A cell phone camera is better than no camera!
Just because you don't have that "fancy" DSLR doesn't mean you can't take awesome pictures on Christmas. A cell phone camera is better than no camera. Keep in mind that iPhones don't handle low light very well, so make sure you have as much light as possible.
Camera Ready?
After you read this, you're going to say, "Duh!" In reality though, how many times have you gone to take a picture and your card is full, your battery is almost dead or you get the dreaded white box that says "not enough room." The last thing you want to do is keep your kids waiting because you need to delete pictures that have been on your camera/phone since July. On December 23, make sure you have a clean card and full charge.
Clutter...
Have you ever taken a super cute, perfectly timed picture of your baby only to discover (after you've already posted it on Facebook) that the laundry basket full of your underwear is in the background? Embarrassing. After the kids have gone to bed, take a second to do a sweep around the house and tidy up. Or you can do what I do and throw everything in the master bedroom, close the door and call it good!
Let there be light!
Like I said before, iPhones don't handle low light very well. Even nice DSLR cameras perform better when there is ample light. Quality is just as important as quantity. Natural light is better than house lights which are better than no light. Our house gets almost no natural light (it's horrible, really) so I am going to run around before the baby wakes up and open all of the blinds to get as much light as possible.
Get in the action!
There are several ways you can get in the action.
1. Most cameras have some sort of self-timers that will run continuously. You can set your camera to take a picture every minute and then you can enjoy the action while your camera snaps away.
2. Buy a cheap remote. I got one at Best Buy that works like a charm. Keep it by your side and click the remote every so often so that you are in the action instead of behind the camera.
3. Time lapse. I think I'm going to set up a time lapse on my iPhone so I can re-watch Christmas morning in 30 seconds.
