Take Great-Looking Holiday Photos Like a Pro

Most of us have spent a great deal of money and time decking the halls, now it's time to capture all your work on film. This holiday season, take great-looking photos like professionals do by following some of these tips and tricks:

Capture Christmas Lights at Night

The Strobist blog has a great list of tips to make your outdoor photos stand out. They say the best time to take photos of Christmas lights is somewhere between sunset and dusk because that's when lights and ambient lighting mix beautifully. You won't have much time during this 10-minute window, so don't expect to just show up and capture the moment. You'll need to start setting up your tripod early, adjust your camera's settings, and spend a few minutes framing your shot in a way that includes as much sky as possible in the background. You also want to include something reflective in the foreground, like snow or the roof of a car, to whip up some interest. Lastly, take a few shots every minute and watch  out for Christmas lights that seem to stand out more than ambient lighting.

Indoor Party Scene

This holiday season, take some time to plan your party shots. Most people wait until everyone arrives at the party to start taking pictures, but Digital Photography School suggests you start taking pictures during the preparation stages when everything looks its best. These images are great for a before-and-after series, especially if you take them from the same spot. You also want think of a time and place to take that beautiful group shot. Typically, the best time to do this is shortly after everyone arrives and looks their best, so don't wait until after dinner to take that group picture.

Also, before you start taking individual pictures throughout the night, you want to make sure you use a diffuser to give your party shots a softer look. You can either buy a very inexpensive one online or use a coffee filter or piece of paper to diffuse that harsh flash. And just for fun, you might consider setting up a DIY "photo booth" or "portrait zone" so that your guests can take home a nice photo of themselves. The folks over at the Digital Photography School have more great tips to keep in mind when when shooting holiday pictures, so check them out.

Other tricks and tips:

• Pack extra memory cards, batteries, and diffusers in your camera bag at least a day in advance so that you don't forget anything.
• Try taking pictures at different angles, and have fun experimenting. You have a digital camera, so if you don't like a shot, you can always delete it. You'll be taking lots of photos during the holidays, so look for interesting focal points, and fill your frame every time you take a picture.
• Practice taking pictures in continuous mode or burst mode. This will come in handy when everyone is opening their gifts or at midnight on New Year's Eve.
• And don't forget to take lots of candid photos.

Check out these other photography lessons:

How to Look Thinner in Photos
Learn How to Take Candid Photos
Take Great-Looking Night Photos Sans Tripod