It’s that time of year again: the Holidays approacheth. And along with digging out a favorite stuffing recipe, falling prey to rampant commercialism and scheduling way-too-much family time, I find myself busy with one other pursuit: the search for the perfect photo to use for our holiday cards.

Given that we travel and also have a fairly cute kid, I’d like to find a photo that showcases both the boy and one of our adventures. But it’s a tall order. It would seem that one of the basic axioms of photography is that you cannot get a good shot of both your destination and your child in a single shot.

See exhibit A: a lovely picture, circa 1983, of a family trip to Washington, D.C. The photo is so terrible that you can’t even properly experience the hideous Cosby sweater I’m donning. I can’t be sure but I may even be wearing leg warmers. And forget appreciating the 19-foot tall statue of Thomas Jefferson. It just doesn’t work at the odd angle and us kids slouching up front. Our founding father deserves so much better.

But finding a way to preserve memories of your travels and children is not impossible. Just ask Andrea Shirey, a stunning children’s photographer from Charlottesville, Virginia, who specializes in taking photos of kids in natural lights and settings. She has a few tips for getting the most out of your vacation photo clicks.

Make a choice

Do you want a photo of the Eiffel Tower or your child making gravel angels underneath? You may not be able to get a good shot of both at once. So given that modern technology means you never have to worry about wasting film, get separate shots of both. Shirey also recommends using the surrounding landscape as a distinctive background. “Pay attention to the different textures around you,” she says. “Look around. There may be a really cool stone wall, a cobblestone street or another unique texture you can use as a backdrop. It can make for a really cool shot.”

Change your perspective

I always say that I like to travel with my son to see the world through his eyes. So why didn’t I ever think of taking some photos that way? Shirey recommends looking through the lens from different perspectives. “Get down on the ground, take some shots at eye level with your child, standing over him, looking up at them and when they aren’t looking at the camera,” she recommends. That variety can make for some really engaging photos. And given that 9 times out of 10 you end up wearing some of what your kid had for lunch anyway, getting dirty should be the least of your worries.

Let your kid be your kid

Given kids’ propensity for mischief-making (*cough*), it’s all too tempting to try to wrestle them into a forced pose and do the “cheese” thing. But that doesn’t really make for a great photo. “It can be frustrating as a parent. You want your kids to perform and they may not always do that for you,” says Shirey. “But let them be themselves, even if they aren’t smiling or looking like they are having the time of their life, and capture your child, his personality and the stages he’s going through in that moment.” So what if my son is currently going through the picking his nose stage? I’m sure in 10 years I’ll find that totally endearing.

Don’t be afraid to monkey with your settings

The other great thing about going digital? The settings! Get savvy with them before you travel so you can make some magic while on the road. “Play with your aperture,” says Shirey. “You can get more of an artsy look or play with the lighting.” Again, remember that digital means that you are only as limited as your memory card so, provided your child is cooperating, you can try a particular scene 15 different ways if you want to.

See exhibit B (and, funnily enough, our holiday card last year): there are no recognizable landmarks in the background. The cobblestones could really be anywhere in Europe. I have no idea if anyone would know where this might be.

But even 20 years from now, I will know that it was taken in Perouges, France. That I forgot Grover and had to buy that seriously overpriced Winnie the Pooh substitute at a highway rest stop. That my mother bought that awful fleece on super-sale-clearance even after I instituted a strict, no-camo rule. And that Chet was in his running-away-from-me-into-traffic phase.

Allowed to roam free in a car-free, medieval town, this picture was taken as he stopped to wonder why I wasn’t giving chase. In this case, it would seem that I really did manage to capture a memory of both place and child.

Blue photo courtesy of Andrea Shirey

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