This year, do you want photos that capture the magic of the season without requiring you to be stuck behind the camera during all of the fun? Do you want to focus on family this holiday season and be present in those memories?

Whether you're a hobbyist or a professional, these tips will help you capture the photos you really want while still allowing you to be present and focus on the joy of family during the holiday season.

The holidays provide us with so many picturesque photo opportunities. As parents, we can sometimes get a little crazy about capturing the holiday magic. We want to remember our families as they are right now, and what better way than through photos?

The line between capturing it all and being all there can be a difficult one to walk, so I hope these tips help you take memorable photos and be a part of creating memories with your family.

Create Holiday Photo Traditions

Create holiday photo traditions that your family can look forward to. Maybe your tradition is to take photos in matching pajamas each year, because it’s so fun to look back on these yearly photos and see how much everyone has changed. Making certain photos a tradition inspires cooperation. Your photo tradition should be about togetherness and having fun. If you can remember this, the memorable pictures will follow! Even if the photos aren’t perfect, the memories will be.

When Possible, Work Ahead of the Calendar

I do make a special effort to take some family photos this time of year, and I try to take them as early as I can. Whether it’s family photos with a fellow professional photographer or photos on your favorite sledding hill, plan to take them earlier in the season so you can allow yourself to focus on the real reasons for the holiday season. Getting photos done ahead of the game allows you to truly enjoy and take in the special moments sprinkled throughout this time of year.

Add Seasonal Touches

Add seasonal touches to your photos to make sure they have “place,” or a point of reference. A photo by the Hanukkah menorah or kids in cozy sweaters, hanging a favorite ornament on the tree. These little details are what make this time of year so magical. Capture them in your images.

Capture Connection

Photos help me remember the feelings of the holidays long after the seasonal magic has faded.

Looking for moments of connection and taking a quick second to capture them, whether with my phone or my big camera, helps pull my mind away from my endless to-do list and back to what really matters this time of year: family.

Here are a few keys to capturing these moments of connection:

• Watch for them! Have your camera or phone handy and be ready to pull it out at a moment’s notice.
• Facilitate moments of connection. When taking photos. I’ll ask my clients or my own kids to snuggle up, give each other a hug, tell each other one thing they love about the other, or whisper a secret to each other. Sometimes when a camera is pointed on them, families need a little push in the right direction to demonstrate affection.
• Don’t force it. If it’s not working, if kids aren’t interested in being in photos or sitting next to their sibling (let alone giving them a hug!), let things go and revisit in a few minutes, hours (or another day if you can). Wait for the right moment.

Bring It Into Focus

Pulling out my camera instantly heightens my awareness of family togetherness and the small details of the holidays I never want to forget. Your camera should be a tool that helps you slow down and really see the holidays differently.

Put the Camera Away and Be There

Be mindful of when enough is enough, and be ready to put your camera away. There’s only so much holiday magic that can translate in photos. The rest of the magic is in the real, fleeting moments with family.

Don’t miss the real magic because you're trying to capture it! Make a list of the photos that are a priority for you to capture this holiday season. Once you’ve crossed the pictures off your list, give your family your full and undivided attention.