The December holidays are often defined by spirited, lively vibes—but that’s not how it is for everyone. Shutterstock invited photographers to show us how different and the same the holiday season can be.
For a lot of people, this time of year is all about wholesome gatherings, twinkling lights, and great food. Nonetheless, there’s an odd unspoken pressure during the holiday season. You’re expected to show up and smile. To be kind and collected, even if it goes against one’s mood and vibe. To be anything other than truly yourself.
Shutterstock’s #MyRealHoliday contributor contest is all about authenticity. We wanted to see the season beyond the standard sparkling decorations. Make no mistake, we love that stuff, but for this contest, we wanted something deeper. Something both personal and relatable. We wanted genuine moments of self-expression—and that’s exactly what our contributors delivered.
We ended up with a great collection of visuals that celebrates authenticity more than anything. The slow, warm, and the peaceful. The beauty, truth, and meaning of this most wonderful time of the year. The nuances.
Here’s what the winners have to share about their submissions, artistic styles, and perspectives about stock photography.
Jose Diaz: Portraiture of the Relaxing Pace of Christmas
Location: Canada
Shutterstock: What is your craft?
Jose Diaz: I’m a freelance photographer who sometimes ventures into videography.
SSTK: How do you want to challenge the stock content industry?
Diaz: I want to challenge the whole sector to keep on growing and featuring more content that focuses on highlighting the importance of authentic lifestyles in every division of society. By making content that is genuine and memorable.
SSTK: How would you describe your artistic style?
Diaz: I would describe my style as natural, casual, and simple. I like to capture moments as they happen in front of me without interfering.
SSTK: What made you select this image to submit to the contest?
Diaz: I really felt that it was a beautiful and contemplative moment of my child admiring the lights on the tree that truly reflected the slow, relaxing pace of that particular afternoon at home.
SSTK: How can more contributors create more authentic content?
Diaz: I think that by focusing on the emotion(s) of the subject or the dynamic of the scene in front of you, one can capture a moment in a more natural way that will eventually feel more authentic to [the] viewers.
[Don’t] stress too much about finding the perfect props for the perfect scene.
Artit Wongpradu: When a Gathering Feels Like Home
Location: Thailand
Shutterstock: What is your craft?
Artit Wongpradu: For professional work, I [do] architecture and interior photography, but for microstock, I shoot food, travel, lifestyle, and now mostly people.
SSTK: How do you want to challenge the stock content industry?
Wongpradu: For me, I want to find more gaps in the market because I think there will be many gaps in the microstock industry.
Even [with] the number of photos and videos (and AI-generated content), and the fact that the amount of content is increasing daily, there is still a lot of content that has never been created before.
SSTK: How would you describe your artistic style?
Wongpradu: Capture the real moment with an interesting composition and a good feeling. Try to find more meaning in that moment.
SSTK: What made you select this image to submit to the contest?
Wongpradu: Because I love the Christmas holiday moment. It’s time to gather families from everywhere into a place called home.
[Here,] the moment begins with the son pouring wine for his father before Christmas dinner. Then they started talking and taking care of each other.
SSTK: How can more contributors create more authentic content?
Wongpradu: Preparation before shooting involves keywords, models, locations, and costumes.
During the shoot, try directing and improvising the models to do what they normally do to create the most natural performance. These will bring the authentic content.
Vikky Mir: Illustrating Me Time with a Sense of Relatability
Location: Kazakhstan
Shutterstock: What is your craft?
Vikky Mir: Vector illustrator, artist, blogger.
SSTK: How do you want to challenge the stock content industry?
Mir: Some microstockers use stigmatized images to create illustrations or photographs. They are often similar to content already provided on stock, which does not give buyers of microstock images enough variety.
I try to create illustrations on topics that are not yet sufficiently covered in stocks. I try to look at things from a different angle and choose interesting compositions and color solutions.
SSTK: How would you describe your artistic style?
Mir: My artistic style is inspired by people and social situations. I portray people because I love people, and many recognize themselves in these subjects. I would characterize my artistic style as laconic and modern.
SSTK: What made you select this image to submit to the contest?
Mir: Holidays are often associated with large groups when family and friends are nearby. With my vector illustration, I wanted to show that people of different ages, genders, and ethnic groups sometimes spend holidays alone.
I depicted non-standard holiday leisure when a person is in harmony with herself and reading a book.
SSTK: How can more contributors create more authentic content?
Mir: To create authentic content, you need to choose topics you believe in. The audience senses dishonesty, so you need to be as natural as possible.
Of course, you can use tips from Shutterstock, where each month a list of current topics for authors is offered. I am grateful for these collections and use them often.
Dmitrii Shironosov: Warmth and Oneness in Motion
Location: Indonesia
Shutterstock: What is your craft?
Dmitrii Shironosov: Me and my splendid team at Pressmaster have been in the stock industry since 2005. Our content is a mirror reflecting the surrounding world.
We are striving to diversify our portfolio as much as possible, recreating all kinds of everyday life situations and representing various people across the globe. We hope to appeal to anyone and everyone.
SSTK: How do you want to challenge the stock content industry?
Shironosov: In addition to more scrupulous and thorough preparations for our productions in the coming year, we plan to devote our attention to each and every shot we take, ensuring it reflects the subject of the shoot and delivers both the authenticity and the cinematic feel.
SSTK: How would you describe your artistic style?
Shironosov: Our artistic style can be described as a short movie within a shoot, I guess. We don’t merely focus on the subject of the shoot but also diligently go over all of its ingredients (lighting, styling, color palette, cast, props, location, etc.).
To make a long story short, pre-production is the key.
SSTK: What made you select this image to submit to the contest?
Shironosov: This has been our first experience with Hanukkah, and we have been thrilled to plunge into the topic. After deep-diving into the holiday ins and outs, we embraced the vibes—a combination of intimate and domestic settings with subdued warm lights.
We did a large-scale job preparing for the shoot, and the cast was truly handpicked. When I saw the result, I felt it wouldn’t slip under the radar.
SSTK: How can more contributors create more authentic content?
Shironosov: I’d recommend starting with an in-depth study of the subject. Afterward, take your time on pre-production, ensuring everything reflects and highlights the subject matter.
And finally, don’t underestimate the details. As the details are able to finalize the narrative and make your shoot one of a kind.
Marcos Ramirez: Documenting Candid Moments for Commercial Photography
Location: Mexico
Shutterstock: What is your craft?
Marcos Ramirez: I’m a Mexican photographer [who has been] shooting stock photography full-time for the last 5 years.
SSTK: How do you want to challenge the stock content industry?
Ramirez: I like to shoot natural and real moments. To portray different models’ profiles with zero pose.
SSTK: How would you describe your artistic style?
Ramirez: I love documentary photography, so I like to get a bit of this in my stock images but without missing the advertising or commercial objective.
SSTK: What made you select this image to submit to the contest?
Ramirez: I selected this image because it is a real and natural moment. This image has a bit of documentary style, and it was shot for commercial use at the same time.
SSTK: How can more contributors create more authentic content?
Ramirez: I believe that to create authentic content as a photographer, you can be inspired by everyday life and your culture, and represent it in a way that is close to reality.
When authenticity is present, a photo will always serve its purpose. That element of relatability is what makes these visuals stand out and, for brands, it’s that same element that will hook their audience in.
License these cover images via Jose V Diaz, Artit Wongpradu, Vikky Mir, Marcos Castillo, and Pressmaster.
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