Nikon’s big festive calendar challenge

Day 1

Framing Christmas: get creative with composition 

Says who? American writer and photographer John Bogna

Difficulty: 1/5

 

Forget snapshots and frame with intent this Christmas. Imagine you’ve been hired by a Christmas card company to create just four standout designs. Using compositional techniques such as the rule of thirds, balance (where no part of your frame feels too heavy or empty) and negative space, capture four unique images that show the season at its best. For example, a robin perched on a garden spade, a frosty lane dividing two fields, a wreath on a weathered door or carol singers beneath twinkling lights. Whatever your subject, try centring it for symmetry or break the rules for creative tension. You could even print them as your own Christmas cards!

 

Read more: Essential composition techniques

Day 2

The pet person’s perfect present

Says who? Pet photography expert Carolina Wlodarczyk

Difficulty: 4/5

 

From cockapoos to cockatoos, pet lovers adore their animals, so what better gift for them than a framed Christmas portrait of their furry or feathered friend? Set up your background first – a glowing tree, a frosty outdoor scene or a wall covered in wrapping paper for festive flair – and keep a few props and treats handy. Cameras including the Nikon Z8 feature Animal-Detection AF, which helps to keep eyes sharp, even with fidgety subjects. And use a soft box or diffused window light, a wide f/1.8 aperture and a fast shutter to capture their personality perfectly.

 

Read more: Festive compositions to try this Christmas

Day 3

On assignment: The true spirit of Christmas

Says who? Freelance photojournalist Lena Mucha

Difficulty: 3/5

 

What does Christmas mean to you? Christmastime is unique to everyone so, for today’s challenge, put down the props and chase the real stories instead, seeing the season through a photojournalist’s lens. Capture the moments that often go unnoticed: a busker playing carols in the cold, friends swapping gifts over coffee or a stranger lending a hand. Rely on natural light and keep your camera ready, shooting from the hip if you’re not confident bringing it to eye level, which is where cameras like the Nikon Z6III, with its fully articulating screen, really shine. Plus a fast, flexible zoom like the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II will help you stay responsive.

 

Read more: So you want to be a photojournalist?

Day 4

Celebrate good times!

Says who? The range of Quickstart photography cheat sheets provided by the Nikon Team

Difficulty: 2/5

 

’Tis the season to party! And with all these seasonal social gatherings comes the perfect opportunity to polish up your party photography and filmmaking skills. Whether it’s capturing twinkling lights, candid encounters or the dance floor in full swing, every moment offers a chance to experiment. If you’re in need of guidance, check out Nikon Quickstart, a collection of free, downloadable cheat sheets covering a wide selection of genres, such as the Taking better pictures at parties and events guide, which shares tips such as using Shutter Priority mode to create motion blur, and offers perfect kit recommendations such as the NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2.

 

Read more: Nikon Quickstart: Photography Cheat Sheets

Day 5

Get dynamic with a dolly zoom 

Says who? Award-winning director and filmmaker Christopher M Nicholls 

Difficulty: 5/5

 

Christmas is the perfect opportunity to hunker down with your favourite films, so why not take a touch of inspiration from the classics? Today, channel your inner Hitchcock and try the dramatically dynamic dolly zoom, made famous in his 1958 film Vertigo. The technique moves the camera forward while zooming out, or vice versa, keeping your subject steady as the background stretches and compresses. It’s perfect for evoking unease, tension or realisation in your videos, and, with a lens such as the NIKKOR Z 28–135mm f/4 PZ, with its smooth electronic power zoom and 11 selectable speeds, it’s easier than you’d think to master.

 

Read more: A documentary-making masterclass with Christopher M Nicholls 

Day 6

Frame fun and festive family portraits 

Says who? Portrait photographer and Nikon Creator Dhan Limwattana

Difficulty: 2/5

 

There’s something so magical about Christmas portraits – they’re perfect for cards, gifts or treasured keepsakes. Frame your subjects among festive décor, pull on your best Christmas knits and set your camera on a tripod with the self-timer ready. For sharp yet softly flattering results, stop your lens down two stops from its widest aperture (for instance, f/4 if you’re using an f/1.8 lens). And to really bring those twinkling lights and vibrant colours to life, switch to Rich Tone Portrait mode, which enhances colour and contrast for a warm, polished glow straight out of camera. Experiment with monochrome for a classic and retro look. 

 

Read more: Better portraits faster

Day 7

See the season in slow-mo

Says who? Landscape and nature photographers-filmmakers Valentin Manhart and Roman Flepp, better known as Twintheworld 

Difficulty: 4/5

 

With all the hustle and bustle the festive season brings, it’s important to pause and reflect, and what better way to take a beat than by filming the moments that matter in cinematic slow motion? Focus on dynamic subjects such as snowflakes drifting, ice skaters gliding or snowballs in mid-flight. The Nikon Z6III, with 4K 120fps recording and superb stabilisation, is just the ticket for silky smooth handheld slow-mo. Film in bright light to keep footage crisp, add gentle camera movement for depth and keep playback above 24fps to preserve that all-important fluid flow.

 

Read more: Filming slow-mo with the Nikon Z6III: an advanced guide

Conditions of participation in a social challenge on the Nikon Europe Instagram channel for Nikon magazine 24-day Festive countdown calendar challenge 2025

1. Scope and applicability

These Terms and Conditions apply to the contests (each a “Contest”) held in two designated European territories:

1. the DACH region (comprising Germany, Austria, and Switzerland); and

2. the United Kingdom and all other member states of the European Economic Area, namely: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

Hereinafter, these territories are collectively referred to as the "Regions". These Terms and Conditions apply exclusively within these Regions and do not govern any other contests run by the Organiser. By participating in this contest, the participant agrees to these conditions of participation and the information about the requirements for participation.

2. Organiser

a. The Organiser of the contest is Nikon Europe BV, whose registered address is at Stroombaan 14, 1181 VX, Amstelveen, the Netherlands.

b. The Contest is hosted on Instagram. The Contest is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by Instagram. The Organiser is not affiliated with Instagram. Participants must comply with the Terms of Use, Community Guidelines and other applicable rules and regulations for submitting or uploading User Submissions, which are available here, among other places:  https://help.instagram.com/581066165581870 

Entries that violate these rules will be excluded from the Contest. Participants hereby waive any claims they may have against Instagram in this regard. All information concerning the contest will be provided to the participants only by the Organiser. If you have any questions, suggestions or complaints, please contact the Organiser.

 

3. Participation requirements

a. Anyone who is (1) 18 years of age or older at the time of his/her participation and (2) a legal resident of one of the Regions.

b. Employees of the Organiser, their immediate family members and/or employees of cooperation partners who are or were involved in the conception or organisation of the competition are excluded from participation.

c. Participation is only possible in one's own name. Joint entries are not permitted. All submitted work must be the participant's own original creation. Multiple participation is permitted up to a maximum of five (5) per participant.

 

4. Participation

a. Participation is free of charge and does not require the purchase of additional goods or the use of other services for which a fee is charged.

b. The competition will take place from 01.12.2025 00:01 CET up to and including 25.12.2025 23:59 CET. Entries submitted after the closing date will not be considered.

c. Participants are required to upload to Instagram images or videos they've captured using any Nikon camera, in response to at least one of the Festive challenges as stated in the magazine article. A minimum of one (1) valid entry is required to participate. Multiple entries are permitted up to a maximum of five (5) per participant, provided each entry ties in with any of the challenges. The images or videos should be intriguing and provide visual cues that hint at a specific challenge from the article. 

d. Each participant must have an Instagram account and must follow the account "@nikoneurope" and must ensure the account is tagged and the hashtag "#NikonFestiveChallengeEU" must be included in the description of a post. It is also allowed to retrospectively tag an already posted photo that meets all the above requirements with @Nikoneurope and add the corresponding hashtag.

e. Participants may submit multiple images or videos in a single Instagram post (a "carousel"). Each individual image or video within such a post will be considered a separate and independent entry into the contest. All entries, whether submitted as single posts or within a carousel, will count towards the overall contest limit of five (5) entries per participant.

For example, a single carousel post containing three (3) photos will count as three (3) entries towards the participant's limit.

f. Only posts published to the main Instagram feed (grid posts) are eligible to win. Instagram Stories and Instagram Reels are not considered valid entries and will not be judged. Participants are welcome to use Stories or Reels to promote their eligible feed post.

g. For the safety of children, this contest will not include photos or videos that contain identifiable images of children. Entries that contain depictions of violence and/or sexually explicit acts are not permitted. Likewise, images or entries that contain threats or bullying will be excluded from the contest, and the participant will be disqualified. 

h. Entries that contain defamatory, obscene, offensive, illegal or otherwise inappropriate content will be excluded from the contest, and the participant will be disqualified.

i. The Organiser assumes no responsibility for incomplete, incompletely submitted, lost or delayed entries or for any malfunctions or errors in the software used to manage entrant information and content. 

j. The Promoter reserves the right to exclude from the Contest any entrant who violates the Terms and Conditions, attempts to manipulate the Contest, provides false information, or makes statements that violate any applicable law or third-party rights. If a participant is excluded, the Organiser may reclaim prizes or other benefits granted. In this case, a new winner will be determined in accordance with the rules in No. 5 b.

 

5. Awarding of prizes and notification of winners

a. At the end of the entry period, the winner will be selected for each Region. A separate jury, composed of representatives from the Organiser within each respective Region, will select the winner for that Region. Each jury will look for the most creative and fitting interpretation of the Festive challenge(s) into an image or video. Creativity, inspiration, an individual touch, and distinguishing the submission from others will be major contributing factors.

The jury's decision is final and binding. The winner will be announced via private message to the winner.

b. There will be a total of 1 (one) winner for each Region. The prize for each Region consists of one prize: A new Nikon Z5II camera. 

c. The winners will be notified by private message on Instagram after the contest ends on or about 22.01.2026. The notified winner of the prize must make the decision whether to accept the prize within three days (until 25.01.2026). Thereupon, after notification and acceptance of the prize, the winner must submit his/her personal data (name, address, location and contact details) correctly, truthfully and completely. If the winner does not accept the prize or does not accept the prize within the aforementioned period, the prize entitlement will lapse. A new winner will be selected in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.

d. The winner will be responsible for any taxes or costs associated with claiming the prize. These taxes and costs may include, but are not limited to, national or local income taxes, VAT, import duties, and customs clearance fees. Winners are advised to consult with their local tax advisor to determine their potential tax liability.

e. The prize is subject to availability. The Organiser reserves the right to substitute a prize for one of equal or greater value, should this be necessary, without the Organiser being responsible for this.

f. Transfer of the prize to a third party is not permitted. Payment of the prize in cash or exchange for other prizes is excluded. 

g. It is the winner's sole responsibility to ensure they are able to accept the prize was awarded. If a winner fails to claim the prize as instructed or is unable to accept it for any reason, the prize will be forfeited, and the Organiser will not be liable for any loss or disappointment resulting from the winner's inability to claim the prize.

 

6. Rights of use

a. The participant warrants that the contribution submitted by him/her is free from third party rights, in particular copyrights and other proprietary rights (e.g. patents, trademarks, designs, know-how, etc.)

b. The participant hereby grants the Organiser the non-exclusive, freely transferable, sub-licensable right, unlimited in time, space and content, to use the entry in all known and currently unknown ways. This right includes - nationally and worldwide – in particular the right of the Organiser to reproduce, edit, publish, distribute and market the contribution. This granting of rights is free of charge.

 

7. Exclusion of liability

The contest is hosted on the Instagram platform, which is not owned or controlled by the Organiser. The Organiser assumes no liability for the availability of Nikon's Instagram page and that it can be accessed by the participants in a technically error-free and complete manner. In particular, no liability is assumed for damages and losses or deletion of data resulting from technical malfunctions or delays, viruses or similar reasons.

 

8. Data protection

The Organisers will collect and process participants' personal data (including Instagram username, and for winners, full name, address, email, and phone number) solely for the purpose of administering this contest, selecting the winners, delivering the prize, and for promotional activities related to the contest as outlined in these terms.

By entering this contest, you acknowledge that the processing of your personal data is necessary for the performance of the contract between you and the Organiser (these Terms & Conditions). You also consent to the Organiser using your Instagram username and winning entry for promotional purposes if you are selected as a winner.

All personal data will be collected and processed in accordance with the applicable data protection laws and the Organiser's Privacy Notice. For full details on how we process your data, your rights (including the right to access, rectify, or erase your data), and how to contact us, please review our Privacy Notice. The relevant notices for your region can be found here: https://www.nikon.co.uk/en_GB/privacy-notice

 

9. Miscellaneous

a.  The Organiser reserves the right to amend the contest and these Terms and conditions if it becomes necessary to do so due to unforeseen circumstances or causes beyond the Organiser's reasonable control. 

b. If any provision of these Terms and Conditions of Participation is or becomes invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions shall not be affected.

c. All legal relationships arising from or in connection with the competition and these Terms and Conditions of Participation shall be governed by substantive law of the Netherlands to the exclusion of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG). Mandatory consumer protection regulations of the country in which the participant has his/her habitual residence remain unaffected.