Christmas is coming and you have some beautiful decorations set out on display.  Have you thought of taking some photos for your photo album?  Do you know how to create memorable holiday photos?  We, here at Cramer Imaging, would like to share a few tips since we are professional photographers ourselves.  So let’s talk about how to photograph your Christmas decorations.

Taking amazing Christmas decoration photos is simply a matter of following a few basic photographic composition rules, focusing on details, trying for something different, and being creative.

Composition Rules

Firstly, there are a few composition rules floating around in the world of photography circles.  These include the well known “rule of thirds,” the golden mean, and simplicity.  Each of these composition rules has its uses and place in photography.  If you’d like to read up more on basic photography composition, check out this article.  So, why do I even bring these up?  Because they are just what you will be using to photograph your Christmas decorations.

I would suggest that beginners start with the rule of thirds or simplicity techniques.  More advanced artists can experiment around with the golden mean and other techniques listed in the linked article.  It really takes a good eye to see the golden mean.

Rule of Thirds

To use this technique, you simply divide the area of the photo into thirds, as depicted above.  You heavily weight elements in your photo along these guidelines.

Simplicity

Simplicity is exactly what it sounds like: extremely simple in what you include in the frame.  You get the subject matter’s full impact without any distractions.

Golden Mean

The golden mean is a mathematical formula which results in the spiral shapes we know from snail shells.  It can be a difficult composition technique to recognize.

Focus on the Details

If you really want your Christmas decoration photos to pop this year, then you need to focus on the little things.  Those tiny sometimes overlooked details can be the difference between an amazing photo and something that looks so wrong.

Perhaps a tiny detail for you is an ornament dangling from a tree branch.  You might also consider a bow attached to a package a tiny detail.  Whatever you feel tiny details are, try including them in your Christmas decoration photography.

Check out these examples of Christmas decoration details and how they can add something special to your holiday photo session this year.

As you can see, the little things matter too.  Don’t overlook them this year with your camera in hand.

Experiment and Be Creative

Once you have mastered some of the basics above, now it’s time for you to try it out on your own.  Start thinking about your decorations in new ways.

One thing about photography is that there really is no right or wrong way to photograph something.  Ok, so you have a traditional looking photo of your Christmas tree.  Try for something a bit different.

When you think outside the box, you can come up with some really creative photos.  Those kinds of photos are the images you will be showing off to friends and family.  Those are the Christmas decoration photographs that they will be impressed with the most.

Christmas trees and holiday gifts are very common subjects for the camera this time of year.  So, what else to you have?  Try adding in a Nativity scene to your photo line-up.  Don’t have one?  That’s ok.  Find something non-traditional to shoot pictures of.

My family had a Christmas village and a model train set as part of our holiday decor.  Try for something different like that.  It will add some flavor to your seasonal photo album.

Start arranging things.  Also, start thinking about creative ways to take out-of-focus photos.  There’s no correct way to do this part either.  Therefore, use what you have or borrow what you can get.  Buy more if you must.

One word of caution for the experimenting photographer: be prepared for some ideas to work better in your head than in real life.  It happens a lot.  But keep trying.  Some ideas will work out well and others will work out better than expected.

Conclusion

In conclusion, taking pictures of your Christmas decorations this year can actually be a very fun and rewarding activity.  It’s family-friendly as well.  Kids love to be part of something like this with their parents.  They will gladly help you create some beautiful photos for your album this year.  The most important part is to enjoy yourself with this activity and during this holiday season.  Have fun getting out there to photograph your Christmas decorations.