Learn how to make the most of your smartphone’s resources and photograph the decorated city this Christmas
December nights tend to become a spectacle in themselves: lit streets, elaborate shop windows, decorated homes and gatherings between family and friends to enjoy the city transformed by Christmas.
Between trips to see the giant trees, exhibitions and meetups, almost everyone pulls out their cell phones to record these moments. The good news is that most current devices can actually handle dark environments very well, but with some simple care, it’s possible to go from blurry and blown-out images to really beautiful ones.
Below, check out seven practical tips for taking better Christmas night photos with your smartphone.
1. Activate the night mode on your device
Most modern smartphones have some sort of feature aimed at low-light photos. In some cases, it is activated automatically; In other cases, you need to specify it. It’s a good idea to check before taking photos, especially in places with a lot of colored lights, such as ornate facades or themed courtyards. Night mode is usually most efficient using the cell phone’s main camera, which is the camera that provides the highest quality.
2. Let the decor work to your advantage
The city is filled with light sources that help create more interesting images: LED wires, poles, signs, illuminated facades and even the lights of passing cars. Instead of avoiding these points, try incorporating them into your frame. Walk a few steps to find an angle where the lights form the background of the photo or partially illuminate someone’s face. Places that are too dark make it difficult to record, so choose places where the lighting is already part of your Christmas display.
3. Be patient at the right moment
In night walks and parties, a lot is happening at the same time. If you want an image of someone walking under a lit arch, or someone walking in a brighter area of the street, you may need to wait a few seconds for the movement to match what you imagined. The same goes for recording fireworks, cars, or children running in front of the decorations. Preparing the frame in advance helps you not to miss the scene.
4. Make fine adjustments before clicking
Tapping on the main subject of your photo, which could be a person or a Christmas tree, will cause the camera to adjust focus and lighting for it, ensuring greater clarity and color balance.
5. Hold the cell phone as if it were a “heavy” camera.
Even without a tripod, you can reduce noise. Rest your arms on your body, hold the cell phone with both hands and maintain a stable posture when shooting. On the street, look for stable surfaces, such as a bench, pole or wall, to lean on when you want a clearer image. At parties, it’s helpful to place your cell phone on something to record the table setting or evening toast.
6. Explore motion modes (if present on your device)
Some cell phones have long exposure options or ways to capture movement creatively. These features allow you to turn car headlights into trails of light, enhance the glow of Christmas trees or give a soft effect to people walking in the background. The trick is to combine static elements, such as buildings, decorations, or the tree itself, with moving elements. If your cell phone does not have this function, try making small changes in angle and time to achieve similar effects.
7. Play with floodlights and beams of light
If the object in your photo is obscured by a large spotlight, from a floodlight or streetlight, try including or hiding the light source in your photo in a creative way, to even out the contrast between light and dark. One way to do this is to find an angle where the light disappears behind the person or object being photographed, thus creating a glowing halo behind the highlighted subject.
8. Edit carefully: the final touch
Even well-shot photos come to life with basic adjustments. Free apps, like Google Photos and Snapseed, let you slightly brighten a photo, balance out shadows, and reduce excess glare from very bright lights. The secret is to go little by little: overdoing the lighting can reveal noise and lose the night atmosphere. It’s also worth trying black and white versions: Christmas scenes with contrasting lights tend to look surprisingly elegant in this style.