We are just a few hours away from Christmas Eve and Christmas and as always happens in these times, the cities, their streets and trees, the houses and the people in them, acquire the Christmas spirit.
The family gathered, the climate of hope, the smiles of the children, the decorations and the particular lighting that everything has at this time of year, make it ideal for taking some good photographs.
In today’s article I will leave you with a series of photo tips so that you can portray this Christmas as you have never done before.
- Prepare your team
- Plan your photos
- Tells a story
- photograph everything
- A different Christmas tree
- focus on the details
- watch out for the flash
- do not stay at home
- Go black and white
- Keep it simple and focus
- Same people, different portraits
- let your imagination fly
- The key moment: opening the gifts
- And to close: the fireworks
Prepare your team
Christmas happens only once a year, so not photographing it because you haven’t prepared your team would be an avoidable penalty. Remember that not only is it enough to have the camera at hand and the battery charged, you must also bear in mind that, to make the most of all the opportunities that this season offers, you must not forget to prepare your memory cards, to avoid losing photos , have a tripod and an extra battery handy if possible, and important: thoroughly clean all equipment.
Plan your photos
If you are already capable of achieving spectacular photos through improvisation, imagine how beautiful your photos would be if you spent even a few moments planning the entire photo shoot. Take your time to think about what is the final photographic product that you want to have at the end of the holidays, imagine the final photos and then think about how you would go about obtaining them. A good way to get inspiration is to look at the work of others. In fact, the weekly challenge about Christmas is taking place right now, check it out. Others can inspire you.
Tells a story
Once you have defined which moments you would like to capture and how you are going to do it, try not to capture photos but stories. When you show everyone your “little stories”, they will not only be able to appreciate each individual photo, but also the message of all of them. As I was told a few years ago: “Stories are easier to remember”.
photograph everything
Christmas Eve and Christmas are not just sitting down to eat, toast and open gifts: there is a whole process behind the preparation that deserves to be photographed. Shooting everything from the preparations for the big night to the opening of the presents will help you tell the family Christmas story.
A different Christmas tree
There are thousands and thousands of photos of Christmas trees floating around the Internet and almost all of them have one thing in common: they are almost identical. Try to take some good photos of your tree but not boring. You can play with the Bokeh (blur) or look for unusual points of view, but avoid falling into the typical photographs that turn out to be very boring.
focus on the details
Try to pay attention to the little details that we all overlook. The centerpiece of the table, the candles and all the Christmas arrangements can be excellent allies when it comes to telling your photographic Christmas story. Generally we tend to overlook the details, which is why these types of photographs are so surprising.
watch out for the flash
Although you may be tempted to fire the flash constantly due to poor light conditions, beware of ruining your photos by too much flash (like the one in the example). The following articles are almost mandatory reading for these holidays: How to beat your worst enemy: The dark and Tricks for a better use of the flash. If you can’t avoid using it, try to bounce or dispel it. If you only have the built-in flash of your camera, try placing a sheet of paper in front of it. The sheet of paper will diffuse the light and make it much softer.
do not stay at home
Christmas does not only take place in the living room of your house. Cheer up! Go out and take photos in your neighborhood, your city, your neighbors, your family playing in the snow, etc. Snow, trees and decorated houses are an excellent reason to take advantage of these holidays. Go for a walk around the market in your neighborhood or town, take pictures of the vendor stalls, the “Santa Clauses” that fill the square, or the lights installed in the streets.
Go black and white
You might think that taking black and white photos at this colorful time of year is a waste. Maybe you are right. Conveying a Christmas feeling in black and white is a bit more complicated, but I recommend you give it a try. Think of it as a challenge or exercise. Remember that photos are not only what they show but also what they convey.
keep it simple
Between lights, decorations and decorations, this time of year is usually saturated with details that, after all, one does not finish appreciating. Don’t try to pack a lot of detail into a single photo, try to find a single point of interest per photo in order not to overwhelm them. Think about what you want to highlight in each of your photographs.
Same people, different portraits
At the end of the year parties you will surely meet with your loved ones, friends and family. It is a good opportunity to get some excellent portraits of them. Prepare a place in the house where you can photograph them all comfortably. Avoid boring and already seen poses, encourage yourself to innovate. (To do this, I recommend that you read the following articles: A trick to revolutionize your portraits and 11 tips and tricks to achieve impressive portraits).
And do not forget anyone:
Let your imagination fly
In addition to portraying Christmas with the photos that we all take, dare to break the limits and take those photos that no one imagined. Innovate! In the Photographer’s Blog There are many techniques that you can carry out at these parties, but due to the large number of lights that abound at this time, I especially recommend the tutorials related to «Painting with Light». In this article we explain how: Starter guide: how to take your first “lightpainting” photograph. Take a look and be encouraged to carry it out.
The key moment: opening the gifts
One of the most anticipated moments at Christmas is the time to open presents, and not to mention if there are children at home. Raise the toast, give everyone a quick hello, and grab your camera to get ready for the pinnacle moment. Try to find a good location where you can capture the faces and their expressions as they gather around the Christmas tree and open presents.
And to close: the fireworks
Few things are more impressive than the fireworks displays that dye the skies with colors at the end of the year parties. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are good times to practice this type of photography. If you are interested, here is an article on fireworks photography: 11 easy steps and tricks to photograph fireworks.
Finally, for lovers of video articles, I leave you with one of Diego Galilea with tips to photograph Christmas:
These holidays you have an excellent opportunity to put into practice all the advice that you have been acquiring throughout the year of Photographer’s Blog. I hope you liked the article and I wish you a lot of peace and many happy returns for these holidays.