Festive & Meaningful Details

PHOTO CHALLENGE | Take some time out each week or throughout your days to set a scene or seek festive details that bring joy and magic into your life this time of year.

It’s no surprise that this time of year means that magic and wonder are found in the details all around us. Whether you’re like me and are paying close attention to the changes the season brings, or you prefer to look at the grand scale of life moving around you, or even focusing on all things Christmas, there are details to behold!

The more you know delight, the more you train your mind to see it everywhere. - Joanna Gaines

When life keeps me in place (read: not traveling), I adamantly start seeking joy in the little things, in romancing the ordinary, in connecting with others, and self care. This month has me firmly planted in home and then takes a sharp turn into travel, and I’m beyond thrilled for all that means for storytelling our year’s end. It means a lot of family, festivities, and fun. All the while, I want to remain present, to pause and delight in the small details all around me. Sometimes that can mean taking a little extra care to set the table a little nicer, to light a candle with the evening meal, to print and share new photos, to decorate even the smallest nooks and crannies of my home, to give a few extra gifts, to take a walk despite the rain. Basically, finding those pockets of time and space that can bring me joy where I might least expect it.

All the while, you can be thinking of those little moments in your life that offer details worth capturing. It’s been quite awhile since we’ve stopped to look at the smallest scenes around us, but to me, the holiday season is the best time of all. You’re intentionally stopping to look around and notice the details: textures, colors, lights, coziness, cold, comfort, and so much more. As you hone in on those things, your primary focus will then be composition. In order for detail images to work in a storytelling series or stand alone, it’s pivotal to have a strong composition that only shows exactly what you want the viewer to see. It’s also a time to make the viewer stop, slow down, and scan the frame, take it all in, figure out what’s there. You can go as detailed as you’d like, abstract, macro, or simply a small scene with a clear subject and little background distraction.

Take time out of each week this month to capture festive details of the holidays, of the season, and the things that bring you joy this time of year. Work at getting yourself in the frame, even just your hands or you in the background. Your compositions need to be intentional, with clear subjects and/or details. Your images this month should be all about the details, the textures, colors, and lights. And while that is the focus for our project this month, don’t forget to capture all the other moments in between for yourself and your family as well!

Wishing you a beautiful holiday season!