camera with me or in a handy spot so it’s easy to capture something I want to shoot. 4. Take photos of details/surroundings.People photos are super important, but surroundings and detail shots help to tell the story too.
Take a photo of the Thanksgiving table spread (try standing on a chair, zooming out, and holding the camera above the table), a favorite Christmas ornament, a grandma’s hand holding a baby, the mess after present-opening, and so on.
For instance, the bubble lights at Mr. FG’s grandma’s house are something my kids have always loved, and they’ve made an appearance in a few photo book layouts covering visits to her house.
Ooh, and these sort of photos make GREAT cover images for photo books. 5. Look for uncluttered backgrounds.This is definitely not something I used to think about, but now I always try to pay attention to what’s in the background. People especially tend to stand out better if there’s a simple background, so if there’s something cluttery or ugly (like a trash can!) behind what you’re shooting, try to move or change your angle to avoid it.
6. Zoom in a little.Most point and shoot cameras are wide angle by default. While this is great for capturing a whole scene, the wide angle can make people look a little bit distorted and uninteresting. You don’t want to go crazy with the zooming, as this sometimes degrades the picture quality, but try zooming about halfway and see if that improves the look of your photos. Here’s a pretty uninspired point and shoot photo…zoomed out, cluttered background, with flash.
And here’s the same camera (a $100 Canon Elph) and same subject, except now she’s in front of a plain white dresser (an uncluttered background!), near a window, there’s no flash, and I’m zoomed in farther.
Zooming in may require YOU to move to get everything in the frame (taking the first of these two shots was easier), but I find that the payoff is worth it. (If you have an SLR zoom lens, put it somewhere between 50mm and 80mm to get the most flattering shots of people.) 7. Don’t just shoot the main event.Most of us have photos of our children opening presents every year, right? But there’s so much more to the holiday season that we sometimes don’t think of photographing. Take photos of holiday traditions, such as making cookies, decorating the tree, shopping for gifts, wrapping gifts, going caroling…whatever you do to celebrate!
These photos are just as much fun to look back on as present-opening photos, and since the pace of these events is usually a little slower, it’s an easier time to take photos. ______________________ The Giveaway!To help you turn your memories into a keepsake photobook, My Publisher is generously giving away FIVE full-color, super-gloss, 20-page, photo-cover photo books (with free shipping, which they never offer as a coupon or daily deal!).
I’ve made somewhere right around a thousand MyPublisher books (ok, 15 is more like it), and the books I’m giving away have many of my favorite features, like super gloss printing (it makes your photos much more vibrant, and I think the print quality looks better with it) and photo cover. MyPublisher sometimes runs free book offers, but those never come with free shipping or photo covers or SuperGloss printing, so this is something special! Oh, and MyPublisher’s free book-making software offers lots of design options. (Here are my best tips for making your photo books look great.) Also, the books come beautifully packaged in a shipping box (it even says, “Ta-dah!” on the inside!), which is really great if you’re sending one off as a gift. (They also offer more formal gift boxes if you really want to up the ante.) To enter, leave a comment telling me what holiday event you’re most looking forward to! NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Chances of winning depend on the number of entrants. Winners will be chosen at random, using random.org. Giveaway closes at 11:59 PM EST on 11-27-14. MyPublisher sponsored this post and furnished the giveaway prizes. All text, photos, and opinions are my own. All of the MyPublisher books I own have been purchased by me, with my own moola. |
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I really like Thanksgiving because it gives me the excuse to drag out some recipes that only get made once a year.
I like going to the pop-up shops that feature local artists and designers. So much more interesting to look at.
And baking for Christmas morning because I have an excuse to practice my fancy pastry skills.
I am the most excited about putting up a tree this year! I finally finished the Christmas tree skirt I’ve been working on for the past three years!
Visiting family for Christmas!
Thanksgiving — because it’s also my 32nd wedding anniversary!
Congrats!!
I am looking forward to making our thanksgiving tree with a branch in a vase and little paper leaves for us to write on. Everyone puts what they are grateful for on each paper leaf, then they hang them on the branches.
I can’t wait for Chanukah
I have a question for you–if I usually use Snapfish for photo books, can I still import my photos to use on MyPublisher?
Hmm, I don’t know! I think you’d have to upload your photos to MyPublisher straight from your computer, though. That’s always how I do it.
That works.
Love your passion and your advice. I cannot tell a lie: I am really looking forward to the gift opening! My favorite part of Christmas is watching the girls open their gifts and always hoping I can surprise them, even a little bit, at 19, 17 and 12!
I am most excited about taking my one-year-old to see christmas lights! Love this giveaway, and the tips! Great reminders to have right before thanksgiving when we will be spending time with family!
I’m SOO looking forward to Christmas in our new home! And we are the hosts for my husband’s family this year….we take turns. Will be fun!!!
Ok, I’m a little annoyed with myself that I did not use my time off ina creative way while recovering from knee surgery. These photo tips are great and I would love to make a few books. Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite holiday!
I can’t wait to see my niece and nephews open their Christmas gifts!!
I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving, where for the first time in a long time I’ll be seeing my entire family, including meeting my new niece!
Just looking forward to spending time with my kids. One away at college and the other busy with school and after school activities. Thanksgiving and Christmas means a break from it all! A chance to just be, celebrate our faith, and rejoice in life!
Looking forward to Thanksgiving with ALL my children and grandchildren.
the thing I’m most looking forward to is time off with my family! my husband and I both managed to get the day after Thanksgiving AND Christmas off- nigh unto impossible, usually. Super grateful!
Christmas morning with our 1 year old!!
My parents are finally coming to visit for Christmas (first time in five years), so it’s going to be so much for the kids, especially! I’m cooking up a storm, too!
I am looking forward to spending time with family who live thousands of miles away!
My Grandfather’s health is declining and this holiday season is all about spending time with family and friends and less about gifts. I’m looking forward to family get togethers and quality time.
My oldest daughter is a senior this year. Everyday this year is a holiday…I’m trying to capture all the moments I have left with her before she heads off to college and starts her own life.
Every year since we got married, my husband and I travel three hours to the mountains (we live in Virginia Beach) to cut our own Christmas tree. It’s my favorite tradition of the entire season!
Having, as house guests, family I don’t see as often.
I am looking forward to my cousin’s Christmas party. It is a chance to catch up but they also plan some fun little Christmas games which add to the festivities!
My favorite holiday event is just all of us being together on Christmas morning. Spending the day cooking with mom, Christmas music going, and the boys playing with toys or helping out in the kitchen. Decorating cookies to hand out to friends and neighbors also brings me lots of joy.
My daughter’s excitement on Cristmas morning! So much fun
I would probably say ‘one’ of my favorite events is baking with Christmas music on, lights twinkling and a fire roaring!
I’m most looking forward to Thanksgiving with my soon-to-be in-laws!
I love the quiet of Christmas morning, sitting in the living room with just the tree lights on, reading the Luke 2 account of the Christmas story!
I would have to say that seeing our kids’ enjoy Christmas morning is my favorite. We’ve made a tradition of fixing sausage biscuits and gravy Christmas morning and having our elderly neighbors over to eat with us and spend the morning together. Our kids really look forward to the special time with our wonderful neighbors.
I’m looking forward to slowing down this holiday season and focusing on our family traditions.
My married kids have in-laws to take turns with for Thanksgiving, so we always have a pizza and game night the Friday after TG. Everyone will be there! Yay!
Great tips. I learned some new tricks. I will say that I truly like a lot of what others consider dud photos, simply because they capture an expression or a moment in time that I enjoy remembering. It’s difficult for me to throw out a picture unless the person is unrecognizable, or the scene is a complete blur. Thanks for sharing your expertise, I really appreciate it.
My daughters Christmas Pageant. Gets me every year as she is moving up in the characters that she plays!
I am looking forward to driving around with my family to look at Christmas lights. The girls go in their jammies and we have hot chocolate and listen to Christmas music. I did it with my family as a child and now my girls love it.
I always look forward to Christmas Eve the most. The sense of peace gives me hope for the future.
I’m looking forward to a long weekend filled with reading and relaxing! Maybe not holiday specific, but moving close to my family means more quality time with them throughout the year, no stress-filled travel weekends, and time to actually have a (gasp) holiday!
I can’t wait for our Thanksgiving holiday! It gives me a chance to pause and reflect on the wonderful things and people I have been blessed with, and I get to spend the holiday with my favorite people.
Christmas morning, eating homemade cinnamon rolls after the gift-giving frenzy, is one of my favorite holiday times.
Seing all the family!
I love decorating for the holidays!
My favorite holiday event is baking a special “Christmas Cake” with my mom and sister…some cakes are flops and others are huge hits! No matter what, the baking of the cake provides the most laughter and best Christmas memories!
Christmas! I love everything about it. Especially the time with family.
I am excited about going to the light display at the local zoo! I need to read up on how to take better night shots bfore we go. It is such a nice quiet event for us in the bustle of the holiday season and something I look forward to every year.
I’m excited about my son experiencing Christmas. He’s 1.5 years old and seems really into the lights and decoration. It’s wonderous to see the holidays through an innocent child’s eyes.
Grilling filet mignon on Christmas eve with my sister and her family
We have a Hanukkah Open House every year, with 20 – 60 guests. We make 100s of latkes and fixings, light a bunch of Hanukiyot later in the evening.
This year I am really looking forward to thanksgiving because both sides of my family will ve together! I’m also looking forward to our Christmas morning gift opening tradition -literally takes about 6-8 hours for everyone to open.
I always love the holidays, but my favorite day is Christmas Eve. It’s just a time to gather for afternoon dinner, go to the candle light service, spend time with family, and reflect on what Christmas (and life) is all about!
Decorating cookies with family!
Thanks for the great tips. I take horrible pictures. I have to say that I didn’t get what was wrong with the first photo that you posted until you explained it… because all my pictures look like that picture, hahahaha. I’ll have to try your tips if I win the package so my books don’t turn out horrible.
The holiday event I look most forward to is St Nicolas (Dec 6). In the east of France, where I’m from, it’s a huge deal and it’s about the only tradition from my childhood that I have carried on for my kids. It’s always been fun for them because they get gifts before all of their friends. It’s fun for me because it reminds me of the St. Nicolas celebrations of my youth, of my grandparents who are now deceased, and is an important link to my cultural past.
I love the quiet evenings of Christmas, only lighting is the Christmas lights and we watch Christmas specials and have special dial treats together as a family. We take the extra effort to slow down and just be together….
I love the quiet evenings of Christmas, only lighting is the Christmas lights and we watch Christmas specials and have special dial treats together as a family. We take the extra effort to slow down and just be together
Stockings are a favorite every year.
I can’t wait to see my kids faces as we do all the activities like trains, lights and travel to see family..
I’m most looking forward to Christmas morning at home with the family. Sounds like a boring answer, but it truly is my very favorite thing that we do–spending time together during this special time remembering the Savior’s birth.
I’m looking forward to picking out a Christmas tree with my family!
Christmas cookie making day with my mom and sister!
I think I’m most looking forward to playing board games with the kids, especially trying out a few new ones this year!
I’m most looking forward to my mom’s cookies! I can never get them right. Thanks for the photo tips.
decorating Christmas cookies
Our large family get together in the summer is our favorite “holiday”.
I am looking forward to capuring our Christmas traditions in our new house.
I’m most looking forward to my daughter’s Christmas concert. Her class is doing a play, there will be songs, and most excitedly, there’s also her first ballet recital (How’s ballet going with your girls, Kristen? We’re dying for an update).
It’s going well! I mean, they’re still really beginning beginners, but they love it. They don’t have a performance until spring.
I love the chance to slow down and enjoy time with extended family and I love to cook!
The best time is whenever we can be with our grandchildren – with a policeman daddy who has to work on Christmas, it doesn’t matter what day it is!
Christmas and New Years. Those are far more active for us than Thanksgiving.
I love just spending the day with hubby and watching some football!!
I am looking forward to Christmas!!!
My kids and I love Thanksgiving. It is all the fun without the after Christmas let down. It is the holiday where everything is gearing up!
I love spending time with my family of course, and one of the churches in the area performs a Living Nativity every year. You ride through Bethlehem in your car and watch different scenes from the Christmas story reenacted. There are kings, angels, real animals, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. It is such a great way to remember the real reason behind Christmas!
I’m looking forward to making cookies with my family! We get four generations together and bake all day!
I’m looking forward to eating our first smoked turkey!
I love taking a walk after Thanksgiving dinner! It’s fun and relaxing and energizes me.
So looking forward to taking the kids on a holiday train ride!
Having my whole family together. It doesn’t happen often.
I am looking forward to my daughter’s Christmas concert, she is learning ASL and will be signing songs.
I’m looking forward to being with family this year for the first time in seven years!!!
I’m looking forward to seeing my son open his first Christmas presents!
Thanksgiving! Because I will have two sisters, my brother, and brother-in-law here to celebrate with our family!
I’m most looking forward to visiting family!
Looking forward to Thanksgiving with my family & good friends around the table despite this year being in a mild panic that I won’t get everything done in time. Easter, which is months away, is probably my favorite holiday of all.
can’t wait for Christmas this year!
The holiday event I’m most looking forward to is putting up our Christmas tree and decorating it, and the house, with our 3 kids. We always do it the weekend after Thanksgiving and the tradition started when I was a kid and continues now that I have my own children. I put Christmas music on, the hubby pulls everything out of the storage closet and we all enjoy the time together. It really sets the beginning of the Christmas season for me. I can’t wait to enjoy this time with my family this weekend!
I love the Holidays because of the traditions and the memories! Can’t wait to take pictures of it all!!
I’m looking forward most to Christmas! I think today might be the day we put up the tree, I bet I’ll take some good shots after my lesson, thanks!
I’m looking forward to this entire holiday season. I’ve adopted the motto, “Savor the Season” and will implement it by letting go of some things to reduce stress and focusing on a few key events that bring joy to me and my family. That’s the plan, anyway. We’ll see how it goes!
I’m looking forward to Christmas break because we are going to visit my sister and her new twins!
Thank you for the helpful tips and giveaway! I am most looking forward to Christmas break: we are taking our first “real” vacation in 15 years, and I am beyond excited!
My favorite holiday event is Thanksgiving (all day). It’s (sometimes) my husband’s birthday, so we get to spend it with family and I just love all the traditions and the fall weather and cooking.
Seeing my son’s face on his first Christmas morning.
Oh my, I love celebrating the holidays from Thanksgiving through the New Year. Thanksgiving starts our praty season & we have events packed in the 1st few weeks of December, then celebrate the last of the month with stay at home fun. I look forward to evertything!
I am SO looking forward to taking my 3 yr old and my 10 month old to visit Santa. I can’t wait to see what fun pictures we get this year!
I am looking forward to winning one of your giveaways. I have entered multiple times and really think this is it!!! Happy Holidays!
Christmas morning to see the look on my boys faces when they see that Santa has come.
I am looking forward to going to Disneyland for Thanksgiving this year!
I would love to win a free book to have for the pictures I will take this year for my grandson’s first Christmas. Thank you
Really looking forward to setting up our tree. Our son is two now and I know he’ll be even more into it this year than last. Would be great to win a photo book to make for my grandmother. We’re in Germany for now, but she’s in Ohio and would love to get some pictures of our far away adventures. (FYI we are US residents, just out of the country at the moment… If that matters for the contest.)
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! I most enjoy the evening (we do a big lunch) where we sit around as a family and just hang out/ visit/ watch tv…..some might call it forced together time, but I love this part of the day.
Looking forward to introducing baby #2 to his extended family – and feeding him sweet potato (his only food so far) as we all sit together around the Thanksgiving table.
christmas!
OK, so now that you mention #7… I realize that I have exactly 0 pictures of us decorating the tree, which is an actual event for us, involving cocoa and Christmas movies… So I am looking forward to that, so I can actually take pictures this year; thanks!
Christmas is my birthday
On Christmas Eve we wrap up all our work by 4pm and set out to a beautiful Christmas Eve service. The service is very serene and I feel like I can finally stop and become enveloped in the peace of Christmas. After the service we head over to the home of very special friends where we have the same menu every year: chili and cornbread with peppermint ice cream for dessert. This is one of the two best time of the whole Christmas season for me and I think my wh0le family would concur.
imwould to win this as I have hundreds of photos that are waiting to go into a photo album of our three trip to the USA!
Oops didn’t read your question, sorry. I’m looking forward to our last thanksgiving in the USA with dear friends!
Yay for special times, special people and memories!
I look forward to Christmas Eve mass the most because every year when a baby cries in church at mass my littlest one will ask “Is that baby Jesus? Is he born now?”
Can’t wait to go pick out a tree with my toddlers and then come back for cookies and hot chocolate with grandparents while we decorate.
I’m looking forward to everything this year because my girls are both old enough to enjoy it …… Especially looking forward to Christmas morning when we are telling them we are going to Disney World in January!
Thanks so much for these tips!! I think I am most looking forward to Christmas Eve night. Slow paced and laid back with my boys!
Taking my 2.5 year old on the Polar Express Train!
I always love our Christmas Eve service at church.
This year I am most looking forward to taking my 21 year old daughter to see the Nutcracker. We used to have the kids dance to the songs all year long but she never saw it live, like my boys.
While I do love the low key aspect of Thanksgiving and all that it means, I am really looking forward to the weeks leading up to Christmas. I so enjoy all the traditions we have and look forward to seeing them through the eyes of my children!
Would so love to make a photo book of my sister’s annual Chrismakah party as a gift for her.
Thanks sox much for the opportunity.
Cecile
Christmas! It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
My family will be at Disney World with my parents the week before Christmas – first time at Disney for my girls and husband. We are a bit excited!
I’m looking forward to the grandparents being here for Christmas this year. We’ll have to get some pictures of that, for sure.
I am looking to Thanksgiving and having all four of my grandkids together. We can’t get them together that often since they don’t live close to each other, so I really enjoy every occasion when it happens. They are so much fun in a pack!
I am looking forward to our Christmas Eve
Midnight Christmas Eve service at Church
With family coming. It is always such a special
Time. Thank you
I have only done 1 photo book and would love another try at it.
thanks,
joyce
I’ve never decorated for Christmas (because we always go to our parents) in 7 years of marriage and 5 years of parenting. This year I’m decorating, and we’re doing a tree for the first time – the kids are so excited! I’m looking forward to having a festive-looking home!
Christmas day dinner at my mom’s house.
Christmas Eve church!
I do not have a specific holiday event. What I look forward to the most is having my family surrounding me. Just the love and fun we have together.
I’m most looking forward to Thanksgiving…as long as I feel better by then!
I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner. Last year I couldn’t eat because I just had weight loss surgery, so I cant wait to dig in this year.
Our annual caroling party.
I’m so looking forward to going home for Christmas, and I’m hoping to do some crafts with my nephews and niece. Thanks for the chance to enter!
I love decorating for the holidays best. I’m not awesome at it, but I love it nonetheless. Especially decorating the Christmas tree.
Thanks for the tips and giveaway
i love decorating for christmas! and cookie baking
I’m looking forward to tree decorating and cookie decorating. Both are family favorites
My family has so much fun making gingerbread houses.
I love our family Christmas Eve dinner. I see all my kids and grandkids, and this year we have a new preemie grandbaby who just got home from the hospital. Happiness!
I’m looking forward to picking out our Christmas tree and decorating it!
It’s so hard to pick just one, I mostly love the times we just hang out with the family in the kitchen cooking and catching up.
I most look forward to having my whole family get together for Christmas day, its been a tradition for years that all aunts, uncles, 1st, 2nd and 3rd cousins all gather at one house for a huge Christmas day extravagance after already being together for a few days baking cookies, and playing and such. Its a great time of year!
Lighting the Hannukkah candles, and singing the blessings. All the kids will be home, it will be just us for the first night, and I suspect there will be a lot of merriment for all.
It’s our first Thanksgiving as newlyweds and we’ll be hosting dinnerin our new house. Lots to look forward to!
My mom and grandma are flying to visit for a week in mid December. I cannot wait for a week of family Christmas memories!!!
I’m most looking forward to Christmas morning with just our little family, sitting next to my husband drinking coffee and watching our kids open their gifts.:)
I’m so looking forward to travelling north to see the family-of-origin this Christmas. Typically it is spent in Florida with husband’s family. They are great but I do miss my folks. My mom LOVES Christmas.
Looking forward to Christmas, the kids and my husband are soo excited! Thanks! Your pics are beautiful, and the tips are really helpful. I’m hoping to make the time to follow them.
I am looking forward to Christmas Morning with just my husband and 4 kids.
Christmas! Love everything about it!
I’m looking forward to our Family Fun Day, where we will be going to a fun museum as a family!
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday as there isn’t any stress with gifts… just food and family!
I’m looking forward to trying some of your photo tips and having Thankgiving dinner at my mom’s, I hope we make it through the storm.
Christmas on the day after with my daughter’s & their families (especially the 4 grands).
This year I am looking forward to my kids’ school Christmas play. This is Jacob’s first year in school and I can’t wait to see him up on the stage in the big theater in town. And Rebecca told me last night she has a line in the play this year so making it double great!
I’m most looking forward to baking Christmas cookies with my grandkids
I’m really looking forward to the Christmas baking we do every year. There are a bunch of favourite recipes that only come out this time of the year and it’s that wonderful feeling of meeting an old friend again.
I’m looking forward to decorating the Christmas tree with my 2 year old and baking/decorating cookies!!
Great tips as always! Your with and without photos on the lightscoop post had me adding one to my cart right away. Next I should probably clear up the clutter near our dining table for tip #5
I’m looking forward to Christmas day of course, but I’m also looking forward to our visit with Santa. We go to a local plant nursery where the Santa visit is very low-key, never crowded, and free! I like seeing how my daughter’s reaction changes year to year, and this year I have another daughter to bring!
I’m most excited about decorating the tree with my kiddos!
Christmas Eve service at my Grandma’s church, then evening present opening at my parents’ with my brother and my own children and hubby.
Our firstborn is due over the holidays!
Singing Christmas songs!
out whole family will be together this thanksgiving and I am so excited!
Probably Christmas right now. I just started my Christmas shopping.
I love packing hot chocolate up to the mountains and trucking through the forest to pick out a Christmas tree. It’s a lot of work, but always turns out to be a memorable family outing.
I’m looking forward to my neighborhood cookie swap!
hosting thanksgiving!!
Spending time with family we haven’t seen in a while
Christmas party with friends!
I’m looking forward to having a decorate tree up!
I just love Thanksgiving. We always have a big dinner with fantastic food and there is not as much pressure as Christmas.
It’s hard to pick an event I’m most looking forward to, but I love going to a local small-town Christmas parade every year. Almost everything surrounding Christmas though is special!
I’m excited for Chrostmas in general as my little guy is finally old enough to enjoy it!
My favorite holiday is Leftover Day. The day after Thanksgiving is when all the work is done, and I can just kick back and enjoy my family. We go on a long hike, followed by Turkey sandwiches and a favorite holiday movie.
Seeing my whole side of the family at once! That hasn’t happened in awhile!
I really look forward to the cooking and baking part of Thanksgiving and Christmas. It gives me a chance to make the special dishes that I sometimes don’t take the time to make.
It’s my little girl’s first Christmas and her big sisters and big brother are looking forward to decorating their cake for baby Jesus together. ( and opening their presents, of course! )
I am most looking forward to Christmas morning with my 3 year old. Thanks!
Looking forward to making cookies and candies for my family and sending them to them since we are so far away.
I am most looking forward to my family’s Christmas Eve night celebration opening presents since it’s my son’s first Christmas.
This year I am looking forward to using a real tree for Christmas. I have never done so, and am excited about picking one out with my son. I hope I get some good pictures!
I always look forward to Thanksgiving dinner. Good food, family, memories…things to be cherished and grateful for every day!
Holiday event… all of my siblings and our families together at my parents’ home for the first time in five years. Wow!
I’m looking forward to the “rib roast dinner” that my parents host in the vicinity of (but not on) Christmas. There is a standing rib roast of suspicious rareness, we open presents amongst ourselves, and Aunt B. makes Yorkshire puddings (aka meat muffins). Traditionally, she also sets the oven on fire in the production of the YP. There is much wine and commotion and someone’s baby or toddler (there were 4 babies born to the three of us–me, brother, sister–between Sept. 2010 and May 2012!) always has some sort of explosive incident. It’s my favorite day of the year.
Christmas!
Christmas, because we’re not traveling this year, so we can stay home and celebrate with our own family’s traditions!
I love Christmas. I love when our little girls so excited to put decors in the Christmas tree,bake with me and opening presents.
We’re going on a holiday train ride to meet Santa!
My favourite holiday is Thanksgiving, which being Canadian has already passed and we had a lovely time inviting other Canadia s over in our curre t non-Canadian home, next to that I love New Year’s.
New Orleans for Thanksgiving Holiday! I can’t wait to take a ton of pics of the “details” of the french quarter! And put them in a lovely photobook!!
I am most looking forward to spending time at Christmas with my parents – we moved out of state 4 years ago & have spent Christmases since then without family.
I love Christmas Eve church service. A close second is driving around looking at light displays. We bring drinks and a snack, usually hot chocolate and popcorn. We did it as a family growing up and my husband and I are continuing the tradition with our boys. They are only 2.5 and 1, but I know the oldest one loved it last year.
Thanksgiving this year will bring family from Florida, Illinois, and Indiana – cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents we haven’t seen in a long time. I can’t wait!
Kristen – thanks for the great tips, especially for those of us for whom picture taking is an after thought! I’d love a photo book of my grandkids, who have just moved to Texas with their parents.
I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving with our daughter and her husband in Texas.
I’m feeling all inspired to capture some great holiday photos!
I’m looking forward to Christmas! A time to relax and enjoy family.
Thanksgiving, because I’m not cooking this year, hooray. My contribution will be a Costco gift card. Today, I made myself finish a dangling project before I read your post. Wouldn’t it be awesome if winning was my reward? Either way, I’m glad that one’s checked off my list. Thanks for the motivation.
I’m looking forward to our annual outing to cut down a tree! We drive with some friends to the mountains about 45 minutes away, buy a permit and hunt around for the perfect (Charlie Brown-esque) tree. It’s even more fun now that kids have come along! And the lighting is perfect for photo-taking.
I’m Swedish, and we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. Our meal spread includes a ham, and my family always cooks the ham on the 23rd, after dinner.
It takes a few hours, though, so normally the ham is finished late, typically around 11pm or midnight. Once the ham is done, we always cut a few slices, put them on knäckebröd (rather thin, crispy bread) and eat the it warm, with some shots of akvavit.
It’s super intimate, delicious, and really is when I feel–OMG, it’s Christmas!
I always look forward to making a gingerbread house… Complete with a gingerbread family
I’m looking forward to Christmas and seeing the family!
wow. would love one of these books… going to church on Christmas Eve with family with the beautiful music and church that is oldest in city
Blessing abound!
I am looking forward to walking around the holiday light displays with a cup of hot chocolate of course.
I’m looking forward to the family time!!
I am looking forward to our family gathering at Christmas.
I’m excited about all the small “events” of the season: favorite Christmas movies, baking cookies, decorating the tree, eggnog. (Ok, I might be most excited about eggnog…)
Christmas cookie decorating with my mom!
The annual school friends gathering…23 years running!
Kristen, you inspire me to do so many things. I would love to take better pictures but always manage to get interested in lots of other things too. Have you ever thought about doing a weekly photography teaching post that takes us through the basics and gives us a challenge/learning activity to do? I think that would be great!
By the way, on my list of blogs to visit you are #2, second only to Dave Ramsey! lol
Whoa, I feel very honored!
I do plan to do a series of posts about photography, but probably not until January, once the holiday busyness has died down.
My family usually gets out some board games around Christmas time. It goes back to when me and my siblings were on winter break and looking for something to fill the days–we spent a lot of time playing board games together! Scrabble and Boggle are 2 favorites nowadays.
Looking forward to seeing my toddler experience all the fun of the holidays.
I am looking forward to thanksgiving because I’m not hosting & haven’t spent it with my parents for 10 years.
Love seeing the kids opening their gifts on Christmas morning.
Since we emigrated we live too far from home to make it back for Christmas; but I love hosting our annual Boxing Day dinner for any of our friends who didn’t get back to their families either, we always have at least 5 and sometimes as many as 9 guests and it is so fun as it is usually a real mix of people from different countries some of whom have never experienced a traditional Western Christmas dinner before. We host it on Boxing day so we can Skype with family and then just relax on Christmas.
The one picture I am looking forward to snapping is sons and grandsons on the stairs beside the lit Christmas tree. I take one every year.
We’re looking forward to seeing faraway family this Christmas!
I’m most looking forward to Christmas Eve and the family traditions that go along with it: playing games, tracking Santa, opening family Christmas pjs made by my mom (matching for all 12 of us!) and then watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation!
I can’t wait for Christmas! Now that all the little ones are in college, it’s the one time of the year when we can all be in the same place at the same time. It’s all about the people!
On Christmas Eve, we always watch The Muppets Christmas Carol as a family, we also open the tin of sweets, this is the moment when Christmas really starts for us and I love it!
I am really looking forward to cutting our own Christmas tree and then bringing it home to decorate. It is a long-honored family tradition, including figuring out how to secure it from being knocked down by our pets!
Really looking forward to Christmas Day at my parents. All the nieces and nephews and their spouses (and kids) will be coming this year… about 30 people! Can’t wait to visit with them and see their babies!
It s usually always Thanksgiving, but I am suffering from severe tooth pain. I don’t think it will be much of a feast for me, I can barely chew. Oh well, there is always next year
Thanksgiving, as it will be our first together.
Looking forward to time with family
I’m so excited to have my father read my new baby boy the night before christmas on christmas eve. It was a tradition when I was small that I miss so much.
I am most looking forward to a visit with family as we haven’t seen them in 19 months! There will be the usual gifts, eating and so on but most important we’ll just sit around and chat and play games after these many months.
I am most looking forward to Christmas Eve when everyone gets to open one gift. I love the thought process each kid has in choosing which gift to open!
I’m looking forward to a nice quiet time with our family, my husband and our newborn baby girl.
I’m so looking forward to hanging out with my brother & sister, they live out of state and we don’t get to see them as much as I’d like.
I am most looking forward to seeing my daughter dance in a holiday ballet.
i like the music of the holidays.
Our extended family Christmas party is always our favorite holiday event!
I am looking forward to our family Christmas dinner. It seems to grow in the number of people who attend each year.
We just moved to Texas and we’re having brisket and ribs for Thanksgiving!
Listening to Christmas music, and actually having a tree this year. Last year we were moving and never got a tree.
We are starting a new tradition of cutting down our own tree. I’m most excited to see the joy in my kids!
Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I’m looking forward to it! Yummy family time!
Christmas Eve at my sister-in-law’s, always warm and welcoming.
Thanks for the tips! Excellent suggestions. I am most looking forward to Hanukkah this year, as it falls just before the Christmas Holiday so we can really enjoy both, separately!
I am looking forward to Thanksgiving at my in laws. The cousins all love playing together and all the delicious food we can eat, this year your article was so fuul of great tips I am now inspired to take more photos and I am asking my husband to buy me a lightscoop for Christmas, that thing looks amazing!! Thanks for all the info I appreciate it.
I am looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner with my family.
I can hardly wait for baking with my friends and daughter who is away for her first year @ college!
Putting up the tree is my favorite. We listen to Christmas music and eat favorite snacks.
new year’s Eve!
Thank you so much for the advice! Now I am most looking forward to taking some pictures myself!
I’m looking forward to our newest Christmas tradition. Last year I decided to make essentially a cinnamon bun shaped like a Christmas tree. You make the dough, spread it out into a rectangle like shape (kind of wonky rectangle), spread the cinnamon and sugar on it, fold the cinnamon side onto itself hopefully forming something like a pointy triangle (not a right triangle), cutting off part of the bottom to make a trunk in the middle, and cutting slats in the sides of the triangle and twisting these. Then you bake it! Some people call it Christmas tree bread.
I always look forward to Christmas Eve church service the most. My four year old son’s school Christmas program is a close second:)
Thanksgiving because I am soo thankful for my family and friends.
After a tough decision, we are now attending a new church for the first time in 35 yrs. I am looking forward to the new traditions and services. I am looking forward to this holiday season with a new kind of worship!
Even though my boys are now teenagers and we’ve moved across town , our family still makes the trek to “Santa’s Workshop” to visit the SAME Santa we’ve seen for 16 years! All our guests are amazed that we have 16 photos of our growing boys with the same Santa on our mantle. My favorite tradition!!
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love thanking God for all of His blessings during the year!
My son is home from college, we are hosting Thanksgiving dinner for close friends, whose son is also home from college. Time with our young adults makes us thankful.
I can’t wait for Christmas! I love the decorations, the food, the music and how excited my children are!
I’m looking forward to Christmas Eve service at church!
I am most looking forward to seeing The Nutcracker!
Christmas morning, although my husband does video. we just watched one from previous years, with my butt firmly planted in front of the camera! the horror! the comments!
Wow, that’s a tough one this year. I have to say January 1, New Year’s Day. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday but things are going to be so different for us this year and I’m feeling very sad about this. I don’t know what Christmas will bring this year. I am going to try to concentrate very hard on the love of Christ and God’s presence in my life.
We moved from New York to Virginia over the summer and will be going back to New York for Christmas so I just can’t wait to see everyone.
I am looking forward to all the Christmas baking! I love baking and enjoying the fruits of my labor. Delivering a plate of yummy homemade goodies to friends and family is a frugal way to let them know you are thinking of them without spending money on a gift.
Wow…..there are so many! Mostly time with family, but we also look forward to seeing a theater production of A Christmas Carol every year. So fun!
Advent season
I am most looking forward to Christmas Day. For us, it is a low key day spent with the kids. We open presents, eat a special breakfast and then relax the rest of the day. That evening we walk to our local town square to see the Nativity scene.
I am most looking forward to spending Thanksgiving day with my family. I am so thankful that I have good relationships with everyone!
Being with family, enjoying delicious food, and feeling blessed for another year of health.
I love Christmas
Hi Kristen – I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving because we will be spending it with my 90 year old grandmother who I adore and is not in very good health but in excellent spirit. Thanking God that he allowed us to have her this long!
Because my sister and her family live 8 hrs away I just enjoy getting to spend time with them!!
I’m looking forward to being around family!
Under the tree Christmas morning!
I’m so looking forward to seeing extended family!
I’m most looking forward to Christmas Day with my family.
I’d love to win!!
Christmas day is my favorite – we have orange rolls for breakfast while we open presents and then the rest of the day is spent on various snacks while we watch movies and play board games or cards.
Thanksgiving. Love the fun, family and food!
I didn’t see it anywhere, what holiday event are you most looking forward to Kristen:)
Hmmm…probably decorating cookies with Mr. FG and my kids. That’s always a hilarious time.
I really look forward to it because everyone is chipper and all you have to bring is food.
My favorite holiday event is Thanksgiving Dinner.
I always look forward to Thanksgiving. That’s the only holiday where all of my relatives come together under one roof and we all eat like the big family we are. We take the time before eating (from the youngest to the eldest) to give thanks for everything we have. That takes a while for a group of at least 25 ;).
Looking forward to our first thanksgiving spent with friends!
The holidays are always my favorite time of year, this year though not so much we have had a lot of changes in the family, deaths , divorce, new marriage with new kids introduced, just lots of family drama. But I’m still looking forward to waking up on Christmas morning and watching the magic of Christmas through the eyes if my children!
I know today people don’t go Christmas caroling anymore, but we do and you would be surprised at the people that listen. We need to make a happier world today.
I love Christmas – everything about it. And my 4-year old daughter gets it this year and is SO excited. This year has been so fun watching her excitement – reminds me of myself at that age.
I can’t wait for our annual Gingerbread party next weekend. We have 3 divisions for decorating and people take it super seriously. It’s a blast.
I’m most looking forward to Christmas. I love all the lights, decorations, and trees.
I look forward to Thanksgiving Day preparations and picking out the perfect Christmas tree with the family. Thank you for the great tips for taking photos! We all can get in a rut and forget these little things that can make pictures better!
Looking forward to Christmas afternoon dinner with friends. My dinner for “strays”.
I can’t wait for christmas. Baking cookies and wrapping gifts, walking through the city and seeing all the decorations in the store windows and lights, decorating the tree, drinking hot cocoa. There is just so many special moments.
Having time off to relax with my husband.
I am so excited about Thanksgiving Day and the day after! On Friday, ALL my kiddos are home (the one who can’t make Thanksgiving dinner will be here with his wife and son that evening to stay the night!!) All kiddos home makes for one happy mama! Happy Thanksgiving!
Building and decorating the Christmas tree is special time with family.
My favorite holiday “event” is the night before Christmas. We go to church, come home, eat a soup dinner that has been cooking all day, open a gift (which is always a movie and new pajamas), then we watch the movie and eat Christmas cookies. It’s low key and quality family time! We can get some pretty good pictures of family relaxation as well!!
Maybe putting up the tree. Or Christmas breakfast!
I can’t wait for the family Christmas party!
I really love Thanksgiving… and it’s tomorrow! We go to my grandparents’ and it’s so much fun.
I am looking forward to creating many Christmas memories this year with my husband and 2 girls.
In Annapolis, MD I look forward to the Lighted Boat Parade, with ships and boats of all sizes and shapes decorated for the holidays parading around City Dock.
Family. That’s all that really matters.
Thanks for the tips. I’m most looking forward to Thanksgiving- love hanging out with family.
I’m so excited for the upcoming holidays….both Thanksgiving and Christmas because I love getting in the kitchen and baking all sorts of goodies with my 4 year old daughter!!
We are so excited to put up our Christmas decorations! We always do it after Thanksgiving weekend.
The holiday event I’m looking most forward to this year..hmmm… it’s a tie!
I’m looking forward to going to my first Christkindlmarkt which is being held in our downtown square.
I’m also looking forward to my husband’s cousin’s (my cousin-in-law’s??) visiting us from Chile. We’re so excited she will be here for the month of January and we’re taking her to see some Christmas lights before they get put away for the season. She may get to experience snow too.
Thanks for the offer and have a beautiful holiday!
I am most looking forward to the games after Thanksgiving dinner!
Christmas with extended family! food, fun and games!
I look forward to Christmas each year, since my whole family gets together at our house. Our daughter and fiance will be home, as well as our son, along with a host of grandparents, aunts, and of, course, cousins!
Time with family!
I’m really looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving this year and cooking my very first turkey! Thanks to your spatchcocking suggestions, I’m trying that method and even my sister (of course I had to tell her all about it) decided to give that method a try from 1000 miles away. We’ve been texting pictures of our process back and forth. I’m also really really looking forward to watching my 15 month old open presents this year. He’s much more aware about things than even his first birthday, so I think it will be fun to see that tradition through his eyes. And then having meals and games and laughter and thankfulness with friends and family! Too many lovely things to share just one.
Christmas is my holiday!
You inspire me to make books of everyday life – not just vacations or holidays! Thanks for the tips!
I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving at my grand daughter’s house. It’s the first time she’s doing the celebration moxtly on her own.
I’m most looking forward to my family coming together from all around the country- nothing makes me happier.
Is “all of them” a valid answer? Because… kind of all of them.
Except for Thanksgiving. I don’t hate it as much as I did when I was a kid, but I don’t much care for turkey, cranberries, or sweet potatoes, and my family doesn’t trust my cooking skills very much (yes, I’m young, but I made a mean challah last year!). So there isn’t much going for me.
Would love one for my grandbaby!
I am looking forward to just spending the holidays with my family.
I like any gathering with my family or friends. And, I’d love a photo book!
Making cookies and taking a two and a half year old girl to see the cinnamon bear!
I spy a Fluffyland whale! That picture makes me so happy!
I’m really looking forward to going home tomorrow for Thanksgiving. I finally moved into my old apartment, so now my parents’ house isn’t home anymore, but it’s Home. It’ll be great to hang out with my family for a day or two without the stress of using up a weekend or leaving to get in bed in time for work.
Just spending time with family (and not thinking about work!).
I love Thanksgiving.
My favorite event is hanging our Jesse Tree quilt, reading the scripture and adding the ornaments each day of advent. Our eldest daughter plays piano and accompanies hymns to go with the readings. With children ages 10 to 23, it’s fun to see how they remember the stories and add embellishments from year to year! I’ve never done a published photo book. These look fabulous! Thanks for the information on them.
All of them… my grandmother is 87 now. There won’t be many more holiday events shared with her. Last Christmas we took family portraits, and my cousins came out to celebrate. I think I’m content to enjoy being with others when I can now
I am looking forward to Xmas because I get to visit my family in San Diego. I live in Minneapolis where my husband is from and I’ve never gotten use to the snow or cold. In addition to being with my family, I always get to see close home who either live in the area still or travel back to see their families. This year is extra special because it will be my nieces first Xmas – she’s the first of the next generation. I’ve missed watching her grow and change the last 6 months!
I am looking so very forward to my most favorite holiday, Christmas. This year, I have a newborn and two-year-old twins which is going to be such a joy on Christmas morning!
I’m looking forward to being able to fly with my oldest son and his wife to visit and spend time my youngest son at college for Christmas. It will be nice that we can all be together and that our schedules are working out for a visit this year. It’s been a several years since we were able to spend it together. I love photo books and would love to be able to capture these wonderful moments with a free book.
Christmas Eve–family gathered, children filled with wonder and hopeful anticipation the day ahead
I most look forward to Christmas. I don’t have as many pictures as I would like of my kids when they were little boys (price of film and developing) but now I can take loads of photos of my grandkids with my digital camera. I would like to make a book combining some Christmas photos of my sons when they were little and some of their children now.
I’m looking forward to Christmas . . . break! I am fortunate to be able to have a block of time off between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s always a great time to wind down, sleep, snuggle, and generally relax.
Making a huge mess decorating Christmas cookies with my 3 year old son. 😋
Christmas!
I’m really looking forward to putting our meal together with my young adult children and husband. We have some great memories from Thanksgiving mornings in the kitchen!
Definitely looking forward to Thanksgiving since I get to host it every year. I’m the youngest of 12 children so it’s pretty neat to host it for my older siblings. Most of my family members only get to see at home once a year so it feels nice when they come over.
I cannot wait for Christmas Eve, magical.
I’m looking forward to my oldest daughter’s first ever school Christmas program!
I look forward to putts by up lights at the house is his year.
Spending some girl time with middle school friends from put of town. We always have a blast just being goofy although we are truly grown ups at this point.
I love the live Nativity at a nearby church – especially watching my kids sing carols as they hold candles. it’s perfect.
every year I make winter hats and take them to a downtown mission. It’s the highlight of my winter.
I am most excited about holiday baking with my daughter. She turns five right before Christmas and will be so much fun to bake cookies with.
New Year’s eve, with good friends.
I’m totally all about Christmas, my honey and I spent the day in our pajamas, watching movies and drinking mimosas and having a wonderful day!
Most looking forward to Christmas this year as we will be with my family in CA!
Looking forward to reading the “Night before Christmas” on Christmas Eve, snuggled up with my family in front of a warm fire.
I love decorating the tree for Christmas!
We’re looking forward to going to the coast with our son and grandson around Christmas. Happy Thanksgiving!
Spending time with family at Christmas and then with friends over New Year, with the chance to splash out preparing festive food.
The holiday event I’m looking forward to is when I take the kids to pick out their ornaments for the Christmas tree. We found that one of our favorite thrift stores sets up a huge tree with ornaments for 99 cents! They are so much more unique and fun than the ones at Walmart and frugal, too! We write the child’s name and year on the ornament and they choose where to hang it. It is something we all look forward to doing each year. By the time they are grown and out of the house, they have some pretty ornaments for their first tree.:)
Christmas!!!
Question: Groupon has a great deal for a 20 or 30 page My Publisher photo book. It includes the photo finish cover and the super gloss printing that you recommend. I know there are often My Publisher deals on Groupon but are they usually the same as this one? I’m tempted to buy the max of the deal right now because I’m worried future deals won’t include the super gloss printing! (But I would need to use them by January 21st) Do you usually buy the max allowed? Thanks so much!
Yes, this is a typical Groupon. And they come out pretty frequently, so I wouldn’t stress yourself out by trying to make five books by January 21st! I usually buy one or two and that’s plenty to last me until the next Groupon comes out.