You deserve to get the most out of your Christmas tree farm mini session in 2024!
Are you counting down the sleeps until Christmas or are you like me and your to-do list is so long that you are concerned you won't get any sleep at all before Christmas? I do have to pat myself on my back though because I bought a Christmas gift for my niece yesterday. Just the one though, I still have 13 nieces and nephews to go...not to mention my own daughter and parents, in-laws, and siblings, and I better stop before I get overwhelmed again.
The good news is that I can help take one thing off of your to-do list and that is Christmas family photos! Booking a mini session for your Christmas photo is the perfect way to get what you need - a great photo (or 5) for your Christmas cards without a huge price tag or time commitment.
BONUS: Christmas photos make great gifts for grandparents!
Why should you book a Christmas mini session?
Christmas tree farm mini sessions are a great way to quickly capture a few photos to use for Christmas cards or gifts or just to update your mantle or wall for the next year. Since the sessions are only 10 minutes, you don't have to worry about the kids (or your husband) getting bored or tired or ruining their special outfits before the session is over. It's short, it's easy, it's fun, and then it's over and you've crossed something off your to-do list! Congratulations on a job well done.
How to Prepare for your Christmas Tree Farm Mini Session
Before Your Session
- Choose the outfits you want you and your family to wear and lay them out together to make sure you like how they all look together. I recommend you choose one main color and build around that with neutrals and maybe 1 or 2 additional pops of color. Jewel tones look best with the Christmas trees and be careful with the color green as it can easily blend in with nature! However, if you want a more monochromatic look, greens, browns, and other neutrals are going to look best!
- When it comes to patterns - less is (usually) more and it's best to stick to just one. But hey, I've seen some mix-and-match options that end up looking really good and rules were made to be broken so do whatever fits your family's personalities best! This is why I suggest laying out the clothes all together ahead of time so that you can see how they flow as a group.
- Try on your outfits ahead of time to make sure everything fits just in case someone grew overnight!
- Get the kids excited by telling them about the fun activity of going to a Christmas tree farm for pictures. You can tell them what they'll expect to see there and if you are excited, they will be too.
- Set expectations ahead of time as far as what you expect from the kids regarding happy attitudes and cooperation. I'm also not above a good bribe. It could be ice cream after, a new toy, extra screen time, or something that is special to your kids.
- Look up the address and know how long it will take you to get there. I recommend building a margin of extra time into your schedule to deal with any meltdowns, lost socks, or unexpected traffic.
When You Arrive For Your Session
- Plan to be a little early so that you have time to give everyone a once-over and adjust hair and outfits if needed before it's time for your session to start.
- Remove items from pockets, spit out gum, and remove sunglasses and smartwatches.
- Find your photographer and wait nearby if it isn't quite your turn yet.
- It's tempting to want to snap a few cell phone photos while you wait for your session but I recommend you save that for after your time slot and here's why: sometimes the kids only have so many good smiles and patience for photos so you may want to hold off until the professional photos are done and then if the kids are still into it, explore the farm (if allowed) and take your own cell photos!
Bonus: I love getting behind-the-scenes photos from my clients! So if you happen to snap any of me, either with your family or another client, please don't hesitate to share those with me! I love to feature them on my social media!
During Your Session
- Be silly and have fun! I know I don't want every photo to be "ok, look here, 123 smile" and I know you don't either. As a photographer, I want to hear your 7-year-old's latest joke and see how high Dad can throw the kids in the air. Don't be afraid to give hugs and kisses and surprise tickles. Just be yourselves and your photos will look candid and natural effortlessly!
- If you've got little ones, I suggest having small candies, like gummies or Smarties, available in a purse or bag nearby in case immediate rewards are necessary. Just make sure it's not chocolate or something that will color their teeth/mouth! Little marshmallows make for a quick, clean, and festive treat!
- Share ideas! If you've got something in mind or want a particular photo, let your photographer know!
- And if you're my client - You can rest assured that I'll be prepared with poses and prompts to keep things moving and ensure you get a wide variety of photos. We'll be sure to get everyone together, some of the kids, just mom and dad, and even mommy and me/daddy and me, and individuals of everyone as well, if time allows.
Follow these tips and you'll be rockin' around the Christmas tree farm in 2024!
Did you get it? How to rock your Christmas tree farm minis - rockin' around the Christmas tree? Ok, it was a little cheesy but I couldn't help myself. My husband must be rubbing off on me. #dadjokes
Booking a Christmas Tree Farm mini session with Christian Michelle Photography in 2024
You have a lot of options when it comes to Chattanooga photographers and there are so many offering mini sessions this year! If you are going to be in the Chattanooga, TN or North Georgia area and haven't booked a Christmas mini session yet, you can check my openings here or send me a message. I am a family lifestyle photographer in Chattanooga and if you'd like to learn more about what it's like to work with me, I invite you to check out my About Me page.
See the rest of my favorite photos from past year's Chattanooga Christmas tree farm mini sessions below. Spoiler alert, they all rocked it.
