Slow Storytelling Season
5 Ways to Preserve Your Family’s Holiday Memories
Without the Pressure
Every holiday season seems to come with the pressure to capture photos of everything.
The perfect family photo, the cozy candids, the matching pajamas, proof that the season was full and beautiful. Exhausting for any other parents?
Here’s the truth. You don’t need to be a perfect documentarian to preserve meaningful memories. You just need to be a good enough family storyteller who sees what matters most and lets the rest go.
This guide will help you slow down, simplify, and make your holiday storytelling feel more like a joy and less like a job.
1. Start with Nostalgia
Think back to your own childhood holidays. What do you actually remember?
Maybe it’s going to Grandma’s house, the smell of cookies baking, or the chaos of everyone crammed around the table.
Now ask yourself what you want your own kids to remember.
It’s okay to leave behind old traditions that no longer feel true. Focus on what feels true and memorable for your family.
For me, this stocking from childhood is nostalgic. I still take it out every year…
2. Remember Who’s Here
Look around and notice who’s showing up for you this year. How do they make your life richer?
Photograph them. Capture their laughter, their quirks, their connection to each other.
Yes, I’m going to say it: we all die. That’s what makes the act of photographing family so beautifully human. It’s how we create keepsakes that carry forward stories much bigger than our own.
Holiday Photo Tip: Don’t overthink it. Snap the moments that make you smile, even if the frame isn’t perfect.
3. Do You Even Want to?
Release yourself from external pressures.
But ya still want snapshots of the kids + family? I get it.
Who can you hand the baton to this year?
Make a request.
A spouse? Relative? OR let the kids do it?!
Sometimes, their photos end up being the most honest, and hilarious, ones you’ll cherish.
Holiday Photo Tip: Your presence matters more than perfection.
4. Make It a Mini Series
Every family has favorite seasonal moments. Instead of trying to document everything, pick 3–5 traditions that really matter.
Decorating the tree
Baking cookies
Photo with Santa
When you focus on what fills YOU with joy, it’s easier to let go of everything else.
You can’t create holiday magic if you’re burnt out.
Holiday Photo Tip: Shortlists are liberating. Photograph intentionally, and skip the rest.
5. Capture the “Special Ones”
There are always gifts or moments that will matter long after the wrapping paper is gone.
Maybe it’s a handmade ornament. Maybe it’s the toy they’ve been asking for. Maybe it’s a small gesture your child won’t even remember until adulthood.
Before giving it away, snap a quick photo. Include a piece of you in the frame—your hand, your reflection, or a smile. These little details become treasures in your family yearbooks.
Holiday Photo Tip: Tiny, meaningful snapshots are better than dozens of “okay” ones.
Being a good family storyteller isn’t about capturing every single moment.
It’s about focusing on what truly matters and being fully present with the people you love.
Interested in what I’ve used to capture memories during the holidays that’s both fun for you and the kids? Check out: FUJIFILM INSTAX WIDE 400 Instant Film Camera
If you found this to be helpful, DM me on Instagram! I’d love to hear from you.
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