Christmastime is quite often full of hustle and bustle. But it’s nice to slow down (even for 5 minutes) and capture some of the small Christmas details we often miss. I usually do this every year. So, grab your macro lens and go in tight.

Here are some tips for getting the most out of your holiday macro photography. Oh, and if you don’t have a macro lens? Not too late to ask Santa for one! Or, just go in tight with your favorite lens this year.

Use a flash

As you are quite close, your depth of field is very small and you may need to stop down your aperture to get everything in focus. While decreasing your aperture will give you the depth of field you need to get your subject in focus, it will also allow less light into your camera. So, a flash or speedlight will help with your holiday macro photography.

Manual or autofocus?

Try manual focus or try DMF (direct manual focus) like on the Sony cameras. Peak metering can be extremely helpful too. If your eyesight isn’t the best up close (like mine) autofocus is helpful, but you need to have a movable spot focus to pinpoint your desired focus point. Does your camera have a focus magnifier? It’s worth Googling your make and model to find out. It is such a fantastic feature.

Use a tripod

Often, shooting indoors can have less than ideal lighting. Try using a tripod to avoid camera shake. If you have lights on a tree, use a tripod and take a slightly longer exposure to capture the twinkling lights. Or, capture reflections of other ornaments on the tree.

Take plenty of shots

We often don’t capture the little details of Christmas. Sure, we might get one of the tree, but don’t move in further than that. Try for reflections and emotional ties. What about food? Do you capture the traditional holiday fare?

It’s the little details

Sometimes, it’s the little details that make a photo memorable. I kept these shots super simple and added in some old-fashioned timber scrabble tiles to make words. I also found a set of letter stamps and some gift tags which we stamped with Christmassy words too. So simple, yet so cute. I also went with a red and white theme this year.

Want to learn more about macro photography? I have a self-paced online class all about macro photography — A world in miniature.

From my family to yours, I wish you a safe and merry holiday season!