I want to start the blog with my own story. It's not a usual Christmas story.
You won't believe but I never considered Christmas as something special. Because when I was a kid my family had other traditions.
My family celebrated New Year as the main winter holiday. My mom and dad were not religious and since my granny was raised in a Soviet family the New year was more important than Christmas. For our family. Don’t ask me why. This is how it was and how I remember about it.
We usually bought a Christmas tree after 20th of December. My mother liked to decorate it and I also enjoyed helping her. I loved to decorate my room for a New Year Eve and I even had my own little Christmas tree few times.
We gathered all together in the evening on 31st December, watched New Year TV movies (very often it was "One Home Alone") while my mother with granny were preparing food in the kitchen. I liked that festive mood in the air. We shared food together two or three hours before the New Year. When the clock stroke 12 we got presents and in an hour or two I was so tired that I went to bed. Sometimes we went to see fireworks at night. I have warm memories about that days. And I hope to celebrate New Year again with my family and my own kids in the near future.
Only on 7th January we celebrated Christmas. It was more about visiting our grandparents who were born in Northern part of Ukraine and they followed true Ukrainian traditions. Christmas was a big day for them. But we saw them only few times in a year so I cannot say that I really enjoyed that day. It was about waking up, dressing up and driving to them. The rest of the day was about sitting at the table full of food and listened to boring adult conversations.
When my kids were born, and we moved to Dubai we realized that we could change the family traditions. Christmas is a big day for Ukrainian families, especially who live in Western part of Ukraine. I wanted to make this day special in our own family as well.
Nowadays we buy a Christmas tree in the first days of December to have it in our house for as long as possible. I decorate it with girls and for the last few years I go to workshops in Dubai to create my own Christmas wreath I can hang at home and enjoy for a few weeks.
We decorate gingerbread cookies and houses. The girls have advent calendar they love to open everyday in December before Christmas.
There is magic in the air in December if you create it. For your family and for youself. This is what life is for, right?
We can create magic and give this feeling of connection to our kids and family.
We celebrate Christmas only once a year so why not capture those sincere and real moments of you as a family at home?
We know how quickly our kids grow and they won’t listen to you much in the future or even be at home with you.
Do the naughty elves come to your house every December?
Do you bake gingerbread cookies together in the kitchen?
Do you watch your favourite Christmas movie together?
Do you drink hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows or do you bake marshmallow on a fire in the garden or in the desert?
Do you were Christmas pyjamas?
Let me take your Christmas photos for your family this year!
Any detail matters
Would you like to remember what Christmas tree you had or what cookies you baked together? What winter foliage you had in your vase? What clothes you wore? The next year your kids most probably won't fit in them and they got new ones.
What a nice gingerbread house you decorated.
You don’t want to forget anything of it, ever.
We cannot remember everything, but our photos can remind us of it! We go back to our memories and deep inside a good and warm feelings arise. The feelings of love, connection and safety. Isn't it what keeps us here and makes us alive?
This is what happens to me most of the times when I look at my photos.
The beautiful YOU
This is YOU, who creates all the magic for the family. You inspires the whole family, you get them out from beds to go to a Christmas market or order Christmas tree online, you go shopping for presents and think of what outfits you want to have this year. You decide to have a family photoshoot for your family. But it’s so important to have you in the frame as well. I will be there to get as many photos of you as possible.
A Christmas card photo
My style is mostly candid and I want you to feel comfortable but we all know that grandparents want at least one family photo of you, right? And we will cover it as well, don’t worry.
Ideas of activities you can do together during Christmas family photoshoot
Ideas of activities you can do together as a family during the Christmas photoshoot. Here are some of the inspirational ideas that can speak to you:
1) Baking Together:making holiday cookies or gingerbread houses. You can bake them while I will be with you (the dough can be prepared and stored in a fridge a day before). Or decorate a gingerbread house together.
2) Decorating the Christmas Tree: let's capture the joy of decorating the tree of you as a family. Your tree can already be decorated. But leave few Christmas balls and toys that you can put on while I will be there. It can be something memorable that matters to you.
3) Storytime or Board Games: Candid moments while you gather for a cozy session on a couch. Choose a Christmas book and read it aloud, or choose a favourite board game to play.
4) Family Pajamas Photos: are you so adventurous that you would like me to come early in the morning while you are still in your pyjamas and we can capture your real daily routine and cozy photos in bed as well?
5) Nature Walks: let’s go for a short walk in your area or if you choose a longer package, let's drive to Al Qudra lakes or to the desert for a half hour -hour nature walk?
6) Roasting marshmallows: do you have a garden? What about roasting marshmallows and drinking hot chocolate together? This is a perfect trick to make kids switch to a fun activity and they won’t be bored (and hungry) anymore. Or what about driving to the desert with a small bbq set and making roasted marshmallows there?
7) Holiday Crafts: make handmade ornaments, DIY Christmas cards, or create wreaths and garlands. If your kids love it, it would be a perfect addition to a family activity during a photoshoot.
8) Special Dinners and Traditions: Cook and enjoy a special holiday meal together, incorporating family traditions or new recipes. It can be something simple. You can eat some food and we can finish our photoshoot somewhere in the nature.
9) Dress-up photos: do you have any festive outfits, dresses, cute hair bows or reindeer bands? We can do few photos of that too!
10) Playing or dancing with Christmas songs: Does anyone play piano or any other instrument in your family? We can cover this as well. Or just turn on the volume and dance and sing together!
I will give you an example of ideas how to incorporate all the information I just mentioned in my post.
Especially if you live in a house and not too far away from the desert.
Morning time:
Pyjamas time, few shot in bed with messy hair (or not so messy)
Your morning daily routine: combing, brushing teeth, dressing up and starting your new day.
Breakfast time: prepare some simple food together in a Christmas-like mood: pancakes with cream, chocolate and strawberries. Make a face of a Santa Clause; make toasts with Nutella and berries. Make your kids happy, prepare something new this time.
Decorate cookies or gingerbread house afterwards.
Christmas tree decoration: hang a few decorations of the tree and have a family portrait photo in front of it.
Rest on a couch, or play some board games at the table or on the floor. Read a new Christmas book together, make some postcards, play the piano, jump on the sofa or do whatever you want!
Lets go for a short walk in your neighborhood, play some games outdoors or just hang out in your garden
Lunch time and sunset:
Christmas tree decoration: hang a few decorations of the tree and have a family portrait photo by it.
Decorate cookies or gingerbread house.
Hang out on a couch, at the table or on the floor and play some board games, or read a new Christmas book together, make some postcards, play the piano, jump on the sofa or do whatever you want!
Have a lunch and full your tummies before going outside
Either roast marshmallows in the garden or drive to the desert and do it there! Put on some cozy and comfortable sweaters and cardigans in case you get cold and it can be like this in the evening in UAE, believe me. If you have a car and always wanted to drive to the desert, let’s do it. You can walk on the dunes a little bit, take some portraits and then roast marshmallows or bread on a small bbq before the sunset.
Few shots by the fire with lanterns in the garden or under the stars in the desert…
Driving to the desert may take some time but if we plan everything it will be less stressful. I can go with you in a car and take photos while you drive together. It’s also a little adventure!
Let's create a Family Christmas chronicle together for many generations to come!
Your children will always have tangible proof of your connection and the love you gave to them when they were little.
What should a family wear for winter Christmas pictures?
* What should a family wear for winter Christmas pictures?
When it comes to winter family photoshoot outfits, there are many options to choose from. Although we live in UAE, we still can create cozy look. Moreover, mornings and evenings in Dubai can be quite fresh and cool so why not put on a cozy knitted cardigan or sweater at least for the beginning?
Coordinating outfits doesn't necessarily mean everyone wearing the exact same thing. Instead, aim for complementary colors and styles.
Consider the Setting:
Ensure the chosen attire fits the ambiance of both the indoor and outdoor settings where the photoshoot will take place.
Whether you love the rich, beautiful colours of the season (think deep burgundy, green, and golds) or like to keep it minimal, and neutral, there’s an idea here for you!
Remember, the key is to select clothing that makes everyone feel comfortable and confident, while also reflecting the festive spirit of the season. Coordinating colors and styles can create a cohesive and visually appealing set of family photos.
At home the outfit can be festive, especially if you want to take few portraits by the Christmas tree. But if you want to go to the beach or to the desert, keep it simple, comfortable and harmonic.
