•  Look behind you. Be mindful of the background. Mantles are a popular spot, but they often reflect camera flashes or even overpower the scene. Instead, opt for a light-colored wall or a landscape of trees.

•  Get your family in action. Skip the stiff poses. A picture of the kids playing in the snow or sand looks great in a holiday card. Let everyone have a chance with the camera. You’ll be surprised what a six-year-old can do.

•  Try different angles. Portraits can sometimes look flat, so sit, stand and kneel to energize the shot. Have parents sit and kids stand. Make a pyramid. Better yet, get the shot of the kids trying to make the pyramid. Or take a shot from a bird’s-eye view of your kids lying down. You can also get behind them while they look at each other from the side.

•  Capture relationships not just people. Get candid shots of your family talking and smiling to really showcase your family’s relationship. This allows their personalities to shine through. And, make sure you take dozens of pictures to get the one shot where everyone is wide-eyed and happy. Shoot between shots to capture candid, fun and unexpected moments.

•  Photo favors. Ask a neighbor or friend to take your family photo and then do the same for them.

•  Ask Santa Claus. Everyone loves the classic Santa photo. If you don’t have time to do your own photo shoot, bring your kids to Santa. Shutterfly has partnered with Cherry Hill photo. Find Santa at a mall near you.

•  Find a pro. If you would rather have your photo taken by a professional, we’ve got a list of talented Shutterfly Pro Gallery professional photographers. See talented photographers.

•  For summer photos. If you want to use photos from your vacation, try soft hues in pale greens to complement your summer photos.

•  Crop, crop, crop. Don’t be afraid to tighten the frame. Remove background objects or use the Shutterfly crop tool to get a close-up shot of smiling faces. In addition, try cropping off-center for a more artistic look.

•  Keep it neutral. If you find that your clothes clash with the colors of the card, use the black-and-white or sepia editing tool. The result can be surprisingly modern and fresh.

•  Tell a story. For a collage-style holiday card, arrange photos that best tell your story. Crop in tight to make use of the small space. Try a series of photographs in motion to add a sense of animation.