Top 7 Tips to Photograph Christmas Decorations

How to Photograph Christmas Decorations

As photographers, we love the holidays because they provide us with plenty of amazing photo opportunities.  A challenge that we face as photographers in any situation is capturing the essence of an event, whether it be a wedding, a 90th birthday celebration, or the holidays.

Just like you would photograph the details of a wedding in order to capture the feeling of the day, photographing the details and decorations at Christmas works much the same!

Here are 7 great tips to help you photograph beautiful decorations this holiday season:

The most common way to take picture of Christmas decorations would probably be at night when everything is beautifully lit, but for sharper images, try shooting during the day, in natural light.  Also, photograph your subject from several different angles, and experiment with getting closer to, and further away from your subject.  Its fun to experiment with different perspectives.

If you are shooting in low light to capture the ambiance of the evening, you may want to try using a tripod so that your images will be sharp, allowing you to use the lowest ISO setting in order to avoid noise in your images.

1. Abstraction

Abstraction is a really fun way to experiment when you are photographing holiday decorations.  It allows you to play with color, line and shape... and in the process, create some really beautiful abstract images.

2. Color

Don’t be afraid to play with color, either.  Depending on what type of holiday decorations you are photographing, you may see a variety of colors.

3. Depth of Field

Holidays are the perfect time to experiment with depth of field.  The lights from the decorations, as well as candlelight, provide a wonderful backdrop when using a shallow depth of field.

How to Photograph Christmas Dinner

I think it’s safe to say that the majority of us get really excited about the food at the holidays.  Not only is it just plain delicious, but it is also one of the things that brings everyone together.

When photographing food, there are a few things you will want to keep in mind, because, if not approached correctly, food photography can be unappealing to the eye.

4. Capture the Food Preparation

Photograph the food as it is being prepared, so that you can capture the ingredients on their own, as well as interesting preparation items, such as cookie cutters and cookware.

5. Arrange the Food

Arrange the food/ingredients/cookware just like you would arrange a model at a photoshoot. It sounds silly, but it putting in that little bit of extra effort will go a long way towards capturing a compelling image.

6. Pay Attention to the Light

In terms of photographing the food, bright, even light tends to work the best.  Refrain from using your on-camera flash as much as possible, because it can create unappealing, harsh shadows on the food.  If you need to use your flash, try pointing it towards the ceiling in order to bounce the light so that it diffuses evenly, rather than hitting the food directly.

7. Photograph the Dinner Table

Don’t forget to photograph the dinner table before everyone sits down for  dinner.  Photograph things such as centerpieces, place settings, and holiday dinnerware.

Details are a lovely part of any holiday story that you don't want to miss!  Sometimes they are just as important as capturing the full scene.  No matter what holiday is coming up look for beautiful details around you and photograph them.  Your holiday story will be more beautiful if you do!

Do you have any questions or comments about Photographing Holiday Details?  Leave us a comment below - we would love to hear from you!  And PLEASE SHARE this post using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it)!