A selection of holly leaves were hand picked (which became the butt of the joke) and photographed on tracing paper with natural light. The best one was selected and only basic adjustments were made in Photoshop (brightness, contrast, sharpness) as I wanted the design to be as simple and natural as possible. An unexpected but welcome surprise was the way the specular highlights on the leaf help to complete the illusion of a Christmas tree decorated in fairy lights.