Professional Christmas Photos...

Ciarrai

If you were going to go to a photographer for your Christmas photos, would you rather outdoor or indoor sessions?  The advantage to outdoor is, of course, the background which would be something like this:

But we'd be subjected to weather and the lighting would be crappier in the middle of the day and such.

In the studio, it'd be a faux floor set-up like this with a red, ivory or green backdrop (nothing cheesy) and a chair or bench or something.

 

The studio is, of course, much more predictable and a lot easier in terms of edits, but I like the outdoor location.  Or do two days - one outdoor, one indoor and people could sign up for whichever they wanted?  

Which would you prefer? 

FWIW - A large portion of the sitting fee and maybe the print orders will go to a charity.  Maybe Make a Wish, Toys for Tots or the local food bank. 

just.a.lurker

While I generally prefer outside pics, I think for christmas photos I like the more traditional studio pictures. 

lollitots

I like outdoors. For the indoor one, I don't like the way the baseboard cuts the picture with a sharp white stripe. I would be happier with a backdrop that extended all the way through the picture. Maybe you could offer options to whoever wanted their pics taken. Do indoors in the morning and outdoors in the afternoons, or something like that.

AZ_Erica

Well for Christmas I think of snow, not the type of outdoor background you have pictured, so I would go with Indoors.  But I personally like indoor studio type portraits.

AggieCouple

I prefer outdoor or indoor on location (like the subject's home).  I would honestly never pay for a studio sitting unless for whatever reason, I had absolutely no choice (like school pictures).

ETA: Actually, I don't mind if it didn't LOOK studio-ish.  I take my kids' pictures on the floor (with me looking down) while they sit on a bunch of tulle, or against a dark leather chair.  If the background showed, though, I would much prefer a normal setting, like a living room with real furniture (not a backdrop picture of furniture).

Andrewsgal

I am ridiculously excited to have our pictures taken by you, so I really don't care they will be great either way

Mrs Manners

AggieCouple:

I prefer outdoor or indoor on location (like the subject's home).  I would honestly never pay for a studio sitting unless for whatever reason, I had absolutely no choice (like school pictures).

ETA: Actually, I don't mind if it didn't LOOK studio-ish.  I take my kids' pictures on the floor (with me looking down) while they sit on a bunch of tulle, or against a dark leather chair.  If the background showed, though, I would much prefer a normal setting, like a living room with real furniture (not a backdrop picture of furniture).

This exactly. I did take ds to a studio when he was two because the grandparents like that kind of stuff. They did a good job but they are still my least favorite pictures I've ever purchased. I would thing it would be easy to choose an outdoor background that looked a little more wintery too. ETA: outdoor background could also be a brick wall, kids stringing lights on a fir, etc....those grasses just say "fall" to me.

shopgirl78

Real wintery isn't going to happen in Texas per se.   Even if it does happen, not too many people could (and/or) should drive in it.   

I prefer outside.  I like the light 1000x better.  Perhaps you can use a location such as a tree farm to add the pine or something with a more winter flare.  I agree the grass is fallish.  

However, some can pull off indoor lighting with the lightness/airiness of natural light and I think you can.  Though call, I think I would offer both.  

Id love for you do to the kids pics but they'd be pissed & cranky that I drove them down there for pictures when they thought they'd be playing with your trio. 

Ciarrai

shopgirl78:

Real wintery isn't going to happen in Texas per se.   Even if it does happen, not too many people could (and/or) should drive in it.   

I prefer outside.  I like the light 1000x better.  Perhaps you can use a location such as a tree farm to add the pine or something with a more winter flare.  I agree the grass is fallish.  

However, some can pull off indoor lighting with the lightness/airiness of natural light and I think you can.  Though call, I think I would offer both.  

Id love for you do to the kids pics but they'd be pissed & cranky that I drove them down there for pictures when they thought they'd be playing with your trio. 

 If you wanna come down, let me know.  I can put you at the end of the day and then you could come over to play and have pizza or something.  ;-)  We can chat about it on the 10th.  Are we still on for the zoo?

Thanks for all the input, ladies.  I agree with a lot of it.  Like shopgirl said, you don't get "real" Christmasy in Texas.  If we do, no one is out driving in it so snow and such isn't possible unless I get a cheesy snowy background for the studio.  

I'm off to figure out if there's a near-by tree place we could shoot.  There's not actual tree farms in Texas.  They cut the trees somewhere else and then ship them down here so most of the trees are chopped down in October or something and kinda pathetic.  But I do like the tree idea.  Hmmmmmmmm.  Off to brainstorm.

shopgirl78

See by that time, they'd be far from picture ready...but we can try it.

Oct 10- we will be ready for something maybe...DS1 is having his 4 year shots that morning, do you thing he'll be okay for the zoo?!?  I feel a poll coming on.  Maybe a playdate would be better ?!? 

There is a Xams tree farm up here so there may be one down there though I'd imagine it is in the outlining areas.   

jesssy1204

I LOVE your outdoor ones!!!! The indoor are cute too (Id go with outside though)