Heather Cook Elliott

The holidays are all about family and tradition, and there are few traditions as universal as taking family photos. Whether trying to capture that perfect picture for your holiday card or documenting the actual holiday, there are few things that moms (and grandmas) want more than a great picture of their kids.

With that in mind, we turned to Milwaukee-based photographer Heather Cook Elliott (you may remember her from her daughter's adorable globe-trotting nursery and her election-inspired first birthday party). Heather says that we are too caught up in getting the perfect picture. "I'm a professional photographer specializing in capturing people in love — in love with each other, in love with their children, in love with their dogs, cooking, life in general. But still, soon after my 14-month-old daughter was born, I realized why it is so hard to take great photos of your own children and families, professional or not. We are obsessed with perfection and perfect people smiling perfectly in perfectly lit photos."

Heather goes on to say that we need to stop trying for the perfect snapshot, but instead go for a great photograph. She says, "Great photographs are records of their subjects. They capture a moment in time, a feeling, a relationship, and ultimately, great photographs are about authenticity." Check out her 10 tips for taking more authentic holiday photos.

"Wren is a tiny human who loves to smile and walk and point. She smiles at strangers, adores her shoes, prefers to eat with a spoon, and she's running for president," says her mom, Heather Cook Elliott, a photographer who also created Wren's global, industrial nursery and stepped up her creative game to throw her an election-themed first birthday party. "We've discussed her platform at length, and I'm proud to endorse her as the bipartisan, all-American candidate for people who believe we should all just get along. She's No. 1 in 2012." And this party is getting our vote for creativity and cuteness. Full of election-inspired details, an awesome cake dotted with campaign buttons, and one adorable candidate, Wren's first birthday bash is pure political genius!

Source: Heather Cook Elliott

Baby Wren's parents spent a majority of their preparenting days exploring the world, so when it came time to settle down and create a permanent space for their new arrival, they wanted the room to reflect their wanderlust. "My husband and I love traveling, maps, and National Geographic," says Wren's mom, photographer Heather Cook Elliott. "We thought it would be great to design a room for our new little traveler using the magazine as the inspiration."

Heather also had to consider the unusual layout of her home: "an old warehouse with cream city brick and half-height walls." "Our baby's room is also part of the living space in a way that most nurseries aren't, so we wanted the room to be adult and modern," she says. The result is a space that highlights the couple's traveling spirit with photos Heather took while on a safari in Tanzania, an awesome and affordable globe mobile, and lots of National Geographic yellow, along with modern elements (check out the white leather rocker!) that come together to create one gorgeous, global nursery.

Source: Heather Cook Elliott