Photzy

TIPS FOR TELLING A HOLIDAY STORY WITH PHOTOGRAPHS

Quick Guide
Written by Leanne Cleaveley

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 Flipping through old photographs is a not-so-guilty ·· How to plan to get all the holiday shots you
pleasure of mine. There is something very special want
about those holiday photos from when we were
children. They give us a glimpse into moments and ·· How to create a “photo story” of holiday events
even help build and solidify memories. or activities

I have an older photo. In it, I am about five years ·· To be aware of and utilize light in different
old, sitting under the Christmas tree with a couple of settings and make the most of your camera
gifts. I shared it with my girls and they marveled over equipment, indoors and out
the fact that some of the ornaments on the tree in ·· Considerations for candid and posed holiday
the photo now adorn our own Christmas tree. They photos
query me on the gifts: what did I name the teddy?
·· Some fun tips and tricks for capturing some
Those photos are like digging up artifacts. They are unique photographs, while utilizing all that the
like gold in our family. They are often an invitation to holidays have to offer
storytelling.

Most of us cherish photos taken over the holiday Recommended Reading: Want to learn how
season. Whatever holiday you celebrate, you should to make your photos stand out from everyone
include all the elements that do those special days else’s? Grab a copy of Photzy’s premium guide,
with family and friends justice. Effective Storytelling.

In this guide, I would like to offer some of my tips

and tricks for getting holiday photos that will become
part of your family’s story. You will also learn the
following:

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 PLANNING THE PLOT

All great stories start with a plan. Planning ensures One way to tell a story through photos is to create
that you have all your equipment ready and a good a series of photos that show different aspects of an
idea of the type of photos you want to take. event. Your photo story can include any number of
shots – three or twenty!
So charge up those batteries, get your lenses
cleaned and organized, and dig that tripod out. Photo stories are great for showing the sequence of
events. For example, one story I like to tell through
The other part of planning is making a mental photos is our annual Christmas tree hunt. I try and
or literal list of the shots you would like to get. get shots of “the hunt” (looking for that perfect tree),
Sometimes writing them down helps ensure that you photos of my hubby cutting it down, and pictures of
don’t find yourself thinking, “Oh, I wish I had gotten the kids decorating it (see the image set on the next
a shot of that!” when the holidays have ended. page). The story changes a little every year and it is
I have photos that we take every year. I call them fun to catch those special moments.
milestone photos as they often show the growth Photo stories are also great for showing different
of our children and of our family. I have my father aspects of the same event. It can be fun to catch
to blame for the traditional “camera on the tripod, the expressions on the faces of the kids as they
timer set, and RUN!” photos that we still take. decorate Christmas cookies. But it is also nice to get
a detailed shot of those tasty treats, and of course
someone enjoying them.

During the “planning” phase, think about some of

the annual traditions that you have that would be fun
to share through a photo story and put that plan into
action!

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 Photographs by Leanne Cleaveley

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 SETTING

Many of the shots I take over the holidays are taken THE FLASH
inside. Setting can affect how effectively your camera
and equipment works and how your shots turn out. It Often, my indoor photos during the holidays are
is also important to take your setting into account, so taken with a flash. The on-camera flash can work in a
that you can make the most of available and created pinch, but it can be unflattering as it shines straight
light. at your subject and can create harsh shadows.

An off-camera, or external, flash allows for more

NATURAL LIGHT
flexibility in how you use your light. Use your diffuser
Whenever possible, I try and use natural light. But or look for a white wall or ceiling and try “bouncing”
that isn’t always easy during a time of year when it is your flash off that surface onto your subject. The
cold outside and the days are short. “bounced” light will be more diffused and softer,
creating a more natural look.
We have a large picture window in our living room
that allows in a nice amount of light. I often try and Key Lesson: Rather than aiming your flash
situate people so that I can use that light when taking straight at your subject, try turning it toward a
photographs. The light is soft and flattering and the white surface and bouncing it off onto your
photos taken in that light are often my favorites. subject. The diffused light looks more natural
and helps you avoid harsh shadows and
Key Lesson: The benefits of natural light, overexposure.
like the light through a large picture window,
are that it is often diffused, creating a softer, Take care to adjust your white balance when shooting
more natural look for your subjects. If the sun indoors with a flash. This ensures that your whites
is glaring in, throw a white sheet up to create look white and not tinged blue or yellow. If there is
that look yourself. other light around, you may need to consider which
is more dominant.

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 We have fluorescent lights in our kitchen and even THE GREAT OUTDOORS
with a flash, the fluorescent lights dominate. So I
always make sure that I set the white balance to the If you are taking photos outside in the cold over
fluorescent light setting, so that my photos don’t look the holidays, you will have another consideration
too yellow. to keep in mind. The elements can be hard on our
equipment, so head outdoors prepared.
Christmas lights can affect your white balance too. If
your subject is sitting close to a tree full of red lights, One thing to think about is battery life. If it is very
you may need to adjust your settings to account for cold outside, your battery life will be much shorter
that. than it would be shooting in warmer conditions. So
be sure to check that your battery is fully charged
and have a spare handy. That goes for batteries in
Key Lesson: Figure out what kind of light
your flash as well.
dominates in your shot and adjust your white
balance setting on your camera accordingly. If Another thing to consider is how to free up your
you don’t know what kind of light you are hands but keep them warm enough while shooting.
dealing with, take a test shot and look at it on I like to use fingerless gloves when the temperature
your camera viewfinder. isn’t too cold. I put heat packs in my gloves as well.
Yellow/green light usually means you are They keep my fingers from going numb and buy me
dealing with fluorescent light. a little more time outside with the camera.

Orange/yellow light usually means you are One last consideration is for the glass on your lens.
dealing with incandescent light. Those of you that have glasses will relate to the issue
of fogged-up lenses. One way to prevent fogging on
the glass is to keep your lens covered when going in
and out of the house.

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 If it is cold enough for your breath to
show as water vapor, then you will want
to be careful that it doesn’t create haze in
front of your lens when shooting. I have
had a few photos ruined by this and have
learned to “hold my breath” for a couple
of seconds before taking a photo.

Winter Outdoor Shooting Checklist:

·· Batteries fully charged

·· Lens cap on when entering/exiting
buildings
·· Fingerless gloves for better access to
camera controls
·· Avoid haze by being aware of
exhaling water vapor

Recommended Reading: Want

to learn how to make your photos
stand out from everyone else’s? Grab
a copy of Photzy’s premium guide,
Effective Storytelling.

Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

TIPS FOR TELLING A HOLIDAY STORY WITH PHOTOGRAPHS // © PHOTZY.COM 7

 CHARACTERS

You can’t tell a story without characters, and your It is always nice to capture special moments with
holiday photo story is no exception. The characters family members that we see less often as well. The
that get photographed the most around the holidays holidays are a great time to bring people together
are the kids. There is something special about those and catch some shots of your loved ones.
looks of pure delight and surprise that come with
special visits, glittering ornaments and, of course,
gifts.

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 CANDID

Have your camera handy for some candid

shots. Christmas is a great opportunity to
get amazing shots of joy and surprise.

If you are shooting indoors, be sure to

check your camera settings. Too many
of my photos were ruined by the camera
compensating for low light by adjusting
the shutter speed.

Slow shutter speed + fast-moving subject

= undesirable blur

So be sure to have adequate light, as

mentioned above, and adjust your ISO
for the light you do have. Shooting in
a higher ISO, such as 400 or 800, is
sometimes necessary in a poorly lit room.

Once you are set, keep the camera handy

but not in front of your face all the time.
Adults and even children tend to change
their expressions when they know a
camera is nearby, ruining the effect of a
great candid shot.

Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

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 Another strategy to get a good “natural” look
is to take a few posed shots and then go in for
the candid once your subject has gotten used
to the camera being out. For younger subjects,
I like to get them to ‘ham it up’ by saying
“make a silly face.” After a few silly shots they
get back to what they are doing and I move in
for the natural shot.

When shooting candid photos, a great tool to

ensure that you don’t miss a great expression
is burst mode. Set your camera, hold down
the shutter, and away you go. Later, you can
go through the photos at your leisure and pick
your favorites.

Be aware that when shooting in burst mode in

low-light situations using a flash, you may find
your flash won’t “keep up” with the shutter.
Try to find other light sources if you can. Some
cameras won’t even allow burst mode to
operate when the on-camera flash is engaged,
as the flash needs time to charge before it can
be used again.

Recommended Reading: For more

tips on getting great candid shots of
youngsters, check out Photzy’s free Child
Candid Photography quick guide.
Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

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 Posed

If it weren’t for posed shots, my husband

and I would rarely show up in our holiday
photos. We make a point of taking a
family photo in front of our Christmas tree
each year. I set the camera up on a tripod
and use the timer to get us all in the
photo.

Set-up for a photo like this involves

making sure that the focus is right. When
taking shots of a big group, you don’t
want anyone standing or sitting farther
behind or in front of the group. Chances
are, if they do that, they will be out of
focus.

For our family tripod shots, I usually do a

test shot with just my husband in it, sitting
or standing where we want to be. Then
the kids come in and I hit the shutter and
run to get in the photo (even though I
Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley
give myself plenty of time, it makes us
all giggle). Alternatively, you can use a
wireless shutter release to do the same
thing; just ensure that the remote is out of
the picture.

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 We usually do a silly shot for our posed
photos too. Inevitably, one of the kids will
do “bunny ears” on someone. Far better
to give them permission to do it than
have someone ruin a great photo.

Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

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 DETAILS

Details enrich a story, and the same is true

for your holiday photos. Be sure to make
some time to catch some detailed shots.
Whether it be a shot of a treasured gift or
a special heirloom ornament, these types
of shots tell an important part of your
holiday story.

Macro and Close-Ups

Whether using a macro lens or zooming in

close with another lens, you need to keep
a couple things in mind when shooting
things like Christmas ornaments and lights.

First, stabilization is very important, so

use a tripod. The slightest movement of
your hand when taking a close-up shot
can create a lot of blur. And you have the
time to set up the tripod, because you are
shooting objects that are still.
Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

Another thing to consider is depth of field.

When shooting close-up shots, your depth
of field will typically be much narrower.
Because of this, you should be careful to
ensure that your subject is in focus.

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 On the plus side, the narrow depth of field is great for ensuring
that your subject really stands out. Our eyes will naturally go to
the things in the photo that are focused and the rest creates a
pleasing blur or background, which brings us to bokeh…

Bokeh

With all those holiday lights around, you must allow yourself a
chance to play a bit and get some great bokeh shots. Bokeh, or
the quality of blurred or out-of-focus light in a photograph, can
add great interest and create a lovely background.

To get bokeh, you need to set your aperture to achieve a

shallow depth of field. You do this by increasing the size of the
aperture, or decreasing the f-stop. How much you ‘open up’
your aperture, and how far you are from your subject and the
lights, will affect the size of the bokeh in your photo.

Ultimately, you should be close to the subject you want to have

in focus and have a fair distance between your subject and the
lights to get good bokeh.

Key Lesson: Not all bokeh is good. A very busy,

distracting background can detract from a shot. So be
careful to choose your background so that the bokeh
complements, rather than detracts from, your photograph.

Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

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 Another fun thing to try is to take a “bokeh only” shot. I have
several years’ worth of Christmas tree shots, so it was great fun
for me to manually set my focus to get an all bokeh shot of the
tree, as seen in the photo on the previous page.

SILHOUETTES

All those Christmas lights lend themselves to silhouette shots.

Silhouette shots are a great way to tell a story, as they give a
little bit of information and leave the rest up to your imagination.
And everyone loves a good mystery, right?

By placing your subject between yourself and the lights and

avoiding using flash, you can achieve some great silhouettes, as
seen in the photo on the left.

You want to set your exposure so that it exposes for the

brightest part of your shot. You can achieve this by using spot
metering and aiming at a brighter area in the background of
your photo (the Christmas lights, in this case).

You also need to be aware of any ambient light that could bring
out details on your subject. Your subject should be dark, as
details will take away from the overall effect of the silhouette.

Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

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 To get a great holiday silhouette,
follow these steps:

·· Put your subject between you and

the light source

·· Make sure all other light sources are

turned off

·· Expose for a brighter spot in your

photo

Recommended Reading: Want

to learn how to make your photos
stand out from everyone else’s? Grab
a copy of Photzy’s premium guide,
Effective Storytelling.

Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

TIPS FOR TELLING A HOLIDAY STORY WITH PHOTOGRAPHS // © PHOTZY.COM 16

 Self-Check Quiz:

1) A _____________________ depth of field and 7) Choose the best answer:

proximity to your subject are two things needed
to get a good shot with bokeh. To take a great silhouette photograph:

2) Very slight movements can cause blur when a) Position yourself between the light source
taking close-up and macro shots, so be sure to and your subject
use a ____________________. b) Position your subject between you and the
3) True or False: When shooting indoors, you light source
should always adjust your white balance for the c) Position your light source between yourself
type of lights that are dominant in the room you and the subject
are shooting in.
8) One way to ensure adequate light when
4) You can use photos to tell something shooting indoors is to use a flash. Two
about an event or activity in the form of a ways to soften the light from the flash are
_______________ __________________. to use a _______________________ or to
5) Sometimes it is necessary to shoot at ______________________________ off a nearby
__________ or __________ ISO when shooting wall or the ceiling.
indoors. 9) What can you do to avoid getting ‘fog’ on your
6) _________________ don’t last as long in the lens?
cold, so be sure to charge yours or grab an
extra one before heading outside.

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 Photograph by Leanne Cleaveley

TIPS FOR TELLING A HOLIDAY STORY WITH PHOTOGRAPHS // © PHOTZY.COM 18

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Congratulations! You’ve completed
this Photzy guide!

If you liked this holiday photography guide,

check out Photzy’s premium guide on how to
effectively create the most memorable images
that you can be proud of: Effective Storytelling.

IF YOU’D LIKE TO CONTINUE

Leanne Cleaveley is a hobby photographer, part-time LEARNING AND IMPROVING
elementary school teacher, and full-time mother and wife.
She loves reading, gardening, crafting, and music – and
YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY PLEASE
contemplates ways to find more time in the day to pursue her VISIT PHOTZY.COM
hobbies. Her photographs can be found on Flickr.

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