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Photographing Christmas lights
Summary: How to photograph Christmas lights? Use your digital camera and a tripod and some creativity to capture memories that will last long after you've paid the electric bill.
Christmas lighting displays are growing in size and popularity.
Photographs of these impressive displays will capture the scene for
your viewing pleasure long after you’ve paid the utility bills.
 | | By breathing lightly on the lens and waiting for the fog to clear, a routine scene becomes something more than a for the record photo. |
Read on to see how we captured the sights and sounds of a small
neighborhood display with a Nikon D40, a 18-55mm zoom lens and a
Gorillapod flexible tripod.
To get the best results from your digital camera here are several tips and techniques good for outside and inside displays.
- Use a tripod. Camera movement will result in blurry photos. A
tripod offers stability for slow shutter speeds that you choose in the
manual mode and even the slow shutter speeds a preset “night scene”
mode offered by nearly all digital cameras.
- If your camera/lens has vibration reduction of “image stabilization”, turn it on.
 | | Left...A scene shot at dusk with the auto white balance. Right, shot moments later with an incadescent white balance. It renders the white lights in the scene accurately and turns the sky a surrealistic blue. |
- The white balance of your camera in the automatic mode, will
likely give you a warm color tones in the lights. If it is too
warm, set the camera to the incandescent light white balance.
- If you have a cable release to activate the shutter, use
it. The self-timer will also activate the shutter and can be used
to make and exposure. Pressing the shutter release during a long
exposure can cause unwanted camera movement.
- When photographing indoor displays like Christmas trees,
centerpieces and decorated mantels, be aware of the ambient light in
the room. Get the best results by setting the white balance to the
incandescent setting.
- Turn off the electronic flash on your camera. The bright
 | | Top...Electronic flash desptroys the ambiance found in the bottom photo. |
light of the camera flash will destroy the mood of a scene.
- Choose the night scene mode on you camera, but remember to use a tripod or stabilize the camera on a solid surface.
- When composing a shot, pay attention to the details in your
photo. Look for wires and utility poles in outdoor scenes.
Indoors get closer to your subject and isolate your subject by using a
zoom lens or the closeup preset mode to see the rich detail.
Pick a center of interest in your composition. That focal point will give you photo a feeling of depth and context.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with  | | Using a zoom lens and a 1/8th of a second shutter speed a statics scene becomes more interesting. |
composition, camera settings and even break a few “rules” for the sake of creativity.
One technique is to zoom the lens during a long exposure to create the
appearance of motion. The streaking effect of the lights during
the exposure might provide a pleasant surprise.
Finally, take lots of photos. Use the rear display on your camera to
monitor your composition and to see how the changes you make in
exposure and white balance affects you photos. However, the rear
display is only there for reference and is not always an accurate
measure of the technical aspects of a photograph. Consult your camera
manual for additional information.
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Good photographs begin with good light. In the digital photography world, the quality of light corresponds to the quality of the photograph. The dramatic light of the early morning and late afternoon can raise the quality of your images. In poorly lit situations use supplemental lighting from the camera's flash in the fill-flash mode.
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Adobe's Photoshop is very expensive at nearly $700, Is it worth it?
Dear PS,
Adobe's Photoshop is very expensive at nearly $700, Is it worth it?
On the cheap in Oregon
Dear On the cheap,
Yes! If you plan to take creative steps in dealing with your images, photoshop and the lastest Creative Suite 2 are simply the best and most efficients image handling programs available. Is it "worth it" to you, that depends on what you hope to achieve with your images. I would suggest the Elements version of photoshop as an entry level position. Better yet, check a local computer store or even the Apple Store an invest a little time in attending a couple of their tutorial classes for a "test drive" of the program. Then you'll be better informed before you spend your money.
Thanks for your question,
Michael at PS
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