In this post you will find inspiration for things to photograph at Christmas; whether you want to brave the weather of not. Mid-winter is a dreary time of year when inspiration can seem hard to come by. But there are a whole host of things to photograph in the run up to Christmas. Or if you prefer to stay warm inside there are things you can do as well.
Photograph the Christmas Lights
It might be dark and dreary outside but most high streets and town centres are decorated with Christmas lights and trees to brighten up the darkness. Head out just before dusk if you can to capture the colourful lights while there is still a bit of colour in the sky. Don’t forget your tripod as long exposure times will be needed. If you want to to create something a bit different, try some zoom-blur or create blur to be creative.
Shoot Some Winter Wildlife (with your camera)
With the plants and trees looking bare and dead there isn’t much plant-life to photograph. The lack of leaves does make it easier to spot the wildlife in you garden or local park. If you have a garden leave out food regularly to attract winter birds. Once you have regular visitors you can set yourself up with a long lens and tripod and capture some wild visitors.
Photograph Silhouettes At Sunset
When you’ve over indulged in Christmas food why not head out to a local park or outdoor space in the late afternoon and photograph other people out walking, silhouetted against a darkening sky. If you are lucky you’ll be treated to a colourful show of natural colour.
To get silhouetted shapes stand slightly below the brow of a hill or in a clear area where you have an uninterrupted view of the sky. Shoot towards the setting sun for the best light. If you don’t want to photograph people you can get some great shapes when you capture the bare branches of trees or a distinctive building or church.
Capture a Sunset Sky
In the middle of winter the sun sets in the mid to late afternoon making sunsets easily accessible by most. You may not get clear skies and perfect sunsets in winter but clouds in the sky will add texture to your picture as well as lots of different colours.
Photograph a Christmas Still Life
When the winter weather gets too bad for outdoor photography you could create a Christmas still life using some of your favourite Christmas decorations. A simple white sheet and some cardboard are all you need to create a simple table-top studio setup. Use an off-camera flash gun or bright LED torch to light your scene.
Experiment with Bokeh
Out of focus spots of light in a photograph are called bokeh. With all the lights around during the Christmas season there is lots of opportunities for experimentation. Use a wide aperture to give a shallow depth of field. This will keep your subject in focus without the background therefore any spots of light in the background will appear as bokeh.
If you want to create an abstract image set your focus to manual and shoot lots of out of focus lights. The key to success is experimentation.
Photograph a Christmas Event
In the run up to Christmas there are lots of events which will offer great opportunities for photography, from Christmas markets to Christmas tree festivals, Carol singing to visits by Santa. Take your camera along when you attend any events and you’ll be sure to find something to inspire you.