Christmas Tree Poses?? HELP

[terri33inne]

I've been hired to take pictures of a family (all adults) before they go to a formal Christmas party... she wants photo journalistic artistic style by their Christmas tree. I just did a flikr search for posing ideas, but they all look like that same... family standing in front of the Christmas tree. Any suggestions PLEASE?

I'm also concerned about lighting as we're shooting after sunset in a room w/ cathedral ceilings and I have no external lighting so I'll be relying on my 50mm/1.4 lens.

Any tips are greatly appreciated...

[SusanH1970]

Lisa Lucky (amaaaaaazing photographer) did one last year that was too cute. She had her kids in matching pajamas on either side of the lit tree looking at it (think they might have been holding ornaments, like they were about to put them on the tree), no other lights on in the room. To get the tree lights to look right and use only the tree lights to light her kids' faces, she shot at a high ISO and used a slow shutter speed (on a tripod). Wish I could find a link to the photo! I saw it on another forum last year and it stuck in my head because I want to try it with my own kids.

[Jim Bryant]

That would be cute...all adults in matching pj's. Have them all decorating the tree,get up high and shoot down on them. That's what a photojournalist would do.

[SusanH1970]

Originally Posted by Jim Bryant

That would be cute...all adults in matching pj's. Have them all decorating the tree,get up high and shoot down on them. That's what a photojournalist would do.

LOL.....I didn't see in the OP that it was all adults! Still, it might actually be kinda cute if they went for it. Or they could just dress normally, the idea would still work.

[terri33inne]

I love the PJ idea... that would be really cute. She hired me for this time as they'll be all dressed up to go to a party so I don't think wardrobe changes would go over too well...

I found a handful of ideas on Flikr... I'll try to focus on details... I found one on Flikr of the subject close & the tree really far back and totally bokeh-ed (is that a word... if not I just made it up) out. It's 2 couples, and a single son... she wants whole family, some of each couple, and some of the son. She sent me pix of the room & it's large so that should work.

Still needing to figure out the lighting. I think in the future I just need to be up front with people that I'm a natural light photographer.

[candidrachel]

A family in matching pj's is a serious CRIME not that I am the style police but please not the adults! What a cute idea for the kids.

Susan, if she used a slow shutter speed then presumably she got the kids to stand extra still. Mine don't know the meaning of the words "stay still" and they are 8 and 11 not some little toddlers even.

[SusanH1970]

Originally Posted by candidrachel

A family in matching pj's is a serious CRIME not that I am the style police but please not the adults! What a cute idea for the kids.

Susan, if she used a slow shutter speed then presumably she got the kids to stand extra still. Mine don't know the meaning of the words "stay still" and they are 8 and 11 not some little toddlers even.

I had it in my notes (when I see stuff I want to try, I make a note of the EXIF) - it was only 1/60.

She just used the lights from the tree to light the subjects. It was pretty cool!