First things first... remember as you read this that shooting in NATURAL LIGHT ALWAYS WINS!! Turn off any artificial lights and plan to take these during the daytime! Look at the difference in these unedited photos below to see why this is crucial for getting the light & airy look!

2.

We like an L&A Christmas tree photo to have a little bit of glow… it’s best to take the photo when you still have plenty of natural light coming through the windows but not SO much window light that you can’t see the glow of the string lights! This will depend on the lighting in your home, but it’s usually in the few hours after sunrise or a few hours before sunset. However, if your house is darker with fewer windows you may actually want to take it in the middle of the day when the light is brightest!

3.

... (vs. really harsh, bright light) to turn off all other artificial lights (leave on the tree lights of course!). Make sure to open the curtains and blinds if you need to in order to let enough light in! This will allow the natural light to be the primary light source lighting your subject in the photo... thus creating a soft, dreamy look!

Notice how in the photo on the left it's so bright that you can't see the lights at all? The right photo was taken when there was a bit less natural light which is why you can see the lights pop more!

Make sure you have enough natural light hitting the front of your subject so faces don’t look grainy… in this photo, the light source is a window to the left of the subject!

4.

Using a flash creates a really harsh look to photos, which can make it harder to achieve the L&A look… avoid using flash by following the guidelines in tips 1 and 2 above! Even if it means shooting it a bit darker and then brightening it up when editing - like the example below!

1.

Lighting is most important...

Think about when the light will be best!

Make sure you have ENOUGH natural but soft light...

Just say no to flash!

8 SECRETS To A LIGHT & AIRY Christmas Tree Photo

8 SECRETS To A
LIGHT & AIRY
Christmas Tree Photo

First things first... remember as you read this that shooting in NATURAL LIGHT ALWAYS WINS!! Turn off any artificial lights and plan to take these during the daytime! Look at the difference in these unedited photos below to see why this is crucial for getting the light & airy look!

1.

LIGHTING IS MOST IMPORTANT...

We like an L&A Christmas tree photo to have a little bit of glow… it’s best to take the photo when you still have plenty of natural light coming through the windows but not SO much window light that you can’t see the glow of the string lights! This will depend on the lighting in your home, but it’s usually in the few hours after sunrise or a few hours before sunset. However, if your house is darker with fewer windows you may actually want to take it in the middle of the day when the light is brightest!

2.

Think about when the light will be best!

 ... (vs. really harsh, bright light) to turn off all other artificial lights (leave on the tree lights of course!). Make sure to open the curtains and blinds if you need to in order to let enough light in! This will allow the natural light to be the primary light source lighting your subject in the photo... thus creating a soft, dreamy look!

Notice how in the photo on the left it's so bright that you can't see the lights at all? The right photo was taken when there was a bit less natural light which is why you can see the lights pop more!

3.

Make sure you have ENOUGH natural but soft light...

Make sure you have enough natural light hitting the front of your subject so faces don’t look grainy… in this photo, the light source is a window to the left of the subject!

Using a flash creates a really harsh look to photos, which can make it harder to achieve the L&A look… avoid using flash by following the guidelines in tips 1 and 2 above! Even if it means shooting it a bit darker and then brightening it up when editing - like the example below!

4.

Just say no to flash!

This is how dark the photo is before we edit it in the kind of light we are talking about… it will feel a little too dark when you take it, but then when you edit it you’ll get that pretty glow from the tree without blowing out the subject! :)

This is how dark the photo is before we edit it in the kind of light we are talking about… it will feel a little too dark when you take it, but then when you edit it you’ll get that pretty glow from the tree without blowing out the subject! :)

It can be helpful to put a white blanket or furry throw on the floor in front of the tree… not only will this soften the look that dark floors have in a photo, but also it will serve as a “natural reflector” or way of bouncing clean, white light back onto your subject! Then you can either sit on it or in a chair next to the tree like this! This is a super simple way to make a photo feel more light & airy!

5.

If you have darker floors, soften them with a blanket!

If your phone has the option for portrait mode, you can use it to get that pretty, blurry glow in the background of your photos. This is tough to do with kids because you have to be so still to get a clear shot in portrait mode. But if you can get them to sit still, it can create a really dreamy L&A look!

Pro Tip: You need more light for a photo in portrait mode, so if you want to try this, shoot when it’s a little brighter to make sure you have enough light!

6.

Try shooting in portrait mode!

If possible, have everyone who’s going to be in the photo wear coordinating colors!! :) This will automatically make your photo feel more professional and cohesive! Also try to avoid too many busy conflicting patterns! Go for the bright colors if you love that Christmas red or bright green, but just stick to one or two colors and patterns in what people are wearing!

7.

WEAR COORDINATING COLORS!

And lastly, be less concerned about capturing the perfect smiling moment and just capture the magic! If you’re trying to photograph kids, try hiding something in the tree and tell them to find it and reach for it! Or give them a Christmas book to read or early present to open in front of the tree and get a photo of that! Sometimes the more spontaneous feeling photos are the dreamiest!

8.

CAPTURE THE MAGIC!