It’s the most beautiful time of the year. Christmas trees are going up, twinkling lights are being hung and the feed’s of creators are turning festive.
It’s also a time when social media is flooded with very similar Christmas content. How can you make yours is as creative, engaging and authentic as it can be, drawing your audiences attention and building follower interactions?
We spoke to three experts in the matter – Vamp creators – and asked for their top innovative ideas to creating beautiful Christmas content this season.
Creating the perfect platter
“Use cloths under your platter boards to add texture and dimension to your content.”
Melbourne food blogger, agreekable shared her pro advice on styling Christmas platter’s with the perfect props.
“Firstly, make sure you have a balance between cheeses, fruits and cold meats, then throw in things like nuts to fill in the gaps of your platter. I also love to add rosemary twigs around the board, and if you’re feeling extra, place some honeycomb on top of your cheeses.
Once your platter’s base layer has been created, you then want to use props to bring it all together. I love using Christmas decorations like crackers, bonbons, tinsel and lights to fill up the space. I recommend using subtle lights that are on a wire, rather than the ones you use on your tree. I find these are too thick and heavy to work with.
Lastly, use cloths under your board to add some texture. I find this also adds dimension to my images, so it’s not so flat. You can go for classic Christmas colours, or a beige to soften all of the Christmas colours you’ve already used.”
Nailing the festive flatlay
“Invest in a ceiling mount for your camera, to shoot your Christmas flatlays from a birds eye view.”
Home stylist, kerryvillers is based in the UK and shares her best tips on sourcing inspiration and styling beautiful festive flatlays.
“I search Pinterest and Instagram for my flatlay inspiration and I have boards set up to save content from both platforms. I also suggest looking on brand websites and social accounts, like Zara Home, Cox and Cox, H&M Home and Soho Home.
I’m particularly drawn to content styled with natural elements. There’s a big trend for extravagant mantle garlands at the moment, and I love seeing lots of greenery, eucalyptus and dried flowers. I find these elements are much more appealing in your content than plastic decorations.
When styling your flatlays, include lots of different textures to make your content look aesthetically pleasing. This can include grainy woods, crinkled papers, ribbons, fluffy sprigs of rosemary or fabric wrapping paper. Then, to add a sense of story, use named gift tags, and to add a touch of magic, use twinkly fairy lights.
To shoot a flatly from a birds eye view, I recommend investing in a ceiling mount for your camera. Previously, I would balance my camera in a cardboard box attached to the ceiling and I wasted so much time trying to get my camera straight and secure. Now, it’s a two minute job, and I don’t stress about my make-shift mount falling!”
Mastering seasonal storytelling
“If any of your props are fighting for attention, or take the focus away from the food, you need to scale back.”
catherine_frawley is a UK based food photographer, and her seasonal foodie content is always on point. So we asked for her advice on styling eye-catching food photography.
“Planning is key, I always start by thinking about the colours and textures of the food that’s being showcased and what would compliment it. Texture is important as it adds interest and depth. I tend to layer elements like wooden backgrounds, fabrics or seasonal foliage.
Lighting is also something you need to think about as it sets the mood of your content. Subdued lighting portrays a cosy feeling, which indicates the time of year. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a bright winter image for a Scandinavian feel. All the elements you choose to style your shot with should feed back into the story you are trying to tell.
They also shouldn’t steal the show away from the food. If any of your props are fighting for attention, or when you look at the image and the first thing you notice is a prop, you need to scale back. It’s not about filling the frame with pretty things. Those pretty things should always be secondary to the food you’re shooting.”
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