8 Photo Ideas for the Perfect Hanukkah Greeting Card

Reading Time: 7 minutes read

Hanukkah is one of the most cherished Jewish holidays. For eight glorious nights, families light the menorah, indulge in sufganiyot, play games, and exchange gifts. As eventful as it sounds, Hanukkah is actually a home-based holiday. If visits from extended family and loved ones from afar are challenging this year, opt for a Hanukkah greeting card. It’s a thoughtful gesture to wish everyone good health and joy when everyone isn’t physically together. Not sure where to start? Below are some holiday card picture ideas to help create the perfect Hanukkah card.

Honor the Lighting of the Menorah Lights

It’s called the “The Festival of Lights” for a reason. Lighting the menorah is central to this Jewish holiday. That’s why a photo of this ritual makes for a very sentimental Hanukkah greeting card.   

How to get the picture:  

This tends to be a low lighting ritual, so more of the focus is on the menorah. To ensure you have enough light, increase ISO and choose a wide aperture. These settings allow more light to hit the camera’s lens without having to use the harsh flash. Some detail may be lost, but that’s okay. Save it by adjusting the white balance. Or, shoot the photo in black and white. That solves all color issues and makes for an artistic photo card.

If you have the latest smartphone technology, learn how to use the iPhone Night mode. It performs well in low light settings. Just take extra precautions to stabilize the camera. Excessive movement can produce a blurry image.

Focus on the Menorah Lights Once They’re Lit

There are few things more beautifully symbolic than a lit menorah. It’s no wonder all the major commercial card makers use this image on their mass-produced Hanukkah cards. But imagine how much more impactful it is when the photo is your own lit menorah. Loved ones will instantly feel connected.

How to get the picture:  

Photograph the lights in a dark room to create sharp contrast. For this, use a high ISO and embrace any graininess. The dramatic effect will shine through. Another sensational option is to use the lights to create silhouettes. The warm glow from the menorah is the same reason silhouettes are great family picture ideas. They emit just enough light to capture an outline. To get it right, position the menorah behind your subject and turn off the camera’s flash. If there’s more than one subject in the frame, keep them separated to prevent merging. The silhouettes should be distinctive shapes that your greeting card recipients can recognize.

Focus on the Smaller Details

For a truly unique photo, dial in on the details. Hanukkah is full of small-but-meaningful traditions. Think about capturing a single spinning dreidel or flames going out at the end of the week. This kind of imagery represents the holiday in a finer, richer tone.

How to get the picture:  

Focusing on small subjects or getting quality close-ups requires a basic understanding of macro photography. Whether shooting with a DSLR or iPhone camera, a macro lens is essential. This type of lens magnifies the subject without losing quality. Composition and focus are also important elements. Switch to manual focus mode, if available. Tweak any other settings, as needed.

As for composition, play around with a variety of angles. You may like the dreidel from the top down better than from the side. Whichever angle you choose, make sure the background is clean and tidy. Contrasting backgrounds are even better. They allow small subjects to really stand out.

Take Dining Room Pictures

Food is a love language. Leverage its universal appeal to create a Hanukkah greeting card that speaks to all your favorite people – Jewish or not. That said, food doesn’t have to be the only thing in focus for this idea to work. A photo of the full dinner spread or of everyone gathered around the table is equally as effective.

How to get the picture:  

The rules of food photography clearly recommend shooting in natural light. But most Hanukkah meals happen after sundown. Reserve some time in the morning to play around with last night’s dinner. For example, stack some leftover latkes on a dessert plate and dress them with fresh herbs. Plating is everything!

If taking a wide-angle photo, add some light to the room and find the right angle. For fun, try an overhead shot with family looking up at the camera. Or, simply step back from the dining room table and take in the whole intimate family scene.

Include Present Room Pictures

Everyone knows the gift exchange is really for the kids. But seeing their faces light up like the menorah is an image you have to capture. A big grin from the little ones is precious photo card fodder. A more classic idea is photographing the presents themselves. It’s the actual gifts that are symbolic of Hanukkah – not, necessarily, the act of opening them.  

How to get the picture:  

The best way to catch those gracious smiles is to use Burst mode or a high shutter speed. The faster the camera works, the better the chance of getting the perfect shot. Kids move like lightning; the camera needs to be ready for them. No kids in the photo? No problem. A room filled with beautifully wrapped presents is easier to photograph, anyway. All that’s needed is some lamps, a longer shutter speed, and the right composition.

Get the Whole Family Together for a Formal Picture

When the desired message is “from our family to yours,” this is the right photo card idea. It may take a miracle to get the whole family together for a formal picture. Little kids can’t sit still with so much excitement. Don’t let that stop you from trying. Having that moment frozen in time is well worth the effort.

How to get the picture:

Any motionless setting with people or pets lends itself to portrait photography. Portraits are created with a shallow depth-of-field effect. This puts the people (subject) in clear focus, while the background becomes slightly blurry. An advanced camera may allow you to adjust the level of blurriness. Otherwise, try to keep the background simple – especially if you’re using Portrait mode on iPhone.

Catch the Family Singing Around the Menorah

Singing around the menorah may seem like just another customary item on your Hanukkah to-do list. But it’s so much more. Like food, music is a universal language. Even those who don’t know the Jewish songs by heart can relate to its emotional significance. Capture this moment for a Hanukkah greeting card, and let the image resonate with loved ones near and far.

How to get the picture:

With just the menorah lit, this is another low lighting scenario. Adjust the ISO, aperture, and white balance to prevent glare or unnatural coloring. If the menorah is not the main focus, add additional lighting to brighten the scene

Have the Kids Make One by Hand

Handwritten cards are a lost art form. Personalized cards will light up anyone’s mailbox over the bills and junk mail. The kids will have a blast letting their creativity run wild.  

How to get the picture:

Kids could crank out dozens of handmade cards. But they don’t have to. Instead, have them work on one sheet of paper or canvas. Photograph that piece to turn into a Hanukkah greeting card. There are specific steps to photograph your children’s artwork for display. Using natural lighting and a neutral background are the first priorities. From there, it’s all about finding the right angle and editing to enhance.  

Print Your Hanukkah Greeting Card With Motif

Choosing only a handful of photos to feature on a Hanukkah greeting card is the hard part. Letting Motif print it is easy. Motif integrates directly with Apple Photos. You won’t waste any time uploading or importing. More importantly, you’re guaranteed a quality print project. Motif is the official supplier of custom Apple photo books, calendars, and cards, using advanced technology, supreme printing practices, and premium paper to deliver a high-quality photo card. You’ll feel the difference in the weight of the paper. Your loved ones will feel the difference in the weight of your gesture.

Experience how easy creating personalized photo projects is with Motif. Our photo project app seamlessly and hauntingly works with Apple Photos in macOS and iOS. We do all the complicated, scary stuff leaving the fun creative freedom to you. And all the trick or treating candy too!