It's Christmas time once again and what gear would be perfect for our Christmas portraits and candid shots during all the festivities? If you know the basics of photography more or less you will be able to identify what your really need. But first of all, I can honestly say that for portraiture you will need an external flash. Something that may be equally helpful is a bounce card or a stofen to difuse and/or enhance the lighting that you want. If your camera has a built in flash, remember that built in flashes cannot be compared to external flashes. Bear in mind that with taking portraits, built in flashes can be limiting.

What lens should you go for? Always think about the range that you want and your budget as well. For prime lenses, the budget friendly Canon 50mm f/1.8 is an ok choice.

This is a good choice for beginners. The opening is wide enough (you'll have a shallower depth of field thus resulting in a more blurred background) and it's pretty fast considering its cost. But if you have the budget you can go for the Canon 85mm f/1.8 USM. Another wonderful (though a bit expensive) prime lens is the Canon 35mm f/1.4L. The problem with prime lenses is that your range is limited for obvious reasons and always consider the range that you want.

For zoom lenses, you can opt for the Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L . In my personal opinion, this is a good range for portraits. You can also go with the 70-200mm f/4.0L IS or the 70-200mm f/2.8L for a longer range (if you have room, this can be great for candids). For low light and indoor use, a wide opening such as the f/2.8 or wider will be perfect.

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