With the holidays just around the corner, now is the time to brush up on your photography skills so you don’t miss one precious moment of your baby staring at the lights under the tree, capture the perfect look of surprise on your teen’s face when they get just what they had been asking for, or even the magical wonder of a perfectly crisp winter snowfall. Capturing these images can be tricky, but with some good practice and a few hints from pros and the advances of technology, those holiday images will be even more treasured memories worth framing.

Brushing up on my own photography skills is a long-held desire, but while I continue to save my money for that shiny new DSLR, I will continue to seek out tips and tricks that I can use with my point-and-shoot and my iPhone, too. Here are a few great tips, apps and ideas for making the most out of your photos this holiday season. For even more, visit our Smart Thinking board on Pinterest.

Smartphone photo apps

Have you seen the commercials for the incredible, vibrant images smartphones are capable of capturing? I am in awe of the stunning clarity, beautiful colors and overall inspiration those commercials capture. Why can’t I get my images to look that good? Well, with a few tips and some great editing apps, you actually can have those amazing images.

There are several photo editing apps you can download that can better enhance the current editing options you have in your built-in photo app. Try downloading PhotoShop for your smartphone. There are amazing features and wonderful filters available to make your images even more stunning.

Play with the settings on your camera. Try with and without a flash. Try shooting with a filter. There are even macro lenses you can buy to affix to your camera to get those stunning closeup images. Practice makes perfect, so start snapping away.

Photo beginners

Has it been a while since you’ve picked up a DSLR camera? For me, it’s been several years and even longer since I first learned about F-stops and aperture. That’s where Pinterest comes in very handy! With countless tutorials, infographics, videos and more online, there really is no excuse for not brushing up on your skills.

Have you been taught the rule of thirds? How about how to operate your camera in manual mode? Need a refresher on F-stops and aperture? There are tutorials and cheat sheets ready to be used. You can even get a refresher on how best to pose large groups of people.

Learn how to best photograph images in the “Golden Hour,” capturing sun flares. Learn how to best capture highly detailed, closeup images. Try your hand at capturing the magic of the night sky or the beautiful pre-dawn light. With the dozens of ideas, examples and helps, you can become a great self-taught novice photographer.

Advanced tips

If you are looking to enhance your already strong photography skills — everything from staging to backlighting to composition — there are many seasoned photographers ready to share their advice. Look for the many shortcuts, too, that you might not have thought of for enhancing the lighting of a subject, or even unique poses that bring out the most flattering images.

Wanting to further perfect your PhotoShop skills, check out the tutorials available on Pinterest. You can also research different lenses, different editing actions, filters and more.

I have always struggled capturing the perfect candid photos. With some great tips like losing the flash, being patient, using a telephoto lens, moving around your subjects and even shooting in burst mode, I now feel like I have a better chance at catching those fun, impromptu moments.

– Jennifer Durrant