Home for Christmas: Frequently Asked Questions About Documentary Christmas Sessions
There's something about Christmas at home that just feels different. The familiar decorations, the excitement of the season, little hands reaching for ornaments, Christmas music playing in the background, and the people who make your house feel like home.
That's exactly what Home for Christmas sessions are about.
These are documentary-style photography sessions designed to capture your family experiencing Christmas together, right in your own home. We're not creating a series of traditional Christmas portraits. There won't be a lot of posing, directing everyone to smile at the camera, or setting up flashes to create perfectly polished holiday pictures.
Instead, we'll focus on the interactions, activities, personalities, and little moments that make this particular Christmas yours.
If you're considering a session but aren't quite sure what to expect, here are a few questions I hear (or suspect you might be wondering)!
Does our house need to be clean?
Absolutely not! In fact, please don't feel like you need to deep-clean your house before I arrive.
I'm coming to photograph your family, not inspect your housekeeping!
Of course, we'll want to be a little intentional about the spaces we use. Clearing away anything particularly distracting or moving a few things out of the way can help, but your home does not need to look like it belongs in a magazine.
The blanket on the couch, the well-loved Christmas decorations, the familiar kitchen, and the little signs of everyday life are all part of your family's story.
I want these photographs to remind you of the home you made memories in, not a version of your home that doesn't actually exist.
Do we need matching Christmas pajamas?
Nope! Matching pajamas are completely optional.
If matching Christmas pajamas are something your family loves, absolutely wear them! But if your kids would rather wear their favorite Christmas shirts, cozy sweaters, or whatever makes them comfortable, that's perfectly fine, too.
My biggest recommendation is to choose clothing that feels like your family. Coordinate if you'd like, but don't feel pressured to make everyone match.
The focus is on your interactions and experiences together, not what everyone is wearing.
What if we haven't decorated for Christmas yet?
That's okay!
Your session doesn't have to revolve around a fully decorated Christmas tree. Maybe your family is putting up the tree during our time together. Maybe you're baking cookies, wrapping presents, reading Christmas books, or enjoying a quiet afternoon together.
And if your decorations are already up, wonderful! We'll incorporate them naturally.
There isn't one right way for a family to celebrate Christmas. Whether your home is filled with decorations or you're just beginning to get into the holiday spirit, we can create an experience that reflects your family and the season you're in.
How many images will we receive?
Your Home for Christmas session includes an hour of photography and all final edited images from your completed gallery.
Unlike some traditional photography sessions where you select a set number of favorites, I want you to have the opportunity to keep the collection of moments that tells your family's story. That might mean a photograph of everyone laughing together, a close-up of little hands decorating cookies, siblings playing, or a quiet moment that you didn't even realize was happening.
Each image contributes something different to the story of your Christmas.
We want to capture a memory with our family, but we don't really have any set traditions.
(Based on model calls, I average around 80+ images for my documentary sessions in that time frame.)
What should we do?
This is one of my favorite parts of documentary photography. You don't need to have an established tradition to create a meaningful memory.
Sometimes the best photographs come from the simplest activities. Think about something your family enjoys doing together, or something you would love to remember about this particular season of life.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Decorating & Christmas preparations
- Decorating the Christmas tree together
- Letting the kids hang their favorite ornaments
- Putting up stockings or other decorations
- Wrapping presents together (and maybe letting the kids help!)
- Making homemade Christmas ornaments
In the kitchen
- Baking and decorating Christmas cookies
- Making hot chocolate with all the toppings
- Decorating gingerbread houses
- Making a favorite family recipe
- Letting the kids help prepare a holiday treat
Slow moments at home
- Reading a favorite Christmas book together
- Watching a favorite Christmas movie
- Snuggling on the couch with blankets
- Playing a board game or working on a Christmas puzzle
- Listening to Christmas music and dancing around the living room
A little holiday fun
- Having an indoor snowball fight with rolled-up socks
- Building a blanket fort and enjoying Christmas treats
- Playing with new Christmas toys
- Having a family dance party
- Letting the kids show off their favorite Christmas things
And don't overlook the things that might seem ordinary to you. Maybe your kids always sneak cookies before dinner, your family has a favorite Christmas song, or everyone gathers in the living room after a long day.
Those little things are worth remembering, too.
What should we expect during our session?
The biggest thing I want you to remember is that you don't need to perform for the camera. You don't need to constantly look at me, smile, or make sure everyone is doing the same thing at the same time. I'll offer gentle direction when needed, but the goal is to let your family interact naturally.
We'll spend our time doing something meaningful to your family while I document the connections, personalities, laughter, and little in-between moments.
These sessions are not designed to produce traditional, posed Christmas portraits. There won't be staged group photographs with flash lighting or a series of everyone looking directly at the camera. Instead, we'll work with the natural light in your home and the moments that unfold during your time together.
The beauty is in the realness.
One last thing...
Your children won't always be this little. Your home won't always look quite like it does right now. The traditions you have today may change as your family grows.
One day, you might find yourself wishing you could step back into this exact season of life.
That's why I love the idea behind Home for Christmas.
It's not about creating a perfect picture of Christmas. It's about preserving a little piece of what Christmas looked and felt like for your family this year.
Because someday, these ordinary moments will be the ones you wish you could relive.
I'd love to help you remember them.
Home for Christmas Documentary Sessions | $329 + tax
Includes an hour-long in-home session and all final edited images in your completed gallery. Travel fees apply for locations more than 25 miles away. Please reach out to discuss travel before claiming a session.
Limited sessions available this holiday season.
Let's document your Christmas at home.
-Skyye
