Dear Apple Cheeks

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas season, and taking tons of photos of their kiddos, but I am guessing that if you are like me, the holidays have crept up on you, and you are feeling a little guilty and stressed over all of the special moments that you had intended to capture but never did. But take heart....it's not too late!!! I have compiled a little list of eight of my favorite photo tips and moments to photograph this holiday season. Every mama deserves awesome pictures of her kids this time of year, and it isn't as hard as you might think....promise!!!!

So, without further ado, here they are.....

EIGHT WAYS TO CAPTURE THE MAGIC THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON:

1. Photograph Twinkle Lights

I know that this probably seems obvious, but how many of you have tried to photograph the beautiful, out-of-focus lights(also known as bokeh) on your tree, only to be discouraged when they do not turn out the way you envisioned? I promise that this is EASY, and once you master it, you will feel like a real photographer ;). Here are my easy-peasy steps to capture a photo just like this:

*You must have a DSLR for this type of shot, and if you have a 50mm lens, use it!!
*Turn your camera dial to the manual setting ("M")
*Turn your aperture dial until you see the LOWEST number aperture (in the case of a 50mm lens, it will be 1.8 or 1.4...a kit lens will probably be around 3-4). This is called shooting wide open :).
* Turn your ISO up HIGH(this will vary depending on your camera, but start around 1000 and go from there).
*Flip the little switch on your lens from "auto focus" to "manual focus".
*Turn the focus ring on your lens until the lights on your tree look like out of focus orbs of light...you can make them bigger by making them further out of focus, or smaller by retaining SOME focus.
*Adjust your shutter speed until you have a correct exposure, OR just play with it until you get the desired brightness in your photo....don't be too concerned with lining up the tick marks. There is nothing wrong with creatively under or overexposing! If you have a hard time with camera shake, lean against a wall or furniture to steady your hand for a slow shutter speed ;)
*Click that shutter and be amazed!!!!! :) Instant Christmas tree bokeh!!!!!

2. Set the scene and walk away.

This is a trick I use all of the time when photographing my own kids. We all want storybook pictures of our children...wouldn't it be nice if all of our Christmas photos included combed hair with bows, new pajamas or Christmas outfits, and a setting free of clutter??? Well, here is a tip: take ten minutes to change your child's clothes, clear the clutter, and stage the setting. Give the kids an activity, such as "decorate the tree" or "write a letter to Santa", and then walk away and let them do their own thing. This is lifestyle photography at its best ;)....just try not to direct your kids or pose them! Step back and capture them just as they are....natural expressions, real interaction, etc. You are bound to capture some priceless moments if you use this style of photography! Don't be afraid to offend the "die-hard" lifestyle photographers out there by tidying up a bit or wiping your kid's snotty nose before snapping the shutter lol....you are just creating a more visually dynamic and appealing photo and composition, not staging the shot!!! :)

3. Don't forget the details!!!

Sometimes, the story is in the details. For example, in order to illustrate the story of my family's eggnog tradition, I could take a snapshot of the family sitting on the couch with their cups. But sometimes a detail shot is more effective and interesting...such as a photo of four tiny cups, filled to the brim with eggnog, photographed in front of the sparkling Christmas tree. The two photos tell the same story, but the detail-shot is more visually dynamic and unique. The detail photo makes you want to hear the story, doesn't it? :) Some possible detail photos to capture this season: special ornaments, cups of hot cocoa or eggnog, little hands baking cookies, up-close shots of letters to Santa, little hands hanging ornaments on the tree, a picture of a special recipe, etc. Think outside the box when capturing a special memory!!! :)

Addie sneaking a cookie during our eggnog tradition ;)

Flour flying from little hands during cookie baking...

4. Capture special traditions

We all have fun activities that are unique to our family. Maybe you make homemade ornaments with your kids every year, or drive around looking at Christmas lights in your pj's, or have a special advent calendar. Don't get caught up in the hoopla of "elf on the shelf" or other things you feel like you "have to do". Think about the traditions that your family shares that would be greatly missed if you didn't do them....the things that you look forward to each year and always want to remember. Now go photograph those things!!!! That is the story of YOUR family :).

making cinnamon-applesauce ornaments....a yearly tradition

touring the neighborhood in a wagon with hot cocoa and jammies

picking out a Christmas tree

5. Know when to put the camera away

This one is a big deal for all of us mom-tographers out there that want to capture every special moment in our family's lives, but I bet it would surprise you to know that I take surprisingly FEW photos of my kids' activities ;). It is important to limit the time that I am shooting, so that I can also enjoy the moments as they are happening!!! My advice for this is to shoot for the first five minutes, and then put the camera down!!!!! For example, when my kiddos wake up on Christmas morning, I want to capture that excitement and wonder when they first see the presents Santa brought them. So I make sure I am "on top of my game", and get the shots I want right away, and then I put the camera down and just savor watching them and being with them. Know that when it comes to photography, it is QUALITY not QUANTITY that is important! I would rather have ONE amazing shot of my girls, wide-eyed with wonder, than FIFTY shots of them opening random gifts after the initial excitement has passed :).

going to see what Santa brought :)

the "aftermath"....asleep in her new teepee after all the Christmas festivities!

6. The night before Christmas is important too! :)

Some of my favorite photos of my girls are the ones I took while they were sleeping snugly in their beds on Christmas Eve. Tuck them in tight, read them a story, then sneak back into their rooms and capture their sweet faces as they dream about Christmas morning :). There is nothing like the innocence of a sleeping child!!! Tips: Turn on a bedside lamp or Christmas tree if your child has one in their room, and if you shoot in auto mode, turn off your flash so that you can capture the natural ambient light instead of a glaring flash! If your photo looks blurry without the flash turned on, or if you are shooting in manual and have a slow shutter speed, then use an object as a tripod....just lean against a sturdy piece of furniture, wall, or even a toy to steady your hand ;).

7. Focus on the feelings

Try not to get too caught up in photographing the "standard" Christmas things. Yes, a photo with Santa is important, but think outside the box and try to focus on the feelings you want to remember about this time in your family's lives. Whatever stage of life your children are in at this moment, it is fleeting. This year, I am soaking up all the moments of toddlerhood with Addie....her fascination with the lights, our little porcelain Christmas village, and snowglobes. I am also soaking up these last moments I have with my oldest daughter, who, for the moment, still believes in Santa :). These moments are precious to me, and I want to take photos of things that highlight their stages of childhood.

making a wish list to send to Santa...

8. Photos are made for albums and frames ;)

This year, I made a point to PRINT all of our Christmas photos. I have made a simple album to hold all of our memories, and have framed a couple of prints to put out each year :). I love sharing my pictures on Facebook and social media, but it is more important to pull those pictures OFF my computer, and put them in my family's hands for everyone to enjoy!!!

I hope this little list inspires you to take some photos you haven't thought of before, but always remember to enjoy the moment first, and capture the memory second!!!! Living in the moment is priceless :).

xoxo,
Julie

Dear Apple Cheeks,

Well girls, it is officially December, and we have spent the last two weeks decking the halls...your dad and I parked studiously at the dining room table, researching and making, decorating and designing. One of us meticulously designed a tree made from lights for the front yard using mathematical formulas, while the other crafted mini snow globes from old baby food jars, and mod-podged everything in sight with an obscene amount of red glitter. I will let you guess which things I made ;). Let's just say it's a good thing your dad and I balance each other out, because left to my own defenses, I might just cover the entire inside of the house with twinkle lights and glitter.....what can I say? I am right-brained all the way....just give me a glue stick and some paper, and I am one happy girl :).

I blame my Christmas spirit on my mother. As far as holiday cheer, goes, she set the bar pretty high. Each December, my childhood home was filled to the brim with twinkle lights, a tree in every room(including one by the [ahem] toilet [cough,cough]), and motion-activated figurines that belted out Christmas tunes when we walked by. A perpetual soundtrack of The Carpenter's Christmas carols filled the house all month long, as my mother tirelessly produced batch after batch of homemade goodies...fudge, her famous divinity, and pies. Basically, girls, your granny is the "Queen of Christmas", which makes YOUR mother the "princess of Christmas", and I am more than willing to own that title, so bring on the glitter and fake snow....let's make some magic!!! Because that was what my mother was REALLY doing all along, and we didn't even know it...she was creating an atmosphere of magic, wonder, anticipation, and joy. Every strand of lights she strung, every dollar she sacrificed to make a wish list come true, every batch of finicky divinity candy she coddled on the stovetop....it all added up to an entire childhood of Christmas wonder. I can still recall the excitement of Christmas Eve as a child...laying on my sister's trundle bed beneath the old, frayed quilt, straining to hear the faintest jingle of sleigh bells or thump of reindeer hooves. I know what it's like to be so excited you can hardly breathe, let alone SLEEP!!!! The gifts I received are a memory I can't recall, but the feeling of waking up on Christmas morning and walking down the hall to see what Santa brought? Well, that feeling is etched on my heart forever.

Oh, childhood, sweet childhood....mine just a memory, but yours here for the moment, fleeting though it may be. I vow to revel in it, savor it, dwell in it, and take advantage of every second of it! I hope that I can somehow create for you what my mother did for me....a sense of wonder, and the firm knowledge that you are loved and worth the effort. You are worth every light strung, every decoration, every special tradition we create together. So lets' make some magic this Christmas, girls. Let's create a season that has little to do with gifts, and everything to do with feelings...an overwhelming love for Jesus, a deep comfort that comes from being together as a family, and a sense of wonder and joy. Let's sit together under that old frayed quilt and drink hot chocolate. Let's cuddle on the couch and giggle together while watching Christmas movies. Let's make cookies and ornaments, and laugh instead of cry when we ruin yet another batch of Christmas candy ;). Let's make memories that will last a lifetime...the kind of memories that can bring warmth on a chilly day, and bring you back home when your childhood seems very far away.

Christmas is in your blood, girls...embrace it!!!! :)

With love (and glitter),
Mama

Just a few of our outdoor lights :)...