Take great photos at church this Christmas

Invest in a tripod
Because of the low light, more advanced cameras on auto-mode will keep the shutter open for longer to let more light in. The downside of this is unless the camera is kept very still, you will end up with blurry photos. To make sure your photos stay sharp, buy a tripod or place the camera on a steady surface.

Add depth
Think carefully about what’s in the foreground and background to add depth and interest to the composition of your photos. Taking photos beside candles, fairy lights, Christmas decorations or the altar can add an extra dimension to your images. You could also use the congregation by photographing people celebrating in the foreground with more people in the back.

Plan your photos
It’s important to think about what will look best in the frame to get the best photos possible. You might need to move decorations around for a better backdrop or ask people to stand in a different formation. Pick some good spots in the church before a service starts to take your photos, including one at the front. A close-up photo will always look better than a zoomed in photo. If you have a lot of people in your church, can you get higher to show how packed your church is?

Collect some stock photography
Think ahead about what photos might be useful for next Christmas, especially more general images. You might want to make a list of what they could be, so you make sure you get them all. It could be photos of Christmas decorations, candles, Christingles, Nativity scenes, mince pies etc. They will come in handy when you’re designing event posters or social media graphics this time next year.

Share the emotion and bring the wow factor
People will connect more deeply with the images when there is real emotion in them. Show joyful people celebrating

It’s always amazing to see a church decorated with lights and decorations with people filling the pews – perhaps in Christmas jumpers and nativity costumes. Photos of jam-packed churches and buildings lit up by candlelight will always have an impact. Think about how you can create the wow factor when taking photos.

Tallie Proud