Monthly Theme - Holidays (December 2019)

by bilbaroo on Dec 1st 2019

So, here it is, the last theme of 2019. We'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who's entered monthly themes throughout the year - you guys rock!

We had some amazing entries to November's “Depth of Field” theme, and we had a lot of fun looking through your photos before choosing some finalists. Scroll down to view the six contenders and vote for a winner! (Remember, you can also check out all of November's entries here.)

But first, it's time to introduce December's theme....

There's no denying that we love this time of year, easing into the festive spirit with lots of celebrations, delicious food and pretty twinkling lights! Based on previous years, it's clear our 365 community loves to celebrate and capture this time of year too. So, we naturally had to choose the theme "Holidays" for the last month of the year (and decade!).

Just in case you're short of inspiration, we've listed a few ideas to get you started...

1. Night Lights

Grab your tripods and practice your night time photography skills by finding the brightest, dazzling houses in the neighborhood, or by taking to the high street to capture the bustling holiday shopping chaos under the seasonal light displays.

We especially love the fun perspective in @mbrutus' festive light photo. It really captures the energy and fun that the crowds are having with an iconic NYC display.

2. Family Fun

Many of us look forward to spending time celebrating with family, which makes for a perfect photo opportunity! From feasting at the dinner table and ripping presents open, to carol singing and seasonal skiing fun - remember to pack your camera when you get the family together.

We're not sure what could be more adorable that little ones in matching holiday PJs! Thanks for sharing, @gq.

3. Brilliant Bokeh

There might not be a better time of year to put your bokeh skills to good use, with candles and fairy lights you'll find yourself having hours of fun!

We love this creative shot by @mona65, who played with different light sources, depth of field and a rule of thirds composition. Amazing!

4. Santa's Little Helper

If you can't resist cute festive outfits for your furry friends, think back to our tips for pet portraits - one of our favourite themes of the year!

In this adorable photo, @mamazuzi shows us that when we have a backdrop of fairy lights, cute outfits are optional for festive photos of our fluffy friends!

5. Tasty Treats

Another favourite Yuletide tradition of ours is to feast on an array of treats - from mince pies and eggnog, to brussel sprouts and cheese boards, there's no time like the holidays to indulge a little.

With the soft bokeh lights in the background, this festive Tiramisu bite by @laetitiapetrussa looks irresistible, even if we've already had to loosen our belt buckles by the time they're served!

6. Traditions

What is most special about this time of year is the different traditions every family has! Whether it's a Boxing Day walk along the beach, Christmas morning on the slopes or a BBQ in the sun, we'd love for you to share your festive traditions!

We love this fun snap of a festive Santa Fun Run, as captured by < a href="http://365project.org/dorsethelen/365/2015-12-20">@dorsethelen!

Whatever you decide to capture this month, the most important piece of advice we could share is to simply, have fun! We can't wait to see what you get up to - and Happy Holidays!

How to enter this month’s theme

When uploading your photos use the tag section (on the edit/organise screen) and insert this week's theme tag: theme-holidays.

Entry Guidelines: Photos must be your own and must have been taken and uploaded between Sunday December 1st and Tuesday December 31st. 6 finalists will be chosen in the first couple days of January, then you'll get to vote for the winner!

p.s. Don't worry if you spot tagged photos from a previous theme, when choosing our six finalists we'll use a special algorithm to filter all of the images from December 2019.

Vote for a Winner of November's "Depth of Field" Theme

We loved checking out last month's entries for the “Depth of Field” theme. You guys are such a talented bunch!

We eventually managed to choose just 6 finalists so now it's over to you to vote for the winner of the Depth of Field theme. To cast your vote, just reply to this blog post with the number (in digit form) of the photo you would like to see win, before December 14th. We’ll announce the winner in a separate post shortly after!