Christmas in July: 5 Creative Winter Photography Ideas

Who says that a downpour has to get in the way of festive fun? Instead of letting the wet weather rain on your parade, try experimenting with rain photography portraits. This is a great way to get your kids involved and capture sweet, spontaneous shots you’ll cherish forever. To do this, dress them in something festive that you don’t mind getting dirty, pop on their gumboots, and encourage them to splash around in puddles.

Their joy (and surprise!) at being encouraged to make a mess by their parents means you’re guaranteed to capture them at their happiest and freest. Just remember to keep yourself and your camera dry and out of harm’s way, or opt for a waterproof camera instead.

If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably fallen in love with at least one cheesy Christmas-themed sweater online and talked yourself out of buying it as it’s unseasonable for Aussie Christmas. This year, it’s time to finally buy that sweater and bust it out for a Christmas in July party.

For the best Christmas sweater photos, encourage all your party guests to dress in appropriate attire, namely the dorkiest Christmas sweater available. Then, pop a wide angle lens onto your camera and prepare to capture great group shots of everyone looking gloriously uncool.

If you have the facilities and the weather isn’t too dreadful, winter is a great time to camp out and gather around a campfire. The warmth will feel incredible on a cold night, and you can even use the fire to roast marshmallows or chestnuts, a traditional Christmas treat. Campfire photos add an authentic festive theme to your Christmas in July photo album, while the outdoor element adds a touch of Australiana.

If you do find yourself shooting at a nighttime camp out, you’ll need to set your camera up for low light photography. Using a tripod can hold your camera steady and help you compose your images, and a higher ISO will help prevent camera shake even further.

Top Tip: Remember that a high ISO can add noise to your images, so adjust at your own risk!

If you’re lucky enough to be somewhere that experiences snowfall, take advantage of this to take beautiful Christmas photos. Photographing a lit-up Christmas tree in the snow will give you a gorgeous image to use on homemade Christmas cards for years to come - and decorating the tree is sure to keep kids busy.

Just remember to keep your gear safe from the elements to ensure it functions at its best during your shoot and beyond. Here’s how to protect your camera in cold weather: 

• Keep your batteries warm so they don’t lose charge too quickly. Always bring some spares and keep them in your pocket while you shoot.
• Mount a UV or clear filter on your camera to protect your front lens element.
• Use rain covers or even zip-lock bags to protect the electronics of your camera if the conditions are particularly wet or if your camera gear is not weather-sealed.

Top Tip: Popular snow resorts often have deals to celebrate this unofficial festive period, so keep your eyes and ears open! If you’re lucky, you may even see Santa testing his skills on the slopes.

Sunrise photography is always stunning, but is particularly so in winter. Winter sunrises are often overwhelmingly picturesque, and abound with rich and unique character. The best part? The sun rises later in winter, so you don’t even need to set your alarm too early!

During winter, the blue hour and golden hour are perfect for illuminating your landscape photography and delivering vibrant colours and hues for you to capture. Rolling hills are at their greenest and most lush in winter, while coatings of dew and frost on the ground make excellent photographic details. For dramatic landscape images, keep a lookout for breaks in heavy winter cloud cover that allow sunlight to streak slowly through.