You’ve got your twinkle lights strung, your dog’s rocking a festive bandana, and your heart’s ready to burst with holiday joy. Then you pull out your camera… and your photos look more ‘meh’ than magical. Let’s fix that! With a few simple tweaks — and a touch of understanding how light works — you can turn your twinkling chaos into awesome holiday portraits!
We’ll start with the cozy glow (ambient light) and then step into the sparkle (flash/strobe). You can try one or both! (FYI you will need a fancy camera for the flash & strobe version.)
Let's get started!
Before we really get into the cozy glow of ambient light and the sparkle of flash, we need the lights! Lug out the tree, set it up and get ready to capture the holiday magic! (Or untangle the lights and string them out along the fence, the bushes, the walls or the couch!)
The closer to the lights your dog is, the smaller the light “dots” will be. The lights themselves and the ornaments will be more in focus.
The more space between the your dog and the tree & lights, the more they will blur into bigger sparkly dots.
Can’t put enough space between your dog and the tree? Break out a telephoto lens and zoom in – the background will blur and the light dogs will get larger and more sparkly.
See the difference below?↓
Ambient Light Magic (The Easy, Everyone-Can-Do-It Way)
Ambient is going to be the available light from the tree as well as any light coming in from windows. Depending on your tree this could be seen as warm hazy light, cool bluish light or even multicolored! Window light will be cool toned, just be aware of this as you can get dueling temps (warm & yellow vs cool & blue).
How to use ambient light + holiday lights:
- Look at the window light? Too strong, cover the windows. The cool daylight color is tricky to work with when it mixes with the warmth of the lights on the trees.
- Overhead lights can give you odd color casts as well, see if they do. If they don’t color cast, leave them on for a little extra light to help freeze motion if your dog moves.
- Coax your dog into position (remember loads of treats!)
- Use a tripod to limit hand held shake & blur
For fancy camera users:
- Bump your ISO up to 800-1600 for extra light sensitivity!
- Shoot with a wide open aperture f1.8-3.5 (more light & more blur!) Achieve in A/AV or M mode.
Slow your shutter speed (try 1/100th or slower if your dog is still). Achieve this in S/TV or M mode.
Stepping Up the Sparkle (+ Flash/Strobe)
If you’ve mastered the cozy glow and want to add a little professional polish, this is where flash or strobe comes in. It lets you balance the twinkle lights with a crisp, well-lit dog and no goofy color casts! Plus less hazy lights!
For fancy camera users + flash! (Sorry cell phone snappers!) How to do:
- Start in Manual (M) mode
- Set your shutter to your max sync speed (1/200th – 1/250th)
- Aperture wide, ISO low
- Turn on your flash with a lower flash power, off camera ideal!
* bounce your flash off a wall or ceiling or use a softbox or umbrella to soften the light
Now you are REALLY ready to start!
- Set your flash & camera settings – take the picture!
- Need the background to have more light? Slow your shutter – 1/100th etc
- Need more or less light on your subject from the flash? Adjust your shutter!
- ISO will adjust both ambient & amount of flash that is captured
You may have to play a bit more with flash or strobes to really dial in your results – remember to reward your dog for being cute and SUPER understanding as you adjust your settings.
Mega cute poses for your dog + holiday lights
- Your dog sitting in front of the tree, eye level to your dog
- Your dog laying by the tree, eye level and lower (big paws & jowls!)
- A posing buddy nestled into your dog’s paws (ps sniffing looks like secrets being shared!)
- Look down into your dog’s eyes
- Headshot from the shoulders up
- Add an accessory: antlers, Santa hat, bandana, seasonal collar, bowtie (repeat all poses haha!)
Whether you stick with the cozy glow of twinkle lights or level up with flash, the key is the same — find the light, make it yours, and have fun with your pup!
Share your photos on Instagram and tag @aboutadogphoto — I’d love to see your awesome holiday portraits! (Too much to handle on your own? Touch base and we’ll coordinate a holiday + lights session!)
