Holiday Decorations & Photography - Michel Charlebois Rehmat

Regardless of what holiday you celebrate come December, chances are that you’ve got a few decorations up around the house that tie in with it. And when the time comes to document your holiday celebrations, you may want to document those decorations as well, whether because they were handmade by your children, or because you were particularly pleased with how well they turned out this year and want to show them off.

Regardless of the reason, or of the type of holiday or decoration, there are a few ways you can help ensure that your pictures truly capture the spirit they’re meant to convey. Use these tips to help get more out of your holiday decoration photos.

Clear Clutter

This may sound obvious, but too often there can be distracting elements in a photograph that end up taking away from the main focus. This is particularly true when you are photographing house interiors; toys, dishes that haven’t been put away, and just the clutter of everyday life can show up in your photos and take away from what it is you are attempting to capture.

So, take the time to sweep the area you are photographing so that only the subject remains. You may also want to clear the furniture behind you back a way as well; this will give you more room to maneuver and to get into better positions to show off your work.

Play with Light

Many holidays utilize some form of light as part of the decoration. This could be strand lights, candles, yule logs, or a combination of all three. Regardless of how you’re illuminating your holiday, you may need to pay attention to your camera settings to ensure you’re capturing this light in the best possible way.

Start by putting out other light sources in the room, so that the holiday display shines a little brighter. Next, take several test shots; the brightness of your lights and their colors may mean that you need to adjust things as you go.

Start with an ISO of 100 or 200, and an aperture of F8, then play with your exposure time from there. You can adjust up or down as needed until you get the shot you’re after. Remember that exposure time of more than 30 seconds can give you some very interesting shots of lights in the dark.

Fill Your Frame

While it can be fun to get some wide-angle shots of a whole scene, don’t forget to get some close ups as well. Try filling your frame with different views, such as a close up of a Menorah or a Christmas tree, so you aren’t entirely sure what it is you are viewing at first glance. This can give you more interesting images than your standard holiday decoration shots.

Have Fun with Your Photos

Regardless of why you want to show off your work, be sure to have some fun with the shots as well. Play with your frame and your shutter speeds until you get some really unique pieces of art. The holidays are full of images that are perfect to capture, so get your camera out and get ready to document it all.