Christmas is right around the corner, which means it’s time for festive Christmas photoshoots. If you’re reading this article, you probably love this time of year and want to take the best photos possible.

Regardless of what genre you specialize in, you can add a Christmas atmosphere to your photographs and make them look extra special. If you’re not sure where to start, we’re here to help with our unique Christmas photo ideas.

Where to Take Christmas Photos?

An important aspect of Christmas photography is the location. If you pick the right location for your photoshoot, you might find it easier to take great photos of anything, be it your family or still life.

1. Take Indoor Pictures In Your Living Room

If it’s too cold to go outside, you can still take a lot of beautiful pictures indoors. This includes group family photos, still life shots, and much more. For the best results, you might benefit from using a wide-angle lens with a full-frame camera. This will let you take wide and atmospheric photos, which is helpful in cramped locations. However, remember that this isn’t a necessity and that you can take fantastic photos with the gear that you already have.

Most people put up their Christmas trees in their living rooms. This is one of the best places to take photos in any light condition. If the light isn’t flattering, you can use a reflector or an additional source of light, like a lamp or a torch.

2. In an Outdoor Location With Untouched Snow

Don’t take photos in busy places where the snow is dirty and wet. Try to find a simple location with untouched snow. You might need to travel outside of your town or city to find it, but it will be worth the effort. Untouched snow looks perfect in Christmas photographs and is the ideal outdoor setting for any kind of genre. If you want to make your annual holiday cards stand out, this is the place to go.

3. What to Wear to Your Christmas Photoshoot?

To make your Christmas card photos extra festive, you need to wear the right clothes. It’s okay if you’re not into ugly Christmas sweaters. (In my opinion, they look pretty cool in photos, but to each their own!) You can look cosy and fashionable by making a few simple changes to your everyday style.

You can wear casual clothes. Sweaters and sweatpants are a great option for a comfy indoor photoshoot. If you want a classier option, try to dress up with Christmas colors incorporated into your outfit. Here are a few great ideas:

• A red sweater or turtleneck with jeans
• A burgundy sweater with a gray blazer
• A black dress with red shoes
• A very simple outfit with a Santa hat! (If you’re rushing and don’t have any other ideas.)

Creative Christmas Photo Ideas to Make Your Holidays More Festive

Want to infuse your photos with the festive spirit in a creative way? We’ve got the perfect Christmas photo ideas for you!

4. Use Christmas Lights in the Dark

Christmas lights are the perfect kind of artificial light for creative Christmas photography. You can use them to take family photos, self-portraits, and close-up photos of your Christmas decorations. In the dark, they turn into a completely different tool. String lights in the dark are ideal for taking moody holiday photos that still have a festive twist.

Keep reading this article to find out how you can take sharp and eye-catching photos in the dark.

5. Use Lens Filters to Take Creative Christmas Bokeh Pictures

Lens filters are incredibly fun to work with, especially when you have lots of light sources. Some lens filters are used to darken landscapes on sunny days. Others, commonly referred to as bokeh filters, are used for more creative purposes, like turning bokeh into hearts or stars. You can order custom filters that will let you create bokeh shaped like ghosts, letters, or even animals. Lens filters like this tend to be pretty budget-friendly.

Since you probably have a lot of Christmas lights at home, it’s safe to say that your bokeh filter won’t go to waste in December. You can use it to make backgrounds look more interesting or to simply photograph bokeh on its own. (Christmas photo ideas that involve festive props are usually great for family Christmas cards, for the record.)

6. Re-Create Old Christmas Family Photos

If you have a photo album of old family pictures taken during Christmastime, you can use them as inspiration for a new family photoshoot. You can add a modern twist to your photos or make them look as old as your references. The modern twist could be using different props or a completely different setup. You can also edit the photos differently. (Instead of using faded colors, you can increase the saturation in your images.)