How to create a Christmas feeling in a photo?

It’s the first day of December and time to be inspired by this festive season. It’s a wonderful time of the year since there are so many seasonal things one can use in photos. I wish to inspire you with this post on how you can bring a touch of Christmas feeling to your photos. You don’t have to go full mode to the very festive end of the spectrum, there are also more subtle ways to bring a Christmas feeling. And what would be a more Nordic thing than showing humble hints of this season with some simple decorations? Nothing fancy, but moody. Perfect for Christmas if you ask me.

What makes a Christmas photo different than just a regular winter photo is a special element that signifies the season. For me, those are string lights, sprigs, and paper decorations such as stars. They all remind me of Christmas so when I add any of these elements in a photo it feels seasonal.

The string lights are one of my favorites to work with because they can be used in so many different ways. The photo feels seasonal right away when the lights are part of the styling. Over the years I have fallen in love with blurred string lights. A large aperture makes the string disappear but emphasizes the lights by making them bigger. This is achieved by placing the lights from a distance apart from the main element which is in focus. I like to use string lights in the back of the photo to create a magical feeling in the background.

There are many different string lights available. I have a few different that allow me to play around with the lights. The string light with batteries can be taken outside wherever you wish to. I must say these are handy! They also work well at home when you want to shoot a subject with lights but not necessarily the string that goes to the power socket.

Alongside with lights, sprigs are my most used items to bring a touch of Christmas feeling to a photo. All my props are very muted in color so the greens of pine and spruce pop up from the surroundings. When winter arrives, the only colors in nature are different browns on the trunks of the trees, greens of the spruce, and white from the snow. The greens pop up from the surroundings in nature so it feels natural to use it in photos too. And of course, spruce reminds me of a Christmas tree so what would be a better sprig to use than that?

Sprigs can be used as they are. You can place a little branch next to the coffee cup or knittings, as I did in the photo below. In case you have lots of sprigs, you can make crafts out of them. I like to make wreaths. Wreaths can be placed all around the home to add a Christmas feeling to very ordinary things, such as door handles. Who would have thought that door handle would become so photogenic when you hang a wreath on it?

There is no Christmas without paper stars. Or should I even say without paper ornaments? I love to make all kinds of craft projects and what a lovely feeling they bring to the photos as well. Paper stars or paper ornaments can be added to every photo. What makes them so lovely is that their folded form creates beautiful light and shadow areas on their surface. This creates interest in a photo. Paper crafts can be placed everywhere, they are beautiful alone and in groups. Also, I add a seasonal touch to my photos by photographing the making of a star. What a nice way to spread the joy of creating handmade ornaments. In addition, you get lovely Christmas photos.