You know the moment I'm talking about...

The moment when you light up the Christmas tree for the first time and the faces of your children light up in delight... and they immediately want to touch it and you're instantly grateful that you chose the shatterproof ornaments instead of glass this year.

The moment when when you go and visit Santa and one child goes on and on and on about their dreams of Christmas morning...and the other is screaming in panic.

The moment when the snow starts falling softly outside and you actually get a moment to cuddle with your Husband with a cup of hot cocoa by the fireplace (or heater) and watch your favorite Christmas movie.

We all have those special moments that you want to make sure you capture so you can look back on them when everyone is all grown up. Even the crazy moments are the ones you'll treasure. So here are some tips to helping you capture those special moments this year!

Tip #1- The Christmas Tree

My favorite thing to capture is the awe on my kids faces as they look at the Christmas tree. Turn off all your other lights and let the tree shine (warm white lights are best). Let your kids get nice and close so that the light can really brighten up their smiling faces. You can also turn on the fire for a little ambiance to get that nice and cozy feel to your photos. You can also take photos during the day with some pretty natural light coming in through the windows.

Tip #2- Bokeh

To get that beautiful bokeh effect in your lights, where you have those soft round circles in your background, the best way to get this is to separate your subject (like your kids) away from the lights. As they step several feet away you'll be able to focus on them while getting the background out of focus and creating your bokeh. If you are using a camera where you can adjust the aperture then you'll want to choose a low number aperture- the lower the number the more blurred the background will be. (Think 2.0 or lower if you can)

Tip #3- Santa's Visit

My first suggestion is find somewhere where they will allow you take your own photos! I love going to Bass Pro Shop! They let you take your own photos and take some of their own as well which they print out right away and give to you at no cost. We even got a free gift AND there were other little games and activities for the kids to do as well! It was amazing! As far as actually taking the photos, try to focus less on the image where your child and Santa are looking at you, and more for the moments in between when your child is engaged in talking to him.

Tip #4- Capture moments vs. posed

Try not to interrupt a moment in order to stop your child so they will look up at you and smile. You'll get you the most authentic smiles by just watching and waiting and taking photos of those moments as your child experiences them. Those will be the ones that really tell the story of your Holiday and the ones that you will treasure!

Tip #5- Enjoy the moment yourself!

Take some photos and then set the camera down and walk away. Don't forget to get in on the action yourself and not worry about making sure you take pictures of every single moment. Your kids will remember that you enjoyed the Holiday with them and not just stood in the background trying to photography it all. Love on those little ones as hard as you can! You only have a few Christmas' with them before they're out on their own and making their own Holiday memories.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Be sure to check out my 9 creative tips for taking awesome photos of your kids for a little extra inspiration!

5 Tips for Capturing the Magic of Christmas