Did you know that the roots of the Santa Claus story date back to 280 AD in Turkey? This is just one of the ancient influences that helped form modern Christmas. Christmas has roots that span from the Roman holiday Saturnalia, the Norse holiday Yule, and more.
This mix of cross-cultural roots is one of the things that has made Christmas one of the most celebrated holidays in the world. It’s also the same season as the New Year, which makes it the perfect time to take annual family photos and send out Christmas cards!
If you want to do a family Christmas photoshoot, dressing your children can be difficult! You want to find the right outfit that’s seasonal without being too costume-y, and without breaking the bank on clothes your children will grow out of!
In this article, we’ll be discussing all our best Christmas photoshoot ideas, so read on to learn more!
A Timeless Look
If you’re not looking for something too overwhelmingly Christmas-themed, you can use the holiday as a reason to take annual photos to document the growth of your children.
If that’s the case, we suggest neutral colors and soft tones, as they will match every skin tone and every interior decoration. This means you can hang your child’s holiday portrait anywhere in your home!
For a bit of visual interest, you can try playing with natural clothing materials like linen and cotton in your baby’s clothing, as they will create some interesting texture in close-ups.
Matching Pajamas
A classic winter photo idea is matching pajamas for the whole family! A matching family photo makes for a perfect addition to your Christmas card, and a great gift for the grandparents.
Stripes in red and green are the iconic Christmas pajama pattern. You can’t go wrong with red and green candy cane stripes!
However, there are a few more unconventional pajama outfit ideas. For example, a dark blue set with snowflakes is perfect for a Christmas photoshoot.
If you’re looking for inspiration for your baby’s new outfit, you can check out Hanna Andersson for fun, fresh ideas like patterns with reindeer, foxes, or gnomes!
Color Themes
If matching family sets aren’t right for your photo, you can always consider a color theme for your photos. Whether you want to take a photo with the whole family or a portrait of each member, using the same color theme will give your photos a unifying factor.
For a classy Yule theme, try a green, red, and gold color set. Alternatively, deep maroon and emerald tones evoke Christmas themes without being too overwhelming.
You can also opt for subtle holiday accents that compliment your outfit. Have your family dress in their Christmas best, and then add touches of color. You can add a pop of color with a tie, pocket squares, scarves, and other accessories.
Consider winter accent colors like dark blue, forest green, and ruby red. For something slightly more unique, you can use gold and white as your accent colors.
Costumes
Costumes are a great idea for a baby photoshoot. Everyone loves a photo of a small child dressed as an angel, a reindeer, or even a snowman!
You can always dress your baby up as Santa or even an elf! Even a Santa hat makes for a good costume. For newborns, an oversized Santa hat makes for a charming look.
Props
Props are a great idea for photoshoots involving children, as they give them something to play with and can draw out expressions of childlike wonder.
In the holiday season, any kind of prop works well! You can even stage the environment so it looks like your child has just unwrapped their Christmas gifts. Alternatively, candy canes, Christmas trees, and perfectly wrapped gifts make great props.
For slightly older children, you can stage photographs of them decorating Christmas cookies, cutting snowflakes, building a snowman, or any other seasonal activity you can think of! You can also stage photos of your children near the Christmas tree, with ornaments around them, as if they’re in the middle of decorating it!
For newborns, consider photographing them in a wreath, a gift box, or a stocking. Soft Christmas lights also make a good backdrop.
Play to Your Location
Consider an outdoor photoshoot that highlights the uniqueness of your location. Do you live somewhere where it’s warm for Christmas? Consider a beachy photo and use mini Hawaiian shirts as your baby clothes!
Likewise, if you live in the mountains, consider using them as the backdrop to your portraits.
Things to Avoid
When planning a baby photoshoot, the world is your oyster. However, there are a few faux pas that you should avoid so your photos stay timeless.
We recommend avoiding large logos, bright colors, and fancy patterns, as they won’t age as well as something classic. Generally, dark clothes are discouraged too but they do work well for some Christmas visions.
Bring Your Christmas Photoshoot Vision to Life
Hopefully, at least one of these ideas will have tickled your creativity. Whatever your vision is, you can bring it to life in a Christmas photoshoot. Once you see the results, you’ll hurry to frame them for your wall.
Make it an annual tradition and keep a record of your child growing up through every holiday season! If you enjoyed learning about our favorite Christmas photoshoot ideas for children, we have lots of tips on our blog. Check it out for more!