Christmas Photography with Jason Spoor

Christmas is truly a wonderful time of the year to create content and images. This festive period allows for a photographer's creativity to shine.

Who doesn't love spreading positivity?

Food and drinks photography during this season is one of my favourites. My projects during this holiday season involve mostly shooting for christmass-y drinks.

Colours

In line with the Christmas period, I like to play with colours that feel warm, festive yet dark. I like giving attention to luxurious red and burgundy colours, pine green and cinnamon brown. I try to convey these moody yet lavish colours of the drinks through my photographic skills.

Drink photography of a Christmas cocktail

The lighting, I aim it from behind the drink to bring a soft glow to the drink from behind. Harsh lights I believe create harsh drink images, and ruin the shooting and the whole aesthetic I'm trying to create.

Concept and mood

The concept I try to follow is in accordance to the Christmas mood that is all around us.

Following the colours I choose for my shooting, the concept is similar and interconnected to the colours. During this season, I usually choose a dark, moody, rustic yet cosy aesthetic for the drink or food photographs.

Christmas is all about cosiness, family time, gift-giving and a bit of luxury to treat ourselves.

Still life Christmas shot

The concept I try to portray is all about the festive period, showing emotion and a bit of sensation.

Props

For props, I mainly request Christmas decorations in relation to the marketing brief I receive from the restaurant or bar I'm shooting for. Through my pictures, I aim to awaken the senses of the onlooker with the props that support the food or drink I'm shooting.

For example, a few props that my food stylist and I like to use on our Christmas photoshoots are cranberry, cinnamon sticks and cardamon, pine needles, dried orange slices or chocolate, foods that awaken the sense of smell and engage the onlooker with my image.

Champagne shot under a golden glow

I use other props as well, depending on the mood board I create and on the creative brainstorm I have with my lovely food stylist, such as golden trays, dark wooden boards or a fancy cloth that will support the professional image and speak its message.

For more images and a deeper dive into my expertise check my extensive portfolio on food and drinks photography.