Christmas Shopping HBW, by Photocillin on Flickr

Watch the background

Christmas time is decoration time. Often loads of it. This is of course an important part of creating the right Christmas mood (good), but it can also generate very fuzzy backgrounds for your photos (bad). Be sure to take your background into account when shooting, to avoid elements in your background that takes too much attention from your subject.

Move closer to your subjects

If the background is fuzzy, consider moving closer to your subject. More often than not, a photo will improve by removing the surroundings and filling the frame with your subject(s).

Christmas-time is bokeh-time

Day 4, by Phil Peck on Flickr

Don’t take only posed photos

When you look at Christmas photos, they often include people looking straight into the camera (“Say cheeeeeeese!”). In gatherings like these, I usually prefer that people are not posing, as this often looks unnatural. I want my photos to capture the mood as it was, not how it was staged. Candid shots are great. Capture the intense glee the kids show, instead of the unreal calmness when they are posing.

Use a tele for kids

Speaking of kids. They have an uncanny ability to notice that someone is taking their picture (“Can I see, can I?”), so why not try and make it more difficult for them? If there is sufficient light, try using a tele lens so that you can get more distance to the kids and perhaps get some really nice shots of them playing.

Get down on children-level

Let’s not leave the kids just yet (after all; they are the most important part of Christmas, right?). Too many photos of kids are taken downwards. Get down to their level. This perspective is a lot more pleasant and interesting. Or even better; get lower! Photos of kids taken from below creates an unusual perspective that will add an interesting twist to your photos.

Cross-process some of your photos

Unique, by pixelprints on Flickr

Try to avoid flash

If you own one (or can borrow), go for a fast lens like a 50mm 1.4 or 1.8. This will enable you to take a lot of your photos without flash. If you use the built-in flash, most photos will have hard shadows and unnatural lighting. And a quality flash won’t help you much if it isn’t used right. To capture the warm, cosy Christmas mood, it is better to shoot without a flash. A fast lens (and a little higher ISO) is your friend!

Capture the details

As I said earlier, Christmas is very much about decoration. Which means details details details. Many of these details can be interesting subjects if you use your creative vision. Photos of details will add a nice touch to your Christmas photo album (you do print some of your photos, right? They don’t all just stay on your hard drive…?). Well, they look great in digital albums as well, of course

I hope these tips will help you take better photos this year! Do you have some tips on your own? Please share them with us! And if you’ve taken Christmas photos that you are particularly satisfied with, do share them in the comments section.

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas!

If you liked this post, you may also like:

1. 10 tips to get you started with flash photography, part 1
2. 10 tips to get you started with flash photography, part 2
3. Wedding photography: How to capture the mood of the celebration