Uh-oh, did you forget to hire someone to take your family portrait but you need a photo of your clan to throw in with the holiday cards in a snap? With a camera and a little patience (and maybe some prescription meds) you can take your own family portrait in no time!

And I was just kidding about the meds. Promise. (I think.)

Getting prints is easy – once you actually have the photos you like you can either rush order them online or you can take them to your local one hour photo shop (stand alone or in many drug and department stores) and get your prints.

It’s *getting* the photo we need to concentrate on, right? Ok.

1. Choose a backdrop for your family that is not distracting – the more simple, the better. Outside areas where you can stand in front of a tree and see nothing but leaves in the background are great, for example. If you want to take photos inside, you can purchase a piece of fabric to hang in the background to create an even, simple look.

2. This is like taking a kid to the doctor – you don’t do it when they’re hungry or tired. So make sure those things are taken care of before your photo shoot.

3. Let the children know in advance what you will be doing, and ask for their cooperation for at least 30 minutes. You may want to set up a reward in advance for good behavior to keep them in line.

4. Choose simple clothing for the best look – try to avoid patterns, and try not to wear white. If you want to have a little fun, you can wear Santa hats or Reindeer Antlers. You know, if you’re into that sort of thing.

5. If possible, avoid sitting on the couch – people generally look slumped and frumpy on a couch. Regardless of sitting or standing, encourage good posture. Head up, chin down and out, back straight, big breath in!

6. Put your camera on a tripod and use the timer or a remote trigger.

7. Be willing and ready to take approximately a ton and a half of photos. Make sure ahead of time that the battery is fully charged and you have a clean slate on your memory card, then take as many darn photos as you can.This is the blessing of the digital age. You snap away like mad with no regrets during the shoot, and later you can pick and choose the few photos that are actually great and make the rest disappear.

8. Don’t stress it. I know, I know, easier said than done. But if you can keep a cool head and actually have fun? This will be over before you know it and you’ll have a photo to cherish and show off to all your family and friends.

9. In between “serious” poses, make sure you take the time to shoot some “fun” shots where everyone acts silly.  This assures that everyone stays in a good mood, and it keeps the Fun present.  And  you know what?

You may actually treasure the sillies later even more than the “proper” ones.

Photo Credits:
Top: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sylviawestenbroek/ / CC BY 2.0
Bottom: © all rights reserved, Lotus Carroll