San Francisco Family Portraits, Holiday and Seasonal Cards

It doesn’t seem possible but we’re already deep into November and approaching the holidays, solstice, and New Years, so it’s a great time to order your holiday cards.

Paloma in the early years...

I started sending seasonal cards a few years ago, and it’s become a slightly insane tradition around here to come up with an idea and force our cats to pose. Poor kitties.

Last year I partnered up with Minted and have used them to order everything from holiday cards to commitment ceremony invitations. They have modern designs from independent designers, use high-quality paper stock, and their printing is top-knotch. This year they’ve introduced more options for seasonal cards, including different shapes, cardstocks, and sizes.

I also offer more traditional family portrait sessions of course!

 

 

 

Interested in booking a holiday portrait session with your pet, parent, or family? I’m offering a Thanksgiving weekend SALE on two-hour portrait sessions, in your home or a location in or around San Francisco for a big discount at $175, includes a privately-hosted web gallery for print ordering, web-ready files to share on Facebook, and a free 8×10 of your choice. The session must be redeemed before the end of 2013. Sale begins now and ends Monday the 26th of Nov!

How to Shoot a Holiday Card

Holiday Season is upon us! I’m currently taking bookings for family sittings for holiday cards, but don’t wait until the last minute – the later you wait to get cards printed, the more expensive it becomes. I’m happy to travel to your home for a shoot, or can accommodate clients in my home studio. Contact me for information and with any questions.

My friend Aldythe Beltane recently commissioned a holiday card for her business, All Creatures Healing Network. Aldythe is a former vet tech whom I call the ‘cat whisperer’, because she has such an amazing connection to the animals she cares for. She’s also a tireless advocate for rescues, and every season torments her friends with a fresh batch of kittens and adorable rescues who need adopting. I hire her to do our pet sitting when we’re away, and relax knowing that our little monsters are going to be spoiled well cared for.

After a discussion of her vision for the card, we settled on a ‘winter’ theme, but I’d already decided how I wanted to shoot this.

Step one. Build a Set.

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Step Two. Give your models a bit of time to adjust to being on set, as lighting can take some getting used to.

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Step Three. Get the whole family together for a heartwarming group photo.

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More steps and the end result, below the cut…

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