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Shutterfly Giveaway: 5 Tips for a “Cardworthy” Family Photo

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The holiday season is right around the corner and I'm sure many of you have started to think about your family holiday cards. Trying to snap one great photo of your family can be difficult. So, how do you get a "cardworthy" photo for your holiday card?

5 Tips for a "Cardworthy" Family Photo

Embrace the Imperfections

Every photo is a "cardworthy" photo when it best reflects your family and who you are. One of the best things about family are the different personalities. You can try and force everyone to sit down and give a fake smile. Where's the fun, character, and personality in that? Just be you and provoke the real moments of your family.

Schedule a Family Photo Day

Family Photo Days are about getting together with other families to play around with different photo ideas. It’s a chance to give your kids an opportunity to act silly and have fun, and provides you with an opportunity to capture a variety of photo moments to share with your friends and family.

Use Simple and Budget-Friendly Ideas

You don't have to spend a lot of time or money on props or backdrops for your family photo. Go to a beautiful park and use the landscape of the park as your backdrop. Grab a chair, go into the woods (use the woods as the backdrop), and use the chair as a prop. Take an empty, large picture frame and use that as a prop. Tie pine cones from a tall branch with Christmas ribbon and use that as a backdrop. Set up a picnic table with caramel apples and give your family an opportunity to have fun together. Hold onto cardboard letters that spell out "Peace" or "Love" or your family's last name. The possibilities are endless when it comes to fun, budget-friendly props and backdrops for family photos.

Find Good Light

Try to shoot your family photo in the morning or afternoon since that's when you can get the good, buttery light for your photos. You shouldn't be shooting your family photos when the sun is directly over your heads. Plus, your kids might be in a better mood at those times. Your best bet would be to find open shade lighting to avoid shadows or speckling.

Control the Chaos

Prepare for the photo shoot ahead of time by having a few ideas that you would like to try already planned. Give those ideas a try when you first get to the photo shoot location and then be flexible and go with the flow. Also, be sure to tell the photographer helpful tips and tricks that will help get and keep your kids energized, happy, smiley, etc.

Shutterfly has all sorts of good tips and tricks on their new site that shares ideas for a Family Photo Day. Once you have your "cardworthy" family photo, be sure to visit their Facebook page from November 12 – December 9. Upload the photo into one of their 2012 holiday cards. This contest will run for four weeks with a new theme every week: Travel, Funny, Pets, and Family Holiday. The grand prize is a dream trip for a family of four (the winner chooses the destination). The 1st place winner will receive $500 in Shutterfly credit, 2nd place will receive $250 in Shutterfly credit, and 3rd place will receive $150 in Shutterfly credit. Here’s a link to the contest: http://on.fb.me/SXfDVI.

Shutterfly Giveaway

Do you still need to create your holiday cards this year? If so, be sure to enter this Shutterfly Giveaway.

The Prizes

This week’s giveaway is all about "cardworthy" family photos. Three lucky winners will receive a $100 promotional code to Shutterfly (ARV: $100).

Terms and Conditions

No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. ET Monday, November 26. See all terms and conditions here. This giveaway is available to U.S. residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Shutterfly. All opinions, tips, ideas, and information are my own.

Jen Tilley has an insatiable appetite for all things related to baking and cooking. She is the author, photographer and recipe developer on How To: Simplify, a blog that shares tips, tricks and recipes to simplify life in the kitchen. She enjoys sharing recipes that require very few ingredients and only a small amount of prep and cook time, all of which make time spent in the kitchen simple and enjoyable. Find her online at How To: Simplify@HowToSimplify, and Jen Tilley Photography.

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