With the Prince and Princess of Wales releasing a new family photograph for their Christmas card, here are some tips on how to capture the perfect festive portrait by the photographer who captured it. Josh Shinner

Royal Christmas Cards

1. Choose your moment!

Don’t try and take the picture when one of the family is juggling 14 different pans and preparing Christmas dinner. Give people some warning and don’t just spring it on them.

2. Take multiple frames.

In a group shot, there’ll always be someone blinking or saying something, so take more than you need… can sometimes be a numbers game, and the best shot often comes when everyone thinks you’ve finished shooting and you take just one more.

3. Avoid having ceiling lights directly above the group.

Don’t do it under the kitchen spotlights. Try and position the camera just inside a big window (one ideally facing north or east if possible) so there’s natural and even light on everyone’s faces.

4. Break up the composition.

Instead of everyone just being in a single line, try to have some height variation so the faces are more grouped together. Granny in her favourite chair, others stood behind and sat on the arm of the chair, grandchildren on the floor in front or on knees perhaps.

5. Make it personal.

Getting to know your subjects in portraiture is absolutely key. Thankfully you know this group of people better than anyone. Use in-jokes or old stories to bring out a natural and genuine reaction rather than just telling everyone to say “cheese” on cue.

6. Get in the picture.

Most phones and cameras now enable you to trigger the shutter and take the photo from a nearby device. Set the shot up, hold the second device behind someone’s back and snap away. Or if all else fails use self-timer.

O2 Priority recently teamed up with Josh Shinner to offer families across the country a free once-in-a-lifetime family portrait experience.

by Natalie key for www.femalefirst.co.uk