IF CHRISTMAS LIGHTS’ GLARE IS KILLING YOUR PHOTOS
Read this. Now!
Last Friday, we talked about the one thing that can instantly make your Christmas photos better. But this week, a question from my Instagram Q&A stopped me in my tracks: “How the hell do I stop Christmas lights from ruining my photos?” Let’s talk about it.
99% of the time, the culprit behind Christmas light glare in your photos is embarrassingly simple. Are you ready for this? Your lens is dirty. Aha. Game over. Mic drop.
Here’s the thing: our phones are basically extensions of our hands. We text, scroll, call, and somehow always manage to touch the lens with our greasy, human fingers. It’s not glamorous, but it’s the truth. That tiny smudge—thanks to sweat, oil, or maybe that holiday cookie you just ate—turns every twinkling light into a blurry mess.
Just grab something soft—like a cloth or even your shirt—and give the lens a good wipe. Not exactly rocket science, but trust me, you’ll either see a crazy improvement or the glare will completely disappear. It’s proof that sometimes the smallest fixes make the biggest difference. Now, go clean that lens and thank me later.
What if that doesn’t work? Well, glare can also happen when a strong light source hits the lens directly. In this case, it’s all about avoiding that direct angle. With something like the sun, the fix is simple: you can use your hand to block the light from hitting the lens. But Christmas lights? That’s a little trickier because, of course, you want them in the photo.
The solution here is to play with your positioning. Open your camera and start moving—step to the left, go lower, tilt the phone up—experiment until you find an angle that reduces the glare while still capturing the lights the way you want.
Another trick is to reduce the intensity of the light. You can physically step back from the tree to soften the effect, or, if you have control over the lights, try dimming them slightly.
Incorrect exposure settings can also cause flare. If you’re using your phone, you can adjust the exposure to help reduce glare from Christmas lights. Open your camera app and tap on the screen where you want the focus—whether it’s your face, the Christmas tree, or another subject in the shot. This should bring up a small sun icon or slider next to the focus box. Simply drag the slider down to darken the image and tone down the brightness of the lights, creating a more balanced and flattering photo.
As a final option, I’d switch to portrait mode. Why? Because portrait mode is designed to focus on your subject while subtly blurring the background. This effect can help tone down the glare from Christmas lights by reducing their intensity in the photo.
The good news is that modern phone cameras are getting better at managing light, with features like anti-glare coatings. But honestly bro, 99% of the time, glare is caused by one thing: a dirty lens. And because Christmas lights aren’t usually that intense, a quick wipe is often all you need.
I hope this article helps you snap some killer holiday photos! If you found it helpful, give it a like—it helps me survive the creepy algorithm currently run by Krampus. And don’t forget to share this with a friend who could use a little photo magic this season.
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This Friday, I’ll be sharing exclusive tips for holiday photos, available only for my paid subscribers. If you love the festive season and want the real deal, now’s the time to join.
Happy Holidays!
With love,
Bonnie
