It might feel far too early to be thinking about Christmas cards while Hong Kong is still firmly in summer mode, but if you want to use professional family photos this year, September is actually the perfect time to start planning.

Your session needs to be booked, photographed, and edited before you can even begin designing and printing your cards. Add Hong Kong weather, busy family diaries, and increasingly packed weekends into the mix, and November suddenly feels rather close.

Here’s how to get ahead of it.

When should you book your Christmas family photos?

Ideally, book your Hong Kong family photography session in September or October if you want your finished Christmas cards ready before December.

That gives us some breathing room if weather forces a reschedule or someone wakes up ill, as well as enough time for your photographs to be edited, your favourites chosen, and your cards printed.

My advice is to work backwards from the date you want the cards in your hands, rather than from Christmas Day.

What should everyone wear?

You definitely don't need matching Christmas jumpers – unless that's genuinely your family's thing.

Instead, aim to coordinate rather than match. Choose two or three complementary colours and build everyone's outfits around them. Neutrals, creams, soft blues, earthy greens and warm natural tones all photograph beautifully.

Most importantly, make sure everyone is comfortable. If your toddler's outfit is itchy, hot or difficult to move in, we'll know about it approximately three minutes into the session.

Do the photos need to look Christmassy?

Not at all. In fact, I prefer family photos that happen to make a brilliant Christmas card, rather than photographs that only work in December.

Hong Kong gives us beaches, greenery, architecture, and brilliant city backdrops, so let the card design add the festive element. You'll then have a gallery of beautiful family photographs that you'll want to display all year round. Hello, JLP Magnets!

Where should you take your Christmas card photos in Hong Kong?

Choose somewhere that works for your family rather than simply picking the most impressive backdrop.

Beaches and green outdoor spaces are brilliant for younger children because there's room to move and play, while an urban Hong Kong family photoshoot can be particularly special if you want the city itself to become part of your family's story.

We'll also consider the practical things – the light, crowds, temperature and how easy the location is with your children.

What if my children won't cooperate?

They don't need to.

We'll absolutely try to get that lovely everyone-looking-at-the-camera photograph, but children don't need to stand perfectly still for the whole session.

Let them move, play, and interact with you. Instead of repeatedly asking them to smile, cuddle them, chat to them, and make them laugh. Genuine reactions almost always photograph better than the smile they've been instructed to produce.

Give yourself time

Before your family photoshoot, organise outfits early, protect naps and mealtimes where possible, and check your chosen printer's Christmas deadlines – especially if you're sending cards overseas.

September and October really are the sweet spot for Christmas family photography in Hong Kong. You'll have more choice of dates, room for the unexpected, and enough time to create and print your cards without the November panic.

And that's one Christmas job you'll be very glad you didn't leave until December.