Q+A: Holiday Card Shoot at Country Cove Christmas Tree Farm

Happy Holidays from Nashville, mamas!

Today I wanted to share holiday card tips in a Q+A format, as well as some actual shots from our family shoot. Holiday cards can be unnecessarily tough and expensive to execute, and they shouldn't be! With these tips and some photo inspiration, we hope the day is anything but that. This year, we hope your Christmas card photoshoot is a fun and celebratory event that serves as a snapshot in time of your family, especially your kids as they grow. With that, we take Christmas cards to heart and hope these tips help you get the most out of your holiday cards this season!

Holiday Card Tips​
​

How did you choose a suitable holiday card setting? 
I did the research, narrowed it down to my favorite kinds of photos then set out to make it all happen. First, I scoured the internet, aka Pinterest, looking at holiday card inspiration. Through this search, I found that my favorite cards were those: 1) taken outdoors and those 2) at Christmas tree lots/farms. Outdoor photos utilize natural light and with my limited knowledge of photography, I knew that outdoor shots make the best, highest quality images and are the most natural-looking. As for the Christmas tree idea, I 100% knew I wanted the photos taken at a Christmas tree farm. I mean, how cute, right? Plus, none of us had been to a Christmas tree farm with the exception of my husband. 
The trouble was accessing a farm without a ton of people walking through shopping for trees while we were trying to take photos. I googled Christmas tree farms and ultimately came cross the gem that is Country Cove Christmas Tree Farm, which offered holiday card photoshoots during the week (rather than the weekend when the Christmas tree shoppers were present). Not only that, but the farm provided several different setups for photos with Christmas-oriented props. It couldn't have been a cuter, more fun place to take photos.
My recommendation for choosing a holiday card setting is to do something that embodies you and your family, that'll make a fun outing for the entire family! I knew that driving out to a Christmas Tree Farm all dressed up would make for cute photos, and an amazing adventure/family outing, most importantly. This made the entire experience fun and very natural, which makes for great photos!


How did you get the props?
Again, these were included in the shoot. We paid $40 to take the photos at Country Cove Christmas Tree Farm and got to use all of the props/stations for photos. 
Before I came across Country Cove, I was at the point that I was literally going to go to Michael's and buy some props for a shoot at our house. Instead, I recommend searching for a venue that has props already in place. If you can't find that, focus on the setting and bring a few Christmas decorations lying around the house, maybe a wreath or a star, or something!

How did you decide on your holiday card outfits?
I say dress it up, keep it timeless and be totally you. For my family, I started with me (the only person who cares what they are wearing). I knew I wanted to wear a plaid dress. Once I found my dress, I honestly selected everyone's outfits around mine. I found my dress on Revolve. Highly recommend. You can find my outfit/makeup details HERE. 
For outfits, I recommend selecting the most important outfit first, and then coordinating everyone's around it. For instance, if you KNOW you want your oldest son to wear his navy striped moose sweater, then use that, and plan everyone else's around that. 
I also recommend mixing and matching prints and playing off of a color scheme (but not matchy-matchy). I wanted to wear plaid, but didn't want everyone to be wearing plaid. I simply played off of the plaid print when selecting the boys' outfits. I did the same thing with color. We all wore some shade of red, but all different.
If you don't want to spend a ton of money, I recommend focusing on shirts/tops. That is what I did. I took it as an excuse to buy the boys new holiday shirts (except Ryan because he doesn't care ha!), which they needed, and they all wore old pants. Jeans are always a go-to for family photos; a nice shirt with jeans, and you can't go wrong.
Last point, I also played off of the setting. Because we were taking photos at a Christmas Tree Farm with GREEN trees, I knew I wanted our outfits to be RED, which contrasted nicely with green and are also the perfect Christmas colors. In addition to the colors contrasting and because we were at a Christmas Tree Farm, I kind of wanted a lumberjack vibe. Thus, Lincoln is wearing a maroon/grey flannel button-down, V is wearing a bear shirt, and Ryan is in a brighter red flannel. I wanted us to look nice but not overly dressed up; like we were going out to the farm to cut down our tree, but a little nicer :)


How did you find your photographer?
This is funny. I actually went on Instagram and searched the hashtag "#nashvillephotography" and clicked on the best looking photos. I then emailed those photographers. One of the photographers I emailed was a Belmont University student, who told me that his photos didn't show well on IG, so he recommended his friend, Merritt Ellaine. Merritt, who took the photos in this post, is an EXTREMELY talented photographer (you can access her site HERE). She is also a student at Belmont University, studying photography. I looked at her IG and she is AMAZING to say the least. Not only that, but she is sweet as can be. 
Thus, when searching for a photographer, consider out-of-the-box options. Sometimes you can find people on IG or even students at a local university, who won't charge $1,000 for a holiday card shoot, but are just as talented. I also recommend choosing a photographer who is friendly/nice to work with. I mean, you are taking family photos, this person should be able to make your kids laugh. They should also make you feel extremely comfortable. Sometimes holiday card shoots can be a-wkward. Choose someone who makes the shoot fun for everyone, and who you feel comfortable around! The best photos are the most natural.
​Last point on this, be sure and take note of the type of filters that your photographer uses. You can tell the type of filter by looking at the image and assessing the type of "vibe" or "mood" that the photos give off.  Think Instagram filter. What filters do you like? Do you like a faded look? Do you like a bright/colorful look? Do you like black and white? Do you like deep/moody colors? Do you like a bright skyline? Again, the final editing schematic gives the photos their overall vibe and mood. You can see that our photos have a colorful, yet sepia tone to them, emphasizing the warm sky line. To me, Merritt's editing is perfect. Pay attention to the way your photographer edits and if you want a particular "filter", show them examples.

What time of day should I take my photos?
The time of day you take your photos is almost as important as the photographer you select. If you take your photos when the sun is too bright, your photos will end up overexposed. If you take your photos when there is not enough light, the photos will be too dark. The key is to take your photos earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon - when the sun is just right.
For fall/winter shoots, aim for a shoot before 10am or after 4pm. For spring/summer shoots, aim before 9am or after 5pm. 

How do you get your kids to look at the camera?
​We were lucky and Merritt actually brought two of her sweet friends to the photoshoot. They clapped and cheered to make the boys look at the camera. They also bribed Lincoln with candy and cookies (which I fully pioneered and encouraged). Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.
In hindsight, I wished I would have brought a bright toy for the baby and some treats for Lincoln. The bright toy would have been a focal point for the baby and the treats would have allowed Lincoln to get an instant reward after smiling!
I also recommend taking some shots in which the kids aren't looking, but instead you are just "being" with your family. Some of my favorite photos are candid. Maybe you won't use this for your card, but they are the best keepsakes.


What is your biggest recommendation for holiday cards?
I have two recommendations: 1) again, do something this is totally representative of your family, and 2) make it a fun outing. Starting with the former: do something that embodies your family... My sister-in-law's friend uses a photo of her kids crying hysterically while sitting on Santa's lap. She uses this photo for her Christmas Card every year and it is the funniest thing ever. It embodies her and her family in a fun and unique way.
For my family, (or mainly me ha!) it is important that we take the photos seriously - meaning putting in some effort. Personally, holiday card shoots are so much fun for me; it is the time of year where mama gets to shine and I can execute my inner creativity. I live for the planing and the details: the setting/location, photographer, makeup, hair, outfits, etc ... literally, it is what I am passionate about as a mom and there are only so many opportunities for me to do things like this throughout the year. Therefore, I had fun with it and I'm not ashamed to say that I take holiday cards seriously... because that is me! Aside from me, me, me - I knew I wanted it to be adventurous and something we'd enjoy doing. In saying all of this, I am thrilled with how the photos turned out and how representative they are of our fam!
In sum, I think it is always authentic to do what suits you and your family. If you are a funny family, do something funny. If you are a family that likes to get dressed up, do that. If you like outdoor adventures, do that. If you don't care, do that! Christmas cards are a reflection of you and your family, it is best to do something that you feel comfortable doing and something you'll remember as totally YOUR family!
Lastly, make the photos FUN. Holiday photoshoots can either be a pain in the you-know-what or they can be one of the highlights of the year. One recommendation to make the shoot fun is to make it a fun outing for your family; maybe something you've never done before, like adventuring to a Christmas Tree Farm. By making your photoshoot fun, it'll make for great photos and will be something you always remember.

Happy Holidays, Mamas!
From our family to yours,

ILA 
(and Ryan, Lincoln + V)