It's all about the focus, learn it and apply it !

All pictures of people soar when you focus in on your subject’s eyes, and that’s no different with Christmas photos. It’s critical to compose the image with as little headroom and dead space on the sides as possible, so the image is more about the faces and the eyes than anything else. The rest of the décor will filter into the image on its own. In our photographs, always try and nail the eyes to be on the same plane, and this is effective for this kind of photo as it shows a subtle unity among family or group shots. 

You should always use a flash with most indoor Christmas photos, but use a detachable flash (or an angled flash) and bounce the light off the ceiling or walls and don't be afraid to review your picture and then re set it. Remember, the ambient light levels will be raised by the Christmas lights (and possibly candles too), and you don’t want the vibrant colors washed out by the flash. And as always, don't miss those special moments and get in the picture yourself if it's your family picture, have a tripod handy and a remote trigger and don't take just one as kids can be the hardest to capture the right expression and the eyes.

Steve
Dance Media Ltd