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    Home » Blog » Christmas » Christmas Traditions

    How to Take the Best Pictures of Christmas Morning

    Published: Nov 16, 2016 · Modified: Dec 2, 2022 by Tiffany Dahle · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Learn how to capture the best pictures of Christmas morning with these easy photography tips for parents.

    A photo collage shows several Christmas morning pictures of a family.

    Every year I fill our entire wall gallery with prints of my favorite Christmas morning photos.

    I swap out the images and add a few new prints from the prior year. 

    My jaw drops every time I get the chance to compare my older images with my newer ones.

    Of course there is the "Oh man, the kids are getting so much bigger!" every time, but I also notice the improvement in the images themselves.

    It is fun to see my progress as a photographer.

    I thought you would get a kick out of seeing the progress too.

    This morning I dug up some Christmas morning photos from a few years ago to share with more recent pictures.

    Check this out:

    5 tips for taking the best Christmas morning photos ever

    Yep! That first image is an unedited, straight out of the camera shot.

    I checked my settings and that was the very best my camera could do (highest ISO, widest aperture, slowest shutter speed I could handle without hand shake).

    The second image is my attempt to edit it.

    The third image is my favorite from that year.

    I love it but it bothers me a little that it is blurry. I had my shutter speed still too low and my hand must have shaken a little when I took it.

    Compare those to my favorite Christmas morning photo:

    christmas16

    The simple thing that made all the difference is so much easier than you think!

    5 Tips for the Best Christmas Morning Photos

    1. STALL!

    The number one most important trick to better Christmas morning photos is to stall your kids from opening their presents until the sun is up!

    The difference between that first dark photo at the top and the better images I've taken? The sun.

    It doesn't matter which camera you have, if there is no natural light in your living room your pictures are going to be grainy, blurry, or have artificial yellow tints from your lamps.

    We have several built-in Christmas morning traditions that delay the gift opening until I can open up all our blinds and let the natural light come streaming in.

    The kids think it is just part of the holiday fun and it delays the gratification of the gifts.

    2. Assign Seats

    I try not to direct or pose our Christmas morning photos too much. This is a time the kids should just relax and have fun with their gifts.

    But backgrounds make an enormous difference in the final photo. I insist the kids sit on the floor by the tree and then I angle myself so that the background captures the twinkling lights.

    They are welcome to get up and show a special gift to Daddy or run around but when they are opening a gift, their bottoms hit that floor in front of the tree!

    3. Sit on the Floor

    Shooting at the same eye level as your kids makes for such a better photo as opposed to shooting down at them from up high.

    Christmas morning finds me sitting on the floor right there with them.

    It works out great for more than just photos though. . . I'm there with a scissors for tricky boxes and am just an arm's length away for grateful hugs and kisses.

    I can't imagine any other place I'd rather be.

    4. Keep Shutter Speed Up

    Kids get excited and wiggle and jump and wave their arms a ton on Christmas morning.

    Don't let your shutter speed drop below 1/200 if you can help it.

    Raise your ISO a little more if you have to in order to compensate.

    5. Get in the Photo

    Just because you're capturing most of the action doesn't mean you need to miss out being in the wall gallery or photo album yourself!

    It is so important for moms to get in the photos too.

    Make a point to hand off the camera to another family member.

    Have them sit in your seat on the floor and crawl over to the spot you have your kids seated. Pull one of them onto your lap and cuddle in close.

    Think of it as your "Victory Lap Photo": you've got another successful holiday under your belt.

    You helped make magic for your family for another year. Get in there and be part of it!

    A Final Thought

    And above all, be kind to yourself this season.

    It is better to have missed the photo shot and to have witnessed the moment with your own eyes.

    Christmas is about the memories we make, not the photos we capture. I hope these tips help you find a balance between both!

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    5 tips for taking the best Christmas morning photos ever

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    1. ve may bay di california

      December 04, 2016 at 8:47 pm

      Nice information. Thanks for sharing

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. 50 Christmas Photo Ideas for 2019 | Shutterfly says:
      February 6, 2020 at 2:24 pm

      […] Source: Peanut Blossom […]

      Reply
    2. Easy Christmas breakfast ideas for busy moms says:
      November 10, 2019 at 1:24 pm

      […] for capturing breathtaking Christmas morning photos: You don’t even need a […]

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    3. The Busy Mom's Guide to Christmas Breakfast - Peanut Blossom says:
      December 19, 2016 at 11:38 am

      […] If you like this post, be sure you take a peek at my tips for capturing breathtaking photos on Christmas morning! Hint: You don’t need a DSLR, the tricks are for just about anyone. . . Read about how to capture your Christmas right here. […]

      Reply
    4. Cheese and Sausage Breakfast Casserole: Holiday brunch in a pinch - Peanut Blossom says:
      December 15, 2016 at 11:12 am

      […] of my favorite tricks for getting great pictures on Christmas morning is to stall my kids from opening their gifts until the sun is up. This usually involves making a […]

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Tiffany!
    I believe a great family recipe is one that makes everyone at the table happy, not just the kids. I'm the author of two bestselling cookbooks for kids that are chock full of recipes everyone in your family will love. I'm also the hostess of the best online book club for moms.

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