Christmas is knocking at the door, and lots of photographers would love to send an original Christmas greeting—their own photos. Today we’ll look close up at one photo that would make a great greeting, to help you delight with a similar one of your own.
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Christmas is knocking at the door, and lots of photographers would love to send an original Christmas greeting—their own photos. Today we’ll look close up at one photo that would make a great greeting, to help you delight with a similar one of your own.
An original Christmas gift made from a photographer’s own work is nothing new. And manz people are happier to receive a card like this than the themes that repeat endlessly in their inboxes each year.
Photo by tvrabec
Photos of your own that are like this one can be used as original Christmas gifts.
Lay Out Your Image
The composition and layout of your image are very important. It’s important to keep in mind that you’ll likely be adding text to your card. In Zoner Photo Studio you can add text to a photo by using Place Text (T) in the Editor. This tool is very intuitive and simple. You also have a live preview available to make your work much simpler. Compose your photo so that you can have your subject on one side and your text on the other. Golden-ratio composition is a great strategy for this kind of picture.
This photo has solid, interesting composition—based on the Golden Ratio.
Composition-wise, this photo could have the Christmas ornament photographed from a lower angle—but this isn’t a terrible problem. The photo meets its purpose.
When adding text, make sure it’s readable. So above all, make sure it’s against a bland background. Choose a text color that’s clear and easy to read. I recommend a neutral background—one without overly striking colors. With a neutral background, you can position text in an image very nicely.
ZPS makes it very easy to add text to a photo.
Bokeh
Not all your recipients will be photographers. And normal people who aren’t into photography like bokeh a lot! Bokeh is a blurred background or foreground. Low depth of focus is a necessity to get it. As a result, you’ll need a fast lens. One of the most time-tested fast lenses is the fixed 50mm. These lenses are cheap and do their job well. When you open the lens wide while shooting from close up, you get a very nice effect. Like in this photo.
Christmas is mainly about family and friends, so concentrate mainly on them and on the overall atmosphere in your family circle. Then you can use photos like these as Christmas greetings. So try to take some photos that are all about the Christmas spirit and traditions.
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I’ve been taking pictures since 2004. When I was starting out, I photographed almost everything. Later my style solidified and I began photographing people almost exclusively. At the moment my main genres are fashion and advertising.
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