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📸 Festive Focus: 5 Photography Ideas to Try This Christmas

The decorations are up, the light is low, and there’s a unique atmosphere in the air. Whether you’re shooting on a high-end DSLR or just your phone between courses, here are five ways to keep your creative momentum going over the holidays.

1. The "Christmas Bokeh" Challenge

Nothing says Christmas like those soft, out-of-focus orbs of light.

  • The Technique: Use your fastest lens (e.g., a 50mm f1.8) and open the aperture wide.
  • The Shot: Place a subject (a bauble, a pet, or a glass of mulled wine) a few feet in front of the tree lights to create a beautiful, compressed background of glowing circles.

2. Long Exposure "Light Painting"

If the house is quiet tonight, kill the lights and grab your tripod.

  • The Technique: Set a long shutter speed (5–10 seconds).
  • The Shot: Use a handheld torch or even a sparkler to "paint" shapes around your Christmas tree or across a darkened room. It’s a great way to experiment with light trails without leaving the warmth of the lounge.

3. Documentary-Style "The Chaos"

Skip the posed "everyone smile at the camera" shots.

  • The Technique: Bump up your ISO to handle the indoor lighting and switch to continuous shooting mode.
  • The Shot: Capture the raw emotion—the flying wrapping paper, the concentration of someone carving the turkey, or the inevitable post-dinner nap on the sofa. These candid moments are the ones you'll value most in ten years.

4. Macro Details

Christmas is full of intricate textures that we often overlook.

  • The Technique: Get as close as your lens allows.
  • The Shot: The frost on a windowpane, the pine needles on the wreath, or the reflection of the room inside a single silver bauble.

5. Blue Hour Landscapes

We get some beautiful "Blue Hour" tones this time of year.

  • The Technique: Head out about 20 minutes after sunset (roughly 16:20 tonight).
  • The Shot: Capture the local street lights or the the local skyline. The deep blue sky provides a perfect high-contrast backdrop for the warm orange glow of the festive city lights.

Show us your best shots! Upload your festive frames. We’d love to see how you’re spending your Christmas behind the lens.

Happy Shooting!

Deaks

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