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The Prince and Princess of Wales have unveiled a brand-new family photograph for this year’s Christmas card, sparking interest in how to achieve the ideal festive portrait. Josh Shinner, the talented photographer behind the heartwarming image, offers his expert advice on capturing that perfect holiday moment.
1. Choose your moment!
Royal Christmas Cards
Avoid attempting to snap a family photo when everyone is busy, like during the hustle and bustle of preparing Christmas dinner. Instead, give your family members advance notice so they can be relaxed and ready. A well-chosen moment can make all the difference in the final picture.
2. Take multiple frames.
Catching the perfect shot often requires taking several pictures. This approach ensures that you have a variety of expressions and moments to choose from, increasing the likelihood of capturing a natural and joyful family scene. Multiple frames provide more options and reduce the pressure of getting it right on the first try.
In a group shot, there’ll always be someone blinking or saying something, so take more than you need… can sometimes be a numbers game, and the best shot often comes when everyone thinks you’ve finished shooting and you take just one more.
3. Avoid having ceiling lights directly above the group.
Don’t do it under the kitchen spotlights. Try and position the camera just inside a big window (one ideally facing north or east if possible) so there’s natural and even light on everyone’s faces.
4. Break up the composition.
Instead of everyone just being in a single line, try to have some height variation so the faces are more grouped together. Granny in her favourite chair, others stood behind and sat on the arm of the chair, grandchildren on the floor in front or on knees perhaps.
5. Make it personal.
Getting to know your subjects in portraiture is absolutely key. Thankfully you know this group of people better than anyone. Use in-jokes or old stories to bring out a natural and genuine reaction rather than just telling everyone to say “cheese” on cue.
6. Get in the picture.
Most phones and cameras now enable you to trigger the shutter and take the photo from a nearby device. Set the shot up, hold the second device behind someone’s back and snap away. Or if all else fails use self-timer.
O2 Priority recently teamed up with Josh Shinner to offer families across the country a free once-in-a-lifetime family portrait experience.
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