Christmas arrived with a bang in our house yesterday!
First up was a visit to Santa.
The above photo is probably the worst professional photo that I have ever paid good money for. The Boy Child’s stance is awkward and the light across their faces is shocking. (Can anyone advise me, in simple terms, how to make it look better in PSE, please?)
So why did I pay for it?
Because this was the first year that The Boy Child was happy to stand with Santa without me. In fact, he actually said, “No, Mummy, I can do it without you!” (Did you hear my heart squeeze?)
And for that alone, the photo is worth every penny. And there’s a scrapbook page, too.
After Santa, it was up to the cinema to see Frozen.
We both really enjoyed it, especially the antics of Olaf the Snowman.
And there was Lego. In for life-size form of a Formula 1 racing car. The Boy Child was in seventh heaven.
The professional photographer took an excellent photo and there was no charge.
Santa and elves: take note.
After a brief stop at home to collect The Brainy One, we headed off to get our Christmas tree.
We were practical and economical this year, given that we will be away from home for five nights (and the house/dog sitter will be enjoying our tree!). We went to our local B&Q and spent just £20 on an almost 6 foot divine smelling Norway Spruce.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
This West London Life 
how frustrating that the 'professional' photographer was not taking more care.
I don't know of a sure way to remove the glare. here is what I would try. 1.Crop the photo to remove the lights. 2. use the brightness adjustment – move brightness to the left until the background looks better. 3. flatten levels and make a duplicate in a new file 4. turn the new image sepia and flatten 5 copy the sepia back onto the original and use soft light blending mode and then reduce the opacity way down to see if it helps – play with the opacity level to try and find an acceptable level.
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That is such exciting news about the boy child! I am thrilled for you, Ruth! And how wonderful that he enjoyed himself so thoroughly. While I have no idea how to correct the Santa picture, you got some super shots of him.
Love your tree!
xo,
Sheila…who is wondering if you made it to LegoLand in Central Florida???
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Despite your unhappiness with the top one, there are some super photos of your independent not so little one :). Looking very festive where you are …
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What a very Christmassy day. Sounds lovely. If you really can't sort the Santa pic, try converting it to black and white or sepia-often disguises the awkward shadows
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Your tree lovely beautiful BTW
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I DID feel your heart squeeze!….your boy has come on leaps and bounds??be very proud!
Alison xx
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ohmygoodness I did hear (and feel that heart squeeze) and while the photo is not the best that feeling will be forever in your heart 🙂
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Overexposed photos are extremely difficult to correct – especially flash glare on faces …hmmm. I would also reduce the brightness and take out some of the yellow colour. Cropping would also help but I'd keep the colour … only because I like my photos to look like the picture in my memory – and that's personal preference, a b&w or sepia would work well.
So pleased for you and your boy!
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Oh, a great big Happy Christmas to the three of you! The photos is wonderful all the same – and it'll be treasured for years. I have a couple of me with Santa and they are my favourite childhood pics I think. I'm a bit jealous about the F! car..I could have done with a go in that myself 🙂 If he's a fan, he has something else in common with TTO! Trains and F1
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Aw, so sweet that he went up to see Santa alone, but I do rather miss seeing you there in the photo! Although, considering the quality of the shot, it's probably a good thing you aren't in there. Haha.
Gosh, I can't get over how tall The Boy Child is getting!
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