Guide · Family Christmas card photos
Family Christmas card photo ideas
Ideas you can shoot yourself: at home, outdoors, funny, with a baby or the dog, plus what to wear and how to get the shot.
The short answer
The best family Christmas card photos are simple scenes shot in good light: pajamas on the stairs, decorating the tree, a walk in the snow, or one funny moment of chaos. Face a window or shoot right before sunset, set the phone timer to burst mode, and keep the candid shot between poses.
Photo ideas, by setting
At home
- Everyone in pajamas on the stairs, oldest at the top.
- Decorating the tree, shot from behind it through the branches.
- The kitchen mid-cookie, flour everywhere.
- Piled on the couch under one blanket, with the tree lit behind you.
- The front door with a wreath and everyone peeking out.
Outdoors
- Walking away down a snowy path, holding hands.
- At the tree farm with the tree you just cut.
- In front of the neighborhood lights at dusk, right after sunset.
- A snowball fight, shot in burst mode.
- Bundled on the porch with mugs of cocoa.
Funny
- Everyone calm except one person in total chaos.
- The dog in a better outfit than the humans.
- The parents tangled in the lights; the kids look on.
- Recreate an old family photo, same poses, years later.
- A "team photo": arms crossed, serious faces, matching shirts.
With a baby or the pets
- Baby asleep in a stocking-shaped blanket, everyone else around.
- The baby's first Christmas, held up by the tree like a trophy.
- The dog in the middle, everyone else looking at the dog.
- Baby and pet side by side, same height, same hat.
- A close-up of tiny hands on a big ornament.
How to get the shot
Light
Face a window, or shoot outside in the hour before sunset. Turn off overhead lights; keep the tree lights on.
Outfits
Pick two or three colors and let each person wear them differently. Avoid big logos and tiny patterns.
Timing
Set a phone on a timer in burst mode, and take a lot. The candid one between poses is usually the keeper.
Framing
Leave room around everyone. A card crops tighter than a phone screen.
Turning it into a card? See photo tips for trading cards and family trading cards.
Too many good photos for one card
Put the keeper on the front of a Cardbop Christmas card and the outtakes behind it. Every Cardbop card is a Living Card: the QR code printed on the back opens a page that belongs to that card. Add the year's best photos, the family letter, and a video of everyone saying Merry Christmas.
Frequently asked questions
What are good family Christmas card photo ideas?+
Pajamas on the stairs, decorating the tree, a tree-farm trip, a walk in the snow, or a funny shot where one person is in total chaos. Shoot near a window or right before sunset, and take a lot of photos in burst mode.
What should a family wear for Christmas card photos?+
Pick two or three colors and let everyone wear them in their own way. Avoid big logos and busy small patterns, which distract on a small card.
How do you take a family Christmas photo yourself?+
Set your phone on a tripod or a stack of books, use the timer in burst mode, and face the light. Shoot more than you think you need; the in-between moments are often the best ones.
What's a Christmas card idea without a family photo?+
Use the dog, the house in the snow, the kids' handprints, or a single detail like the ornament from your first Christmas. Or put one photo on the front and the rest of the year's photos behind a QR code.
Can I put more than one photo on a Christmas card?+
Every Cardbop card is a Living Card: the QR code printed on the back opens a page that belongs to that card. The family photo goes on the front, and the outtakes, the letter, and a video go behind the code. A single card in a case is $29.99; a 10-card Pack is $49.99.