Holiday Photos for Kids in Los Angeles
Holiday photos with children don't have to mean one particular kind of session.
For some families, the perfect holiday portrait is a beautifully dressed child against a classic Christmas backdrop. Others want photographs with Santa. Parents of babies may want something playful to celebrate a first Christmas, while older children may enjoy an experience that gives them a story to follow and something to do.
There are more choices than ever for holiday photos for kids in Los Angeles, and the best option depends on your child's age, personality and the kinds of photographs you want to keep.
Here are several ways to approach children's holiday photography, from traditional portraits to imaginative Christmas adventures.
1. Classic Holiday Portraits for Kids
There is a reason traditional holiday portraits never really go out of style.
A beautiful backdrop, carefully chosen clothing and simple posing keep the attention on your child. These photographs work especially well for Christmas cards, framed gifts for grandparents and portraits you want to display during the holiday season.
Classic doesn't necessarily have to mean formal. Children can be photographed sitting, standing, interacting with siblings or simply being themselves within a carefully designed holiday setting.
If you love a polished Christmas look but don't necessarily want an elaborate theme or storyline, a traditional holiday portrait may be exactly what you need.
2. Storybook Holiday Photos That Let Kids Join the Adventure
Some children would much rather do something than stand still and smile for the camera.
That's where storybook photography becomes interesting.
Instead of simply placing a child on a holiday set, a storybook experience gives them a role to play. They are guided through activities and told what to do next as the story progresses.
MyNorth Pole Teddy Bear Adventure was designed around this idea.
Children discover the Teddy Bear Workshop, receive a special mission from Santa, choose a bear and help prepare their furry friend for an important journey to the North Pole.
I guide them through the experience from one scene to the next, so children don't need to know how to pose or invent the story themselves.
They have something to discover, something to accomplish and a reason to interact with everything around them.
The photographs document the adventure along the way.
3. Holiday Photos for Kids Without Santa
Not every children's holiday photography session needs to include Santa.
Some children are uncomfortable around Santa. Some families already have their annual Santa pictures. Older children may have outgrown the traditional Santa visit, while other families simply prefer holiday portraits that focus entirely on their children.
There are plenty of ways to create Christmas and holiday photos without Santa.
A winter setting, Christmas decorations, teddy bears, wrapped gifts, holiday pajamas or a more timeless portrait setup can establish the season without requiring Santa to appear in the photographs.
Even the North Pole Teddy Bear Adventure takes place without Santa physically present. Santa is part of the story, but the child is the main character.
4. Holiday Photos for Babies
Babies deserve their own approach to holiday photography.
A six-month-old and a six-year-old have completely different abilities, attention spans and ways of interacting with a photography set.
For sitting babies, I especially love simple concepts that allow us to photograph their expressions without expecting them to perform.
My Baby In A Box Holiday Photosare designed specifically with sitting babies in mind. The setup creates a series of playful Christmas images while keeping the session appropriate for this particular stage of development.
For babies celebrating their first holiday season, these photographs can also become part of a larger Baby's First Christmas collection.
Those first Christmas photographs take on a different meaning as the years pass. The baby who once fit comfortably into a tiny holiday scene will not be that small again.
5. Holiday Photos With Brothers and Sisters
Sibling holiday photographs can be some of the most meaningful images from the season, but photographing multiple children also changes the approach.
Expecting two or three children to look at the camera and produce identical smiles at exactly the same moment isn't always the most interesting goal.
Sometimes the better photograph is the interaction between them.
A shared activity can give siblings a reason to look at each other, laugh together or concentrate on something besides the camera. Traditional portraits can be mixed with more relaxed images so parents have both.
The goal is not necessarily to make every child behave exactly the same way.
It is to create photographs that show them together during this particular Christmas season.
6. Let Kids Have Something to Do
One of the simplest ways to make holiday photos easier for children is to stop making every photograph about posing.
Children naturally want to explore.
Give them a package to carry, a window to peek through, a teddy bear to hold or something interesting to discover, and suddenly the photography session has a purpose beyond looking at the camera.
This doesn't mean the session is completely unstructured.
Quite the opposite.
During a guided children's photography experience, I can direct a child toward the next activity while still leaving room for their own reaction.
That combination of direction and natural response can create a much wider range of expressions than repeatedly asking for a smile.
7. Choose Holiday Clothing That Fits the Style of the Photos
What your child wears can completely change the feeling of a holiday portrait.
For a classic look, dresses, sweaters, button-down shirts and more formal holiday clothing photograph beautifully.
For a relaxed Christmas look, simple knits, pajamas or softer textures can work well.
For a storybook session, clothing can help your child feel as though they belong in the environment without requiring an actual costume.
Solid colors and classic pieces also tend to keep the photographs from becoming visually overwhelming, especially when the holiday set already contains plenty of detail.
The most important consideration is that the clothing should work with the type of holiday photographs you're planning.
8. Think About What You Want to Do With the Photographs
Before choosing a holiday photography experience, think beyond the session itself.
Do you primarily need one strong photograph for your Christmas card?
Do you want several portraits to give as gifts?
Are you hoping for photographs of all of your children together?
Do you want something that can become an album or storybook?
Different goals can point toward very different sessions.
For example, the North Pole Teddy Bear Adventure is photographed as a sequence because the images are designed to tell a complete story. Families can choose to turn that adventure into a personalized storybook featuring their own child.
The photographs become the illustrations, and the child's journey through the experience becomes the story.
That is very different from choosing one favorite image for a holiday card, and both can be worthwhile for different reasons.
9. Consider Your Child's Personality
There isn't one holiday photography experience that is right for every child.
A child who loves dressing up and posing may have a wonderful time creating traditional Christmas portraits.
A baby may need a short, developmentally appropriate experience.
A highly imaginative child may become completely absorbed in a storybook adventure.
A shy child may prefer having an activity to concentrate on rather than being expected to interact directly with the camera.
Thinking about how your child naturally engages with the world can be more useful than simply choosing the holiday set you like best.
10. Schedule Los Angeles Holiday Photos Early Enough to Use Them
If your holiday photographs are intended for Christmas cards or gifts, the date of the session matters.
Time is needed after the photography session for image preparation, gallery delivery and any printed products you plan to order. Albums and other custom products require additional production time.
Scheduling earlier also gives families more flexibility when coordinating school, work and holiday activities.
Los Angeles families may start thinking about Christmas photography while it still feels far too early to think about Christmas. From a photography standpoint, however, planning ahead makes the end of the year considerably easier.
Frequently Asked Questions About Holiday Photos for Kids
What are the best holiday photos for kids?
The best style depends on the child's age and personality as well as what the family wants from the photographs. Options include classic holiday portraits, Santa photos, storybook photography, sibling portraits and age-appropriate holiday sessions for babies.
Do children's holiday photos have to include Santa?
No. Holiday photographs can feel unmistakably seasonal without Santa appearing in them. Christmas sets, winter environments, holiday clothing, props and story-based experiences can all create children's holiday portraits without a traditional Santa visit.
What if my child doesn't like posing for pictures?
Consider a photography experience that incorporates activities or guided play. Giving children something to do can shift their attention away from the camera while still allowing the photographer to create intentional portraits.
What is a guided holiday photography experience?
A guided experience means the photographer directs the child throughout the session. Children may be given simple tasks, shown where to go or told what to discover next. They don't need to know how to pose or decide what to do on their own.
What should kids wear for holiday photos?
Choose clothing that complements the style and colors of the photography set. Classic dresses, sweaters, button-down shirts and simple solid-colored clothing tend to photograph well. Elaborate costumes are not necessary for storybook-style holiday photography.
When should I schedule holiday photos in Los Angeles?
Schedule early enough to allow time for photography, image preparation and any Christmas cards, albums or printed gifts you want to order. Custom products generally require more time than digital images alone.
Can siblings be photographed together?
Yes. Sibling portraits can include traditional posed photographs as well as images of the children interacting. Activities can be particularly useful when photographing siblings because they give the children something to do together.
Choosing Holiday Photos Your Kids Will Remember
Holiday photography can be traditional, playful, imaginative or somewhere in between.
The important distinction is that holiday photos for kids don't have to be one-size-fits-all.
A baby experiencing a first Christmas needs something different from an older child who is ready to embark on a North Pole mission. A family looking for one beautiful Christmas card image may want something different from parents hoping to create an entire storybook.
The photographs should fit the child, not the other way around.
At Panos Productions Photography, I offer holiday photography experiences for babies, children and families throughout Los Angeles, Glendale, Pasadena, Eagle Rock, Burbank and surrounding areas, including classic holiday portraits, Baby In A Box Holiday Photos, private Santa photography and the North Pole Teddy Bear Adventure.
Explore Holiday Photography Sessions
Looking for the right holiday photography experience for your family? Explore my Los Angeles Christmas and holiday sessions for babies, children and families.
Private Santa’s Workshop
A private Santa photography experience where children have time to talk, play and interact with Santa while their Christmas memories are photographed.
North Pole Teddy Bear Adventure
An imaginative storybook photography experience where children complete a special mission for Santa, with the option to turn their adventure into a personalized Christmas storybook.
Baby In A Box Holiday Photos
A playful Christmas photography experience created especially for sitting babies, with multiple holiday scenes perfect for Baby’s First Christmas.
Family Holiday Portraits
Seasonal studio portraits for children, siblings and families, designed for Christmas cards, holiday gifts and photographs to enjoy throughout the season.
Classic Family Portraits
Timeless family photography without an overtly Christmas-themed setting, ideal for families who want portraits that can be displayed in their home all year.
