Christmas Photo Ideas
Let’s get into the festive spirit by creating some fantastic Christmas photos! Here we’ve created fun and easy Christmas photo ideas that you can do with very little equipment. Grab your Christmas lights, grab a willing model, grab your camera and get ready for some fun Christmas photography ideas!
If you are inspired by this tutorial, we’d love to see your own Christmas Photo Ideas. For a chance to be featured on our social media platforms add the tag #theschoolofphotgraphy on your pictures.
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Equipment needed for this photo idea
To create this photo you will need some Christmas lights, a flash gun or a bright torch, a camera that has fully manual settings, a tripod (if you don’t have a tripod you can use a table or chair, anything that will keep your camera still during the exposure) and a step ladder or something solid to stand on. You will also need a dark room to take the photo in, the darker the better!
You’re also going need a willing model and someone to do the swinging of the Christmas lights!
To learn more about camera equipment, click here.
Tripod and a DSLR Camera for the Christmas photo idea
Christmas Lights
Camera settings for this Christmas photo idea
Here are the camera settings for this photo idea and they pretty much work every time!
Put your camera onto M (manual mode)
Set your aperture to f22
Set your shutter speed to 15 seconds (you can increase this if you feel you need more time to get the shot).
Set you ISO to 100 (or the lowest your camera will go)
Put your camera on a tripod or table to keep it still during the exposure
Put your camera onto its 2 second timer (that will help keep your camera still during the exposure)
To learn more about camera settings, click here.
Camera Settings
The Christmas Photo Idea Technique
In this idea you will need to raise the model off the ground slightly and have the light swinger on a step ladder behind them. Get the light swinger to swing the lights around the model and when they are in a rhythm, take the shot! Experiment with your cropping and swing technique to get the look you want.
Once you’ve got your composition as you want, it’s play time! Add some bursts of flash or torch light. Use different coloured lights, add props, make funny faces and just have some fun with it by coming up with your own photo ideas!
Model standing on box
Christmas photo idea with coloured fairy lights
Our Christmas Photo Idea
Christmas photo idea using coloured lights and a burst of flash - Camera Settings: 20mm Focal Length - 15 Seconds - F 22 - ISO 100
Christmas photo idea using coloured lights and no flash - Camera Settings: 18mm Focal Length - 15 Seconds - F 22 - ISO 100
Christmas photo idea using white lights and a burst of flash - Camera Settings: 20mm Focal Length - 15 Seconds - F 22 - ISO 100
More examples of Christmas photo ideas
Decorated Christmas tree - @taisiia_shestopal unsplash.com
Christmas lights in London - @withluke - unsplash.com
Christmas box of chocolates - @foodess unsplash.com
Decorated Christmas tree at home - @alsyshka unsplash.com
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