Easter is right around the corner, here are some ideas to help you celebrate. Yes, social distancing in effect, but there are ways to keep some traditions and also stay connected.
1. Easter Family Photo…
Especially during this Unique Time in History
Typically we would be preparing brunches and having family over but this year the Easter holiday will be a bit more small and intimate for us all. That doesn’t mean your immediate family can’t still dress up and decorate and keep some aspects of the holiday traditional.
So if you plan to dress up (or even if you don’t), consider having your family photo taken or DIY it. With all of the changes taking place and businesses closing, family photographers and photo sessions are not happening. But what is growing in popularity is something called Front Steps Project. Many local photographers are doing this for free. They will snap a few images of your family right on the front porch of your home while using a lens that will allow them to shoot from over 6 feet away to maintain social distancing. So consider it and you can easily find a photographer participating by searching #frontstepsproject on your social media or asking family and friends for recommendations.
Or keep it simple and DIY your family photo. Have fun with this. You can still choose to do your family photo on your front porch with your Easter decorations in the background. Set up a tripod or set the timer setting on your cell phone and find a creative way to prop up your phone.
A few tips to achieve a family photo you will love:
a. Spend a few extra minutes planning out your outfits. Don’t ask everyone to dress themselves – your outfits might look perfectly fine but together it might be a different story. So come up with a color theme…for example everyone stick to a spring color palette. Another must is for everyone NOT to all wear patterns. Maybe one or two people can wear a simple pattern (such as floral, plaid, stripes, polka dots) and the others stick to solid colors.
b. Plan out the photo for a cloudy or even partly cloudy day. If it’s sunny all day, then wait closer to sunset. This will prevent everyone from squinting and having yucky harsh shadows on their faces, particularly under their eyes.
c. Last, everyone get nice and snuggly! Don’t forget the family dog and/or cat as long as you can safely hold on to them. Get a few traditional images with everyone smiling at camera, but don’t be afraid to goof around and get some silly shots into the mix (HINT: pretend you are at a Photo Booth). Often outtakes end up being the ones that everyone loves most!
Other ways to get natural shots is play a game of telephone which is bound to get everyone laughing. Blowing bubbles works especially well to get the attention of the littlest ones or have someone read a book or play an instrument. These activities make it easier for candid captures.
2. Coloring Your Eggs…
Alternatives to Traditional Dye
In the event you don’t have regular food dye sitting in your pantry and you’re trying to avoid a trip to the store, there are so many alternatives to coloring your eggs! Here are two of my favorite ways that I’ve found online.
a. Water Colour! – Do your kiddos have a watercolor paint set laying around? YES? Well give this a try. I found this on a website called SquirrellyMinds. What I love about this is you can be more playful than simply just coloring your eggs a single color. Create a final product that is bright, colorful with a spring vibe to it. For the full article with lots of beautiful photos samples of the final eggs click here.
b. Natural Dye – Poke around your kitchen..do you have turmeric, onions, coffee? You can use various kitchen ingredients to color your eggs. Martha Stewart, among others, has an article on this, click here to find out how to do this yourself at home. Some other sources also use items such as beets, lemon rinds, spinach and so on.
If you fancy using natural dyes, then another project you may also like is making homemade play dough. It’s not easter-related but fun indeed. I’ve searched through many recipes and happen to be fond of this one here by Homegrown & Healthy because she also incorporates Essential Oils to give the play dough a scent!
Click here for more Easter ideas on my Pinterest Board.
3. Acts of Kindness by Sending Paper Cards
I read an article by Martha Stewart about how with all of the social distancing this holiday may feel impersonal. But a simple way to make it more personal is to create physical, tangible cards that you can pop into the mail. Her suggestion was to mail physical invitations if your planning a virtual Easter, but how about just making tangible home-made Easter Cards. Have the kids use whatever you already lying around at home. Construction paper, scraps of ribbon, buttons, paint, rubber stamps, glitter. Get inspiration online or even better just play and experiment. Make handmade notes and cards and mail them out to surprise grandparents, family and friends…but don’t stop there.
Extend this project into small acts of kindness for your community. Many seniors may be especially lonely during this time and would love to receive a little handmade card to cheer them up. And furthermore, this is a perfect opportunity to wish your local healthcare workers and first responders a happy holiday and thank them for their service. Use your imagination, be sentimental, be funny, everyone can use a little something to make this holiday feel more personal.
HAPPY EASTER!
Have a question you’d like answered or a photography topic you’d like to know more about? Send me a message for a chance to have your question featured on my blog. I’d love to hear from you!