Our previous blogs posts spoke about Christmas, the festive season, and ordering your Christmas tree early. Now that you are prepared for the months to come, we decided to spend a little time to assist you in preparing your Instagram grid, as you would your winter garden. And like all our fantastic pieces of advice, it all begins with some degree of preparation.

What's that? You haven’t started your festive preparation? Fear not, young Padawan. The Force will guide you to our previous posts easily. Seriously, click the word 'Force' and see what happens.

For those of you who have begun your prep, please read on. If you've returned from your hiatus of reading up on our previous posts, welcome back. Let's go on, shall we? 

A Guide to a Picture-Perfect Instagrammable Christmas Tree 

Three words resonate across the photographic industry. While those wielding single-lens reflex cameras with various focal attachments will have you believe that you must pay attention to aperture, shutter speed, and white balance, we assure you that it isn't as complicated as that.

The three words are size, colour, and clarity.

Not to say that aperture, shutter speeds, or balancing the light don't have its perks – they do, but you're probably snapping away with your mobile device. We don't want to confuse you by turning on pro settings and being stuck with a sepia filter and having no idea how to turn it off.

So, we will keep it simple with a three-step approach.

Step 1: Size

While everyone may claim that size doesn't matter – in most cases, it may not. However, size is of absolute importance when it comes to your Christmas tree and the pictures you take. An excellent size guide is looking at where you wish to set up your tree and then moving as far back as you possibly can to capture a floor-to-ceiling shot.

Understandable, some rooms are smaller than others, and if with your back against the furthest wall, you find you can't capture a floor-to-ceiling image, you may want to consider getting a smaller tree. You can find our Christmas tree guide here with average tree heights to best prepare you for the perfect size for your chosen space.

Additionally, your tree-topper must be spot on when it comes to size, as it cannot be larger than your tree. But at the same time, it cannot be as small as the décor that will wrap around and in the tree. A trick to use here is to look at the top half of the tree and if your tree-topper seems too large, opt for a smaller one. Your pictures will thank you!

Lastly, on size, remember that your Instagram pics will be more than just your tree and décor upon it. It will be of the fireplace, the socks, the presents, and the overall space. So, turn your phone to landscape mode and see whether you can incorporate all of this without losing the essence of Christmas. You should be able to fit your entire corner into the image easily.

Step 2: Colour 

Red and green may seem the obvious choice for Christmas – and while the colours are weaved in both mind and legend, it may be hard even to consider alternate colours for your décor.

The thing is, and in true photographic wisdom, you can use varying shades of red – whether a darker variant or even a shade closer to pink. The same with green – whether you opt for a rich bottle green or a pastel palette, the choice is yours.

The trick here is to ensure that you don't even try for three once you decide on your two main colours. Instead, you must stick to them and allow the colours to run across all your surfaces and throughout your stage - Yes, it is no longer your lounge, room, or study – it is now your stage. Dress it as such.

Step 3: Clarity 

No one likes a blurry picture! And, unless you're riding a bike down a hill and hoping to take a Christmas shot through a window, please don't upload any streaky images. Instead, you may want to consider getting a tripod stand for your device – not one of those pro-grade expensive ones. Consider a decent enough stabiliser for your phone or digital camera long enough to take the images you want from the right angles.

Fortunately, taking the right pics is made so much easier with the tech our phones now possess. And while you are getting ready to take the perfect pictures for Instagram, there is one thing you must never forget. And that is to have fun.

Not all your pics will be perfect, you may not get the presents you wished, and you may even argue with your closest friends and family.

But it is Christmas, it is the festive season, and it is a time to unwind, relax, and enjoy.

So, after a hard lockdown and everything else that this year has thrown at you, remember to live, smile, and reflect with hopes that tomorrow will be better. It would be best if you looked forward to a better month, a better year, and an even better life.

To ease your stress and assist in the ways we know best, visit us at UCS Fresh for all your festive needs, seeds, and even trees.