The Bergerons send the most awkward Christmas cards, but the Stanleys know how to slay it.
This family from Charlotte, North Carolina, captures the essence of raising boys, and this year a baby sister has also included in the fun.
“The very first time we tried to take a “traditional” Christmas card photo we had hilariously bad results,” Jonathan Stanley told Bored Panda.point 244 |
“We were new parents with a one-year-old and everything went wrong – baby cried the whole time, it was windy, the lighting kept changing, you name it.point 128 | If 2 of us looked okay, the third one blinked.point 165 | We laughed so hard at how bad the photos were that we decided just to send them out as-is and our family loved it.point 256 |
From there the tradition was born – instead of trying to send perfect cards, we would send something that represented the chaos of parenting.point 120 | ”point 123 | 1
“At first, I think my wife kind of rolled her eyes and said okay we’ll try it,” he said.point 309 |
“I had no idea if a staged scene would make sense or be funny, but we went for it and it just kind of work.point 85 | The kids love it, though when they see the final product I have to constantly remind them that it’s fake and to not try it in real life.point 196 | I worry sometimes I am putting ideas into their heads!”point 244 | 1
On the surface, Jonathan tries to make the scene aesthetically pleasing “as if it’s a Pottery Barn ad or something.point 210 |
” The magic happens, however, once you look a little closer and realize this family’s life is completely out of control.point 104 | “I also take care to make sure it is realistic as possible – most of the scene is shot practically and I try to minimize the photoshop required to yield the best results.point 246 |
Today most people have a strong eye for recognizing when something is fake, so the goal is to make it just real enough that they question how we pulled it off.point 129 | ”point 132 | 1
“The hardest part is getting the kids to look in the right place and hold the right pose – especially when they were younger,” Jonathan added.point 365 |
“We use a lot of tricks like putting bells on a pole and then holding it where their eyeline needs to be, etc.point 90 | Also ensuring they don’t bump the tripod while we are shooting – easier said than done when you have two boys running around for an hour.point 206 |
We shoot each kid individually and then stitch it all together…but if the tripod gets bumped it ruins the effect and we have to start over.point 116 | ”point 119 | 1
“Our friends and family would be so disappointed if we went back to a normal card at this point. It’s also a great creative outlet and once the kids are a little older it will open up some crazy possibilities that aren’t feasible with a four-year-old and a baby.”
“I think deep down everyone hates trying to get a photograph for a Christmas card,” he concluded.point 195 | “It’s near impossible if you have young children – so people appreciate a card that emphasizes the challenges of parenting vs.point 307 |
hiding them.point 11 | Plus a lot of people seem to appreciate that the cards are a fun thing we do together as a family.point 89 | After all, the family that plays together stays together!point 138 | 1
You can also visit their family’s Youtube channel that carries some of the same themes and can have more fun.
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