Photo gallery - A merry miniature Christmas
- Martyn Hayes
- Dec 1, 2024
- 9 min read
Embracing the enchanting essence of the holiday season is a tradition cherished by many. The anticipation of the first snowfall often fills hearts with joy and nostalgia. However, for those residing in regions where winter's touch is gentle, the absence of snow can sometimes dampen the festive spirit. But fret not, for there are ways to infuse your surroundings with the magic of winter.
One delightful approach is to craft your own winter wonderland, a whimsical realm that captures the essence of the season. By tapping into your creativity and imagination, you can transform your space into a cozy retreat that radiates holiday cheer.
The concept of a mini magical winter landscape is a delightful way to transport yourself into a world of wonder and delight. Through the careful arrangement of miniature figurines, snowy scenes, and twinkling lights, you can create a captivating tableau that evokes the spirit of the season.
Christmas fun festive photo gallery
The Christmas photo gallery presented here offers a glimpse into how I captured a magical enchanting world with my camera. I was armed only with a table, indoor lighting, props and an imagination bursting for the festive season. If you're looking for inspiration, let your creativity soar and immerse yourself in a world where holiday dreams come true, regardless of the weather outside.
Scroll down for an advent calendar of 24 images - One for each day of December in the build up to Christmas Eve.
Image 1 - Festive train station
Is there anything more Christmas-y than kids, trains, snowflakes, and a jolly village? This pic has it all! To make this winter wonderland, I went all out - I sprinkled fake snow with a sieve, turned a book into a snowy train platform, and added twinkling lights to mini trees for that magical town vibe in the backdrop.
I even used canned fog to fake train steam on the right side! The mist was lit - quite literally - to give that extra steamy effect. Ho, ho, ho!
Image created with:
Wooden Christmas toy
Toy train and railway tracks
Fake confetti snow
A book as the platform
Fairy lights
Model trees
Black paper for the night sky
Canned fog
Continuous lighting
A sieve to sprinkle the snow
Image 2 - Paper Christmas village
Ah, the good ol' days of Christmas when DIY craft decorations were all the rage! Feeling nostalgic, I decided to embark on a quest to recreate that childhood magic by crafting my very own homemade village.
Image created with:
Paper houses
Fairy lights
Glass and paper underneath to create the reflective surface
Image 3 - Train to the North Pole
From the Hollywood classic, Polar Express to memories of a locomotive going around the Christmas tree, trains have been a seasonal staple over the years. How could I not include this in my collection?
Image created with:
Toy train
Fake snow
Fairy lights
Image 4 - Snowman and snowwoman
Romance and festivities are like two peas in a pod! Picture this: strolling hand in hand through a winter wonderland or a Christmas market with your special someone, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. That's the vibe I went for with these two snow people - capturing that magical moment of togetherness in a snowy setting.
Image created with:
Snow man and woman decorations
Fake snow
Model pine trees
Fairy lights behind them to give off the illusion of a Christmas party
Dark coloured card to appear as an overcast sky at dusk
Image 5 - Log cabin Christmas door
Take a peek around your neighborhood! You can't miss the fabulous doorways decked out with wreaths that practically scream, "Come on in, the fun's just getting started! Doors evoke December memories of carol singers, arrivals at house parties or even Ebeneezer Scrooge seeing an apparition of Jacob Marley.
Image created with:
A wooden box to appear as a log cabin
A small wreath prop
A light up Christmas tree
Fake snow with a pathway drawn in
Rounded item of cork pressed on with sticking tac to appear as the doorknob
Small glass bottle filled with soy milk
Post production techniques:
Illusion of a doorway created by cloning gaps in the wood to create a horizontal black line
Image 6 - Snowman in a winter wonderland
Forget about my strong support for fake snow, sometimes you just can't top the real deal! So, picture this: I plopped down this lifelike, cheerful snowman on a fence blanketed with a fresh layer of icy goodness, and voilà - behold the magic that unfolded!
Image created with:
Snowman figure
Real snow
Post production techniques:
Snowfall overlay
Image 7 - Boy and girl in a winter landscape
You can't beat a bit of colour to get into the festive spirit. Here you can see how the yellows and the reds compliment each other. This time around, the snow was that powdered canned stuff that makes a slushy substance if mixed with water.
Image created with:
Wooden Christmas toys
Model trees
Canned powdered snow
Screwed up tissue paper defocussed to make the mountains
Yellow card for the sky
Image 8 - Red swirly Christmas tree
Keeping with the theme of colour, the red and yellow again work with each other. The tree reminded me of a typical graphic design image you usually see at this time of year. The shape really appealed and it was too hard to resist creating this snap.
Image created with:
Red Christmas tree prop
Fake confetti snow
Yellow backdrop
Image 9 - Cute angel decoration
If you spot some snow out there, grab it with glee! Even a tiny bit will do, just make sure it fits the picture. I went ahead and hung the angel ornament on a pine tree, then added a touch of frost to give her a wintry hairdo.
Image created with:
Angel decoration
Real snow
Pine tree
Image 10 - Elf skiing
You ever seen those cozy felt blankets that wrap around the bottom of your Christmas tree? Well, imagine them now as the secret ingredient for crafting the epic slopes of our DIY ski paradise! I strategically placed stacks of books under each hill, to make it seem like we've got some natural terrain. Pretty nifty right?
Image created with:
Elf figure
Felt snow blanket
Books
Model trees
Coloured card for the sky
Image 11 - Lego ice hockey player skating on ice
Believe it or not, the snowfall here is authentic... Well sort of. It's real in that it was actually falling and not added in post production. I sprinkled confetti snow via a sieve and shot a burst of images. The Dutch angle also compliments the aggressive expression of the ice hockey Lego man and the high octane discipline of his sport.
Image created with:
Lego figure
Fake confetti snow
Sieve to create the snowfall
Model trees
Coloured card for the sky
Image 12 - Cute Santa decoration in the snow
Sometimes, keeping it simple is the way to go. Here we have Santa Claus chilling in a pile of snow... And that's about it. I shot from above to compliment the cute facture of this figure.
Image created with:
Santa decoration
Real snow
Image 13 - Bear below the northern lights
So, how do you photograph the northern lights if you live to far south? It's easy - You cheat, that's how. The aurora borealis was captured on via the magic of television. I created the scene on a coffee table and played the light show on TV in the background.
Image created with:
TV footage for the northern lights background
Bear figure
Flour for the snow
Model trees
Image 14 - Cosy Christmas house
Remember those old Christmas songs like Silent Night, In the Mid Bleak Winter? There was something cosy about those festive singalongs. Rather than using a black or blue backdrop, I opted for an unnatural dark red to evoke a sense of passion.
Image created with:
Wooden house decoration
Fake confetti snow
A pathway drawn with my finger
Model trees
Fairy lights
Red card to appear as the sky
Image 15 - Wooden Christmas train
A bit of dead space hurt no-one. The red and greens of the train really pop at the bottom of the frame, leaving a large area above it for copy space. The white chaotic space behind the locomotive was cotton wool mixed with fairly lights shot out of focus.
Image created with:
Wooden train decoration
Fake confetti snow
Cotton wool
Fairy lights
White card
Image 16 - Toy girl skiing in a homemade winter setting
Like the ski image above? How about another? The same sneaky trick was pulled to make those slopes. But this time, I got all artsy and used some out-of-focus colorful cards to mimic distant mountains
Image created with:
Ski toy
Fake confetti snow
Felt snow blanket
DVD cases underneath to create the sloping effect
Model trees
Coloured card to appear as distant mountains and the sky
Image 17 - Ice skating polar bear fallen down
Is there anything more adorable than a polar bear showing off its ice skating skills? Believe it or not, the ice rink illusion was created by sneaky colored cards hidden under a glass sheet, giving that perfect icy look. And to top it off, fake snow was sprinkled around to make it seem like the bear was gliding at the edge of a frozen lake.
Image created with:
Polar bear decoration
Fake confetti snow
Glass sheet
Blue coloured card
Image 18 - Robin red breast toys in the snow
Remember the old red robin cliches from classic scenes on biscuit tins or greetings cards? These small birds evoke a lot of nostalgia that channel the ghost of Christmas past. These two plucky chicks were nestled in fake snow with fairy lights strategically placed underneath them. Thus, giving off a festive party vibe.
Image created with:
Red breasted robin decorations
Fake confetti snow
Fairy lights
Post production techniques:
Edited with retro colour filter
Image 19 - Wooden Chris Cringle
Just another simple point and shoot. Here we have Father Christmas, bravely braving the real snow like a winter warrior!
Image created with:
Santa Claus decoration
Real snow
Post production techniques:
Vignette effect
Image 20 - Elf in deep snow
If you happen to stumble upon a massive pile of snow, seize the opportunity before it turns into a slushy mess! On this occasion I placed an gonk toy in a fresh coating of the white stuff.
Image created with:
Gonk / elf toy
Real snow
Post production techniques:
Vignette effect
Square crop
Image 21 - Snowman waiting outside the house
One of the best TV classics over the holidays is Raymond Briggs's, The Snowman. Memories of him coming to life on our small screens every Christmas Eve gives off the festive warmth that feels amazing each year. Here I tried to capture the same feeling by creating a scene with a snowman in front of a model village house. The dark coloured card gives the impression of night time, thus evoking feelings of the magic of 24 December.
Image created with:
Snowman figure
Model Christmas village house
Model trees
Fairy lights
Fake confetti snow
Coloured card
Image 22 - Lego ski figure kicking up some snow
With a little imagination, you can create a sense of motion within static scenes. Flour was used to appear as the snow, but how did I make it burst in the air towards the left of the image? Easy, I just blew through a straw.
Image created with:
Lego ski toy
Flour
A straw to blow the snow
Model trees
Torn up cardboard to appear as the mountains
Tissue paper to appear as the snow peaks
Coloured card for the sky
Image 23 - Man and a woman toy in a winter paradise
Having lifelike figures really makes your scene dynamic. This ensures that there's a central character to focus on (as opposed to something static like a bauble etc). As a result, you can create a story and a mini world. Here, two older looking toys stand in a north pole looking scene. The red trees echo the colours of both figures.
The fairy lights in the background help the observer to conclude that they are in a magical or party like surrounding.
Image created with:
Wooden toys
Canned powered snow turned to slush
Model trees
Fairy lights
Coloured card
Image 24 - Santa's laundry
What would Santa Claus do after a busy night of delivering presents on Christmas Eve? He'd probably put those aching tired feet up by the fire and let his clothes dry from the snow.
This image was created by using the inside of a wooden box to look like a log cabin. The festive clothing was decorative cutlery holders. I placed these on some string with mini clothes pegs and put some fairy lights in the background for added effect.
Image created with:
Small Santa clothing themed cutlery holders
String
Mini clothes pegs
Fairy lights
Wooden box
Like what you see?
Explore this website for more advice and examples from my portfolio. Contact me to discuss how we can collaborate. This could lead to something fantastic...
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