Lisa Phillipson Photography » Atlanta Family and High School Senior Photography

Tag Archives: Christmas

 

Where to learn family Photography

where to learn family photography: online!

 

I was just interviewed at Shootalong about this picture of my children.  Shootalong is a great place for parents learning photography and how to use their fancy cameras so they take better pictures of their own children. When you don’t have a professional photographer around, take the best pictures of your family and children as you can by learning the fundamentals and good techniques.

You can read what I had to say about capturing this Christmas Card picture which now hangs very large on the wall of my home: HERE.

Thanks, Shootalong!

 

Repost:

@lisaphillipsonphotography gives us a glimpse into her Christmas card picture magic… “This picture was a few years ago when I had all three children go into the backyard for an obligatory Christmas card picture. It was late afternoon and they are positioned with the sun going down behind them and under a canopy of trees. There was directional light from the open part of yard to light them from the front.

My children tend to bicker, touch each other too much, act silly and make picture taking pretty difficult. I’m sure your kids are not like this? I had to move quickly before someone stormed off or there were tears from my daughter. I gave them directions on where to stand so the background and my settings were ready to go. This image was when I said “put your arms around each other and act like you love each other.” My oldest grabbed everyone in for a big silly hug and luckily they all laughed and went with it.

I do this in my sessions for other families. I set up for the perfect posed picture, but it is the in between moments and interactions you should try to catch that will be the most meaningful to you. This picture is more special to me and captures my kids as they are more so than the smiling posed picture that I eventually caught. I have this picture framed large on my wall and look at it every single day.”

marietta santa

Where is the best place in Marietta to see Santa Claus?

Common Quarter

Make your reservations for brunch at one of East Cobb’s best restaurants and get a complimentary visit with Santa while you are there. Skip the mall lines to tell the big guy what is on your wish list this year. Take your own photos or yours truly will be there for professional shots to purchase online at a later date.

Saturday, December 10 + Sunday, December 11
10am – 2pm

 

Make your reservation by calling  678-809-4040; Find more details at Common Quarter’s Website.

I look forward to seeing you there!

HO HO HO!

mariettasanta(THIS is SANTA!)

christmas-kids-santa chrstimas with santa santa-visit-atlantaMerry Christmas from our house to yours!

2014 is marked for me as the third and last time I have a first grader who has memorized Luke for Christmas. I love to hear Kate recite this:

And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
                     –Luke 2:7-14 NASB
 
 


You’re Here by Francesca Battistelli

What to Wear for the Holidays

Christmas is often the time when extended families are together.  I get a few requests every year to photograph families that have finally all come together for the Holidays.  It may be the only time it happens all year.  Whether your family portrait this Christmas is by a professional or on your own, it will really make a difference in the overall look if you take the time to coordinate the color scheme of your group.  Use this picture as a visual to have a clothing basis of creams, dark grays or black and tan.  Add a few pops of red or any bright color to tie it all together.

Click the above icon or here to see my Pinterest board of What to Wear.  Get lots of other clothing ideas for families that belong to other people as well as my own stuff.

On a more personal note, I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.  I don’t cook much during the year and I make up for it the days leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas.  If you need me, I am in my kitchen.  It is exhausting!  Pinterest has opened up a new world of things to try but I have one go-to cookbook that I always use.  It is my Nana’s Calling All Cooks  cookbook that I inherited years ago after she passed away.  I can’t believe I actually found it on Amazon!  I highly recommend this book.  It has good ole Southern recipes straight from Alabama.  It has the kind of stuff you will find at any church potluck.  Mine is a little more special than what you will find at Amazon because it is falling apart and full of flour and sugar.  The page with my favorite dessert, Four Layer Chocolate Pie, has chocolate on the pages from when she used to make it for me.  I know she made it for me more times than I can count.

Thanks, Nana!

You can find more of my favorite recipes (or what I love the idea of making) on this Pinterest Board.  We have cookie exchanges coming up so yesterday was dedicated mostly to cookie making from scratch.  I think store-bought Oreos are just as good (to me).

Happy Holiday Baking AND Happy Birthday to My Mom today!

Mental note: now that I found Calling All Cooks  online, I will have to buy it for everyone next Christmas.

I made it! The 12th day of Christmas and I was able to post something every day.  I was glad to share so many sessions but have saved a personal post for last.  I am pretty sure my Christmas Cards will be late this year so I’ll just share some pictures of my own kids right now.  Getting combed hair doesn’t seem to be the battle I chose to fight this day.  I’m fine with it.  My standards are pretty low for pictures of my own kids.  I only want three things: Them, no crazy Superhero T-shirts and to look “pleasant” (aka it is okay not to smile).

They were acting very silly and out of control on this afternoon.  I would like to say that is out of the ordinary but it isn’t.  They were doing big huge cheesy grins with their eyes shut tight.  Below is what I got when I asked them not to smile so much.  It reminds me of those old pictures from the 1800s when everyone looked so miserable stoic.

Are you still with me or asleep?  In case my Christmas cards really never make it out, I have included a couple of my annual Santa pictures.  My middle child has the gift thing figured out and explained to my little girl how it works as we waited our turn.  According to him, if you only put ONE thing on your list, you are certain to get it.  If you put 5 or 6 things you don’t know what you will get.  So sure enough, all three went up to Santa with exactly one thing on their lists.  Barbie Scooter, iPod and Wii-U.  That is all the Phillipson kids need to make their Christmas complete.  I’m afraid 2 of the 3 will be very disappointed on Christmas morning (although Andy and I have been known to cave at the last minute). I like this Santa.  We think he must be the real thing and not just a helper.  I like him because he always tells my children to brush their teeth.

Photographer’s Note: I want to get a canvas for each year of my Santa pictures and pull them all out every December.  I haven’t quite figured out how to display them or where I would put them so stay tuned.

I would like to share the best and absolute worst all time Christmas picture of all 3 of my children.  It again has the theme of uncombed hair.  An added bonus is that it features Alex’s haircut he created himself called my bangs were bothering me and now they are not.  If you read my earlier post about how I have lived with scissors on the top shelf for the last 10 years, now you know why.  Unfortunately, my kids are bigger now and can move chairs and climb high when I am not looking.  Ariel the Mermaid had a recent hair loss as well.  Anyway, Enjoy! Merry Christmas.

No, you may not submit this to Awkward Family Photos.  I plan on holding on to all my awkward photos.  I’m pretty sure I will have enough material for my own book one day.  If you have a funny picture, I would love to see it.  And you actually can submit to a funny Holiday contest here.

More silliness below (probably my Mom is the only one that has made it this far?).  I will call this session “get in the backyard so I can get a Christmas Card picture” OR ” the sun is going, the sun is going, stop it!”  I can’t decide.

kid photographer atlanta my own kid photographer atlanta

Christmas Gift Ideas: Only one today – remember the real gift already given to us all!  I’ll leave you with my favorite Christmas song:

Merry Christmas!

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you: He is Christ the Lord.” –Luke 2:11

We had an updated session for Cara’s 8th grade Yearbook dedication.  She is such a sweet girl – as beautiful on the inside as the outside.  How lucky is her Mom to have a teenager that will let her be in the pictures too?  A spontaneous moment that I’m sure will be treasured for a long time.

Christmas Idea:  You have probably seen many toy drives for Christmas already this year.  I like to give to the one through Must Ministries.  There are several collection areas and luckily there are boxes in my church to drop new unwrapped toys.  You could check any United Methodist Church in the Atlanta area (before December 21st) and I bet they have one.  MUST was able to help over 4,000 children last year from donations.  It may not be a BIG Christmas for lots of us this year but think of a child not getting anything at all and it breaks your heart.  It is so easy (& fun) to find little kid toys but I think teens in Cara’s age group that are in need can often be forgotten.  Some ideas for Teen gifts that are being requested by MUST: Sports equipment, make-up kits, wallet/purse, clothing, books, DVDs, and Bath sets.  My Sunday School class has adopted a specific family to donate gifts.  Those teens have asked for several gift cards (Kohl’s, Best Buy), socks and curling irons.  The basic necessities we take for granted are really needed as well (toothpaste, underwear, COATS).  Just writing this makes me feel so blessed to have so much stuff and be able to give something to others too!

Merry Christmas!  I am loving this warm weather and even had lunch outside yesterday.  My allergies think it is Spring and are really giving me a hard time! 😉

DONATION INFO: MUST monetary donations can be made online HERE.  Email SANTA (AT) MUSTMINISTRIES.COM for more info on toy donation drop offs.   →Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” –Luke 6:38