{"id":41202,"date":"2021-03-23T14:55:10","date_gmt":"2021-03-23T18:55:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=41202"},"modified":"2022-05-25T14:59:01","modified_gmt":"2022-05-25T18:59:01","slug":"10-tips-for-photographing-your-holiday-tree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/10-tips-for-photographing-your-holiday-tree\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Photographing Your Christmas Tree"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Decorating trees during the holiday season is said to be a practice that first began in Germany in the 16th century. Hundreds of years later, this time-honored tradition is still being upheld in homes all over the world.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For families who pay careful attention to decorating their Christmas tree each year, photographing the trimmed tree is a nice way to commemorate the time and effort spent together. Whether you photograph your tree by itself or as a backdrop for family gatherings and other celebrations, there are a few key techniques that will help your tree look its best in any image. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just remember that your tree doesn\u2019t have to be perfect to look beautiful in a photograph. Between the ornaments and the memories of time spent together at the holidays, you\u2019re sure to look back fondly on the photos you create.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christmas Tree Photography Tips:<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking to immortalize your yearly tree for your photo album, here are some holiday tree photography tips to help you out.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Shoot in a Dim or Dark Setting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Image via Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Photographing your tree at <\/span>different times of the day<\/span><\/a> will produce different outcomes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to capture your holiday tree in all its twinkling glory, it\u2019s best to take photos at night. Make sure that the room is dimly lit, preferably with only the string lights to serve as your primary light source. This enhances the appearance of the lights in your tree, allowing you to make them the primary focus.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure to use your maximum aperture, set your ISO to its highest setting (but watch out for noise), and use a shutter speed of around 1\/30 to 1\/60. The settings that will work for you will depend entirely on your unique photographic circumstances, so take multiple photos and tweak your exposure settings as you go to find the right combination that works for you.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Avoid Using Flash<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Image via Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When photographing the tree by itself, it\u2019s easy to work with a tripod or allow the tree lights to provide the ideal atmospheric lighting for your image. When it comes to photographing family moments like opening presents in front of the tree, you may feel compelled to brighten the scene with flash.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On camera-flash will rarely give you the look you want in your photograph. Pop-up flashes are so close to the lens that they illuminate the scene in an unnatural way that\u2019s rarely flattering. If possible, try adjusting camera settings to create the extra brightness you need.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you aren\u2019t sure if you need flash at all, you can try using a <\/span>handheld light meter<\/span><\/a> if you have one available.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you find you do need a bit of extra light, try using an <\/span>external flash<\/span><\/a> to bounce light off the ceiling and illuminate your family members\u2019 faces in a more flattering way.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Use a Tripod<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Image via Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Since shooting handheld will most likely yield blurry photos, you\u2019ll need to use a <\/span>sturdy tripod<\/span><\/a> or monopod to keep your camera perfectly stabilized. <\/span>Try underexposing your image slightly to keep from blowing out the highlights from your Christmas tree lights. You can do this by using a slightly faster shutter speed or a narrower aperture.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the event that you don\u2019t have access to a tripod, you can prop your camera on a chair, countertop, table, or any steady surface, then set your camera\u2019s timer or use <\/span>a remote shutter release<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Keep Your ISO Low<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Image via Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Using a tripod allows you to bring your ISO down to as low as you can, while using a slower shutter speed to ensure ample light.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Camera sensors will generally produce the cleanest results when you shoot with the base or native ISO setting of the camera. The base ISO allows your sensor to get the best signal-to-noise ratio and achieve its full dynamic range. <\/span>A quick search online can help you find the native or best ISO for your particular camera, and let you take a sharp image with minimal noise.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Shoot in HDR<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Image via Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The human eye is capable of seeing detail and clarity in a wide range of light, from the brightest highlights to the deepest shadows. Unfortunately our cameras aren\u2019t quite as capable. To help counteract the limited dynamic range of our cameras, many photographers like to create HDR, or high dynamic range, images.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, an HDR image is achieved by taking multiple photographs with slightly different exposure settings, then combining them into a single image. You can do this manually, or with automatic settings on many modern cameras. An HDR image will let you capture detail throughout the range of highlights to shadows.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a tutorial on creating realistic, natural-looking HDR images by Gavin Hoey for AdoramaTV:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HDR Ep 115: Take & Make Great Photography with Gavin Hoey: Adorama Photography TV<\/div><\/div>
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