December is such a fun month to play around with your camera and take photos. Here are some tips that might help you…

Tip #1 Use as much natural light as possible. Open the windows and let the light in!

Tip #2 Think about a way to capture the same tradition every year 

Tip #3  Take shots from at least 3 different angles 

Tip #4  Don’t forget the details

Tip #5  Live in the moment 

Tip #6  If in doubt, take the photo. Even with your phone. Chances are you won’t regret taking a photo, just wishing you had.  

Tip #7  For Christmas tree photos, turn off all the lights in the house and only use the tree lights. Use a low aperture, meter and focus on the kids’ faces, and have them hold still!  

Tip #8  Bokeh is the effect of a soft out-of-focus background that you get when shooting a subject, using a fast lens, at the widest aperture, such as f/2.8 or wider. And so fun at Christmas time with lights! You can also play with the manual focus ring to create some cool shots.  

Tip #9  Ask other people to take photos with you in it! Or set up a tripod and get to know your camera’s self- timer function. #existinphotos (!!)

And saving the best for last…

Tip #10  Be okay with letting go of perfection. This isn’t just a photo tip, it’s a holiday (and life lol) survival tip! And truthfully, I needed to hear it the other day and wanted to pass it along in case you do too!  

There you have it! If you try any of these tips, let me know how you make out!