In-home session guide
I'm so thrilled you have booked one of my ten in-home festive photoshoots.
I really want you and your family to enjoy everything about this session, including getting decorations up early and having fun on the day, what's most important is creating memories along the way.
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You may read this and feel overwhelmed - please don't! Theres a lot of info here but I'm around to chat through any ideas you may have or help out in any way I can. Being that the session is only an hour, it's better to be prepared so we can get the most out of the time we have.
Your festive session
- Firstly, please remember that for this session you can make it what you want. It's about your family and your way of celebrating the festive season so if you'd like to go all out Christmassy please do, or if you would rather keep it simple then thats okay too.
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- An artificial tree is absolutely fine!
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- As I shoot in natural light it's best to have your tree or setup near a window or a lighter spot in your home rather than a dark corner. Don't block the light coming in, instead place the tree on either side so we have the use of the natural light from outside. You can send me a photo of your space and I can help with any advice.
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​- Not all of the photos need to be in the one spot, we can use a couple of locations within your home, for instance you may want shots under the tree and then some cosy sofa photos of your family too.​
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​- If you've done a session with me before you'll know that I love to capture unposed moments. On the day we'll make sure to get a lovely mix of both.
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Tips and info
- Take some time to think about how you want you photos to look, clothing and colours. Styling doesn't have to be scary or complicated, it can be as easy as picking a colour palette and building on it from there. For example, perhaps you have a colour theme for your tree every year, this could be a great place to start when it comes to thinking about what to wear etc.
Or, maybe you're the family that has a rainbow selection of odd decorations and your kids randomly place everything on. Again, its about your style and what reflects your family.
- Think props. Again nothing to worry about, things you already have at home like decorations, festive themed bits like stockings, a santa sack, a wreath, even a cosy blanket we can use for snuggly photos or to sit on at the base of the tree.
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- "Cooperative" pets are welcome ;-)
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A good place to start
A few tips on how to achieve festive looks:
I want my photos to look warm
and wintery
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Pick wools and knits both in clothing and props like blankets etc they create beautiful texture in photographs and give off a wintery vibe
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Go with richer Christmas colours like reds, darker greens and even deep violets
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I want my photos to look fresh, light and like a sunny Doha Christmas
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Clothing that's light and flowing
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Whites, lighter tones and even golds
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What to avoid:​
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Large logos
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Neon
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Strong/bold stripes or spots
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Dark colours like blacks, dark greys and very dark blues
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Tight or short clothing. We’ll be moving around a lot during our session, so keep comfortable and avoid anything restrictive
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Prop ideas
You could have all or none of these, again it's your vision so these are just ideas.
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Santa sack (I have a Doha one if anyone wants to borrow it)
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Stockings
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Novelty headbands, reindeer antlers etc.
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Wreaths
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Tree decorations, baubles etc
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Stars
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Wrapped presents
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Cosy blankets to sit on or cosy up with