How To Take Your Own Christmas Card Photos

My first Christmas mini session client was….my own little family! That’s right. I brought my husband and daughters to work with me, so I could take some Christmas family photos of the four of us with my tripod! I had low expectations for how taking our own photos with a toddler and a baby would go, but I’m pleasantly surprised by the results!

Here’s a little breakdown of how I take our own family photos! First of all, let me say, I don’t necessarily recommend trying to take your own family photos. We typically hire family photographers a couple times a year, but sometimes I just need photos with my babies in between. So self-timer portraits work in a pinch!

Here’s the settings I use to take our photos. I know a lot of people like using a remote, but I personally prefer self timer mode! I use my Nikon z6ii. I set the shutter release mode to self-timer. I set it to 10 second delay, and 9 photos (1 second apart).

I set my camera on a tripod and I have a little monkey on top to help the girls know where to look. First, I position Mark with one of the girls. I set my settings and composition, then I explain the pose or poses. After I hit the shutter button, I have 10 seconds to get into place with the other baby and we have 9 tries to get a good photo or two. Then repeat the process for the next pose!

Enjoy a few of my favorite photos from my own family Christmas mini session below!

If you’re interested in booking your own family photos, you can see all of the details here.

If you’re interested in my current mini session openings, you can see those here.

Are you ready to book your own family, newborn, or maternity photos in the Travelers Rest, SC, Taylors, SC, Greer, SC, or the Greenville, SC area? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you during this exciting season of your life! You can book your photos by clicking here: https://michellepoteet.com/book-now

Or click here to chat with me first: https://michellepoteet.com/contact

Hi there! I’m Michelle, a Greenville, SC based photographer specializing in capturing family photos, maternity sessions, and newborn photos, and I also offer seasonal mini sessions such as fall mini sessions and Christmas mini sessions! Are you looking for family photographers, maternity photographers, or newborn photographers in the Greenville, South Carolina area? I would absolutely LOVE to work with you!

You can see all the details about newborn photos with me by clicking here.

Or, you can see all the details about family photos with me by clicking here.

You can book a photo session with me by clicking here. Have questions you want to chat through before booking? Click here instead! I can’t wait to create and capture memories for you to hang in your home and cherish forever.