Fall is here to stay in North Carolina. After a glorious week of fake fall, followed by a second summer, the cooler temps don’t appear to be fading. And that means…it’s fall photo season!
Getting real mail is so rare these days that sending and receiving holiday cards really is a treat each holiday season. Make sure your holiday photo card stays at the top of the stack with a few creative holiday photo ideas for pets and kids.
The easiest option of course is to book one of my private mini sessions with Santa Claus on November 3rd. All you have to do is get your outfits on (or pjs) and show up.
Start with your card in mind
Go ahead and browse card designs online to see if you fall in love with certain ones. This can help inspire your outfit choices to match the colors available in the card design. If you know you want to use a vertical card with a big family photo on the front, this is helpful information for your photographer to make sure to photograph both horizontal and vertical options.
Here are some fun family and pet photo ideas for your holiday cards.
Cozy fireplace
Cozy up by the fire with your pet for a classic Christmas card look. Add some garland, stockings, and sit on a cozy blanket together. This is a simple look that never goes out of style.
Holiday Bandanas or Traditional Props
Sometimes less is more! A simple holiday bandana will make your pet look instantly festive. You can get in on the action with your own matching hair tie from Crew Lala. Boone and I have ones for spring! Use my code “Boone10” to save 10% (and Boone earns 10% to save up for his next bowtie). Or go with one of the many pet-specific holiday wear items at your local pet store.
Holiday pajama party
I’m willing to bet my kids will one day see a post online that says “You know you grew up in the 2010s if your family had matching holiday pajamas.” It’s trend that is fun and here to stay for a while. It’s also probably the easiest to pick from this list of holiday photo ideas for pets and kids.
The best part, most companies now include matching pajamas for your dog! Hanna Anderson is one of my favorite kid’s clothing companies, especially for pajamas. They are thick and high-quality enough to pass down to multiple kids in the family.
If your pajama pattern has a lot going on, keep the background simple. Go outside and have nice lush green trees as your background or sit on the couch or a large chair that doesn’t have much decor behind it.
Here are my kiddos in their matching plaid pajamas the night we adopted Boone earlier this year.
Merry and bright with lights
Decorate a space with twinkling holiday lights, dim the background, and let your pet explore the festive setup. Be sure to use safe, pet-friendly lights and supervise closely to avoid any mishaps. Capture your pet interacting with the lights, or simply sitting amidst the sparkle. You may want to practice photographing the lights without your pet, to experiment with different floor surfaces, backgrounds, and room brightness.
The Off-Limits Christmas Tree
Sometimes, we have to adjust our decorating style for our pets. Do you have to hang your Christmas tree from the ceiling so your cat won’t climb it? Do you put a baby gate around your tree to keep your toddler or puppy from knocking off all the ornaments? Do you only use plastic ornaments because you know they are going to fall as some point?
Pair a few of these headlines with a photo of your dog and kids in front of the baby gate:
“Santa’s littlest mischief-makers, on lockdown!”
“Baby’s first Christmas… dog’s tenth try to knock over the tree.”
Place a treat under the tree and allow your pup to get it while you snap a photo on the other side of the gate to go along with this line: “Making the naughty list one ornament at a time.”
Trimming the tree
You can also incorporate some of the above ideas with photos of the kids decorating your tree. Baxter loved to dig into the ornament boxes to sneak an ornament to chew or rip up the tissue paper we used to wrap up the ornaments.
Or turn off most of the lights in the room while the tree is lit. You can snap sweet silhouettes of the kids adding ornaments to the tree.
Easy wreath holiday photo
One of the easiest options is to hold a green wreath a foot or two over your pups face and photograph them through the wreath. To make it even easier, have somebody else hold the wreath so you can hold a treat in one hand and your phone in the other.
Take advantage of charity photo shoots
Each year I host a Holiday photo booth with Triangle Beagle Rescue. The cost is $10 per pup and all of the money raised goes directly to the rescue. This year’s event is the first Saturday of December. Follow their Facebook page for details.
Tips for a successful pet photo session
1) Be patient: Pets can be unpredictable, so be patient and ready to snap photos at the right moment. Take a bunch – that’s what digital cameras are for!
2) Use treats and toys: Use treats and toys to get your pet’s attention or to entice them to interact with your props.
3) Lighting matters: Natural light is often the best for pet photography, so take your photos near a window or outdoors if possible. Don’t mix natural light with artificial light.
4) Keep it fun: Make the photo session enjoyable for your pet to ensure they’re happy and relaxed. If your pet doesn’t seem to be enjoying it…don’t force it.
5) Selfies are great, but never underestimate the ease of working with a professional. Your pet will thank you too.
If all of this sounds like too much work or you don’t think your pet has any interest in playing along, let me help. My holiday photos with Santa make the perfect holiday gift for your family and all the other pet lovers in your life! I’m also offering one hour of non-holiday themed mini sessions November 3rd.
