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'Tis the season for brilliant and wonderful holiday light displays! They're on the tree, around houses, in windows, about yards, along the streets and in all the shops! We love looking at them and admiring how pretty they are but they are not the easiest to always capture with the camera. Especially because they are best filmed in dim to none extra light.
Here are a few helpful tips:
1. Secure the camera, either by using a tripod or by setting it on something solid and sturdy.
2. Turn off the flash.
3. Increase the ISO/film speed settings.
4. Try using your camera's timer setting.
5. Take lots of pictures!
Can't wait to see all of your holiday lights!
Happy Holidays to everyone!
First pic is of our Christmas tree, second pic is from Biltmore Village in Asheville, NC and the third is the Christmas tree at the Hampton Inn we stayed at.
Location: on the farm in windy Saskatchewan, CANADA
Posts: 5,316
I just took these last night, using a tripod, and every other light was off. The second one had my son, in the striped shirt, and his friend. I just love the 'glow' from the tree
Angie, I LOVE that third picture....can you share with us what your settings were on the your camera for that one? I took some of my tree and they are awfully yellow looking....I love around the tree is just perfect!
Angie, I LOVE that third picture....can you share with us what your settings were on the your camera for that one? I took some of my tree and they are awfully yellow looking....I love around the tree is just perfect!
Thanks! Now the third pic had a lot of background and ceiling lighting going on all around. Whereas the first pic of our tree was done only with the Christmas lights and a few candles lit. I don't know how yellow-y looking your pics are but generally Christmas lights seem to look best with that golden-yellow glow to them in pictures. Gives off the feel of the warmth to the season.
Manual settings for third pic:
Exposure time 1/10
F number 2.8
ISO speed ratings 100
Metering mode Spot
Light source Normal
White balance Auto WB
Flash Off
I love all the Christmas light pictures, but the best of all is Conni's photo of the boys at the Christmas tree! I love the way the light reflects on their faces. That's one for the books!
I know this is cheating a bit, but these were taken one week ago while on holiday in Texas. It is way too cold here in Ontarion right now to be standing outside with a tripod and besides, at the moment it is too stormy. Photo one, a decorated bridge at the Schlitterbahn amusement park in New Braunfels. Number two, lights on the buildings at the same park. The third photo isn't really a Christmas light photo, but I just had to share it with you. De-icing our plane at Chicago Midway. So thankful for the men who brave the cold and wet to provide this necessary service to keep us all safe in the air.
Beautiful photos ladies. Love them all!
Angie, thank you for sharing the photo settings on your third picture. It really is beautiful as are all of your photos.
Connie, both of your pics are gorgeous but I agree with Ina, the photo with the boys is just stunning.
Ina, all your photos are pretty. That one of the de-icing is really neat.
I will see if I can take some photos tomorrow. Not many people around here have lights on their homes (we have a few, but not many). So I will see if can find somewhere that has some photo ops.
__________________ ~Sharon~ I'm a Proud wife of my OIF III & OEF veteran! Mommy of two beautiful girls! Ages 17 years & 2 years! We *heart* adoption! My Crafting BlogOur Family/Adoption Blog
I just took these last night, using a tripod, and every other light was off. The second one had my son, in the striped shirt, and his friend. I just love the 'glow' from the tree
C
Connie, I love the one with your son and his friend. Their profiles are just so precious.
Sounds like the techniques for photographing Christmas Lights/Trees/etc is not unlike those for getting great Fireworks images. I've had some success with my little point-and-shoot, but i've found there is no substitute for full manual control when in those more extreme lighting situations.
Location: on the farm in windy Saskatchewan, CANADA
Posts: 5,316
Quote:
Originally Posted by yellowrose46
I love all the Christmas light pictures, but the best of all is Conni's photo of the boys at the Christmas tree! I love the way the light reflects on their faces. That's one for the books!
Location: on the farm in windy Saskatchewan, CANADA
Posts: 5,316
Ina your pictures are great, love the de-icing
Thanks for all of the praise on my shots. Here is how the real story goes, about 2 weeks ago we went out and bought both of my sons real cool matching shirts, the white with blue stripes. My daughter has a nice navy shirt too. Al the while thinking about getting them dressed up to take these pictures with the tree. Then my X phones and wants the kids for the weekend, and I only end up with my youngest and his friend in the picture. Oh well maybe next year I will try earlier in the season, to make it my christmas card
Angie, I love your pictures, especially the tree lined sidewalk. I also like how the hotel tree is reflecting in the window (along with another tree outside?).
Conni, your tree shots are beautiful. I love the two boys together, the glow on your son's face is precious. Warm & inviting, this would make a good card!
Ina, I love the lights on the bridge. The de icing of the plane at Midway is really cool too! Great photos!!
Thanks for all of the praise on my shots. Here is how the real story goes, about 2 weeks ago we went out and bought both of my sons real cool matching shirts, the white with blue stripes. My daughter has a nice navy shirt too. Al the while thinking about getting them dressed up to take these pictures with the tree. Then my X phones and wants the kids for the weekend, and I only end up with my youngest and his friend in the picture. Oh well maybe next year I will try earlier in the season, to make it my christmas card
C
Funny how the unexpected gave you a picture perfect picture...literally! Here's to next year!
Ok I'm new to this forum but I'll give it a try. We went to look at lights the other night and took this one. It was actually 2 pics and I merged them in pse. There's some blur in the middle. I just got this lens and am still getting used to it.
Thanks Ladies. The lens is the Canon ef-s 17-55 F2.8. I mainly bought it for the IS and the fast aperture. It's expensive (to me) so I want to master it but I'm not that great to begin with. lol
__________________ Wash: "A man walks down the street in that hat, people know he's not afraid of anything."
Jayne: "Da*n straight."
Oh... okay, I'll try this. Lights never really work too well for me, but thanks for your tips, Angie!! It just might work...
__________________
Hannah | Gallery | Flickr | Blog
Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. -- Albert Einstein
So I was sitting in my living room this afternoon with all the lights off and the lights on the tree on. I was struck by how the lights were hitting a present we have for DD that is wrapped in silver paper.
(No one has Christmas lights around here so this was as close as I could get for this challenge.
__________________ ~Sharon~ I'm a Proud wife of my OIF III & OEF veteran! Mommy of two beautiful girls! Ages 17 years & 2 years! We *heart* adoption! My Crafting BlogOur Family/Adoption Blog
Here's a pic of a couple of our christmas tree lights. We use the G9 (I think that's what they're called) and they are like pearly globes. I love them. You can also see one of our hallmark ornaments there (veggies tales-I love the hallmark character ornaments) and also a glitter ball ornament that my kids made. I lightened this a bit, sharpened (I took it handheld at 1/40. I LOVE the IS on this lens) and then re-blurred the lights a bit since the sharpening made them look weird.
__________________ Wash: "A man walks down the street in that hat, people know he's not afraid of anything."
Jayne: "Da*n straight."
So I was sitting in my living room this afternoon with all the lights off and the lights on the tree on. I was struck by how the lights were hitting a present we have for DD that is wrapped in silver paper.
(No one has Christmas lights around here so this was as close as I could get for this challenge.
That looks so neat. I love the silver paper.
__________________ Wash: "A man walks down the street in that hat, people know he's not afraid of anything."
Jayne: "Da*n straight."
Here's a pic of a couple of our christmas tree lights. We use the G9 (I think that's what they're called) and they are like pearly globes. I love them. You can also see one of our hallmark ornaments there (veggies tales-I love the hallmark character ornaments) and also a glitter ball ornament that my kids made. I lightened this a bit, sharpened (I took it handheld at 1/40. I LOVE the IS on this lens) and then re-blurred the lights a bit since the sharpening made them look weird.
That looks awesome Gale! Love the veggie tales ornament!
__________________ ~Sharon~ I'm a Proud wife of my OIF III & OEF veteran! Mommy of two beautiful girls! Ages 17 years & 2 years! We *heart* adoption! My Crafting BlogOur Family/Adoption Blog
'Tis the season for brilliant and wonderful holiday light displays! They're on the tree, around houses, in windows, about yards, along the streets and in all the shops! We love looking at them and admiring how pretty they are but they are not the easiest to always capture with the camera. Especially because they are best filmed in dim to none extra light.
Here are a few helpful tips:
1. Secure the camera, either by using a tripod or by setting it on something solid and sturdy.
2. Turn off the flash.
3. Increase the ISO/film speed settings.
4. Try using your camera's timer setting.
5. Take lots of pictures!
Can't wait to see all of your holiday lights!
Happy Holidays to everyone!
First pic is of our Christmas tree, second pic is from Biltmore Village in Asheville, NC and the third is the Christmas tree at the Hampton Inn we stayed at.
I just took these last night, using a tripod, and every other light was off. The second one had my son, in the striped shirt, and his friend. I just love the 'glow' from the tree
I know this is cheating a bit, but these were taken one week ago while on holiday in Texas. It is way too cold here in Ontarion right now to be standing outside with a tripod and besides, at the moment it is too stormy. Photo one, a decorated bridge at the Schlitterbahn amusement park in New Braunfels. Number two, lights on the buildings at the same park. The third photo isn't really a Christmas light photo, but I just had to share it with you. De-icing our plane at Chicago Midway. So thankful for the men who brave the cold and wet to provide this necessary service to keep us all safe in the air.
I love that bridge shot the reflection looks great
Ok I'm new to this forum but I'll give it a try. We went to look at lights the other night and took this one. It was actually 2 pics and I merged them in pse. There's some blur in the middle. I just got this lens and am still getting used to it.
Photoshop elements has a photomerge feature but it really doesn't work for me most of the time. It's easier to just do it manually. Here's how I do it:
open both images in photoshop elements (or whatever-I have cs2 but prefer to use PSE most of the time)
note the size of each one including the dpi. Make a new file the same dpi and big enough to fit both images side by side (or top and bottom or however you want).
Drag both pictures onto the new canvas. Position them so that they make one pic. If they overlap you can lower the opacity of the top layer temporarily to make it easier to line them up. Then change the opacity back to 100%. If necessary you can use the eraser to clean up the top layer (like if they overlap a little bit off).
Flatten layers and save.
__________________ Wash: "A man walks down the street in that hat, people know he's not afraid of anything."
Jayne: "Da*n straight."
Very nice pics everyone....I will try and get out of my house and go shoot tonight if the wind will die down below hurricane force. My tripod broke last week and I haven't been to repair it (4 hour drive one way) so my shots will have to be hand held...thank goodness for in camera stabilazation.
__________________
c-mouse-If you can't say nuttin nice--don't say nuttin at all. Thumper.
Pansy
Card Sketch Challenge 1-168 done only 269 to go to be caught up!!!!!
-20 and sweating
100 cards/100 days 1/1/13 Go # ___100!______100 cards/100 days 5/6/13 Go # 10
I took these while I was in Georgia visiting my husband's family. I tried using an ornament to reflect the Christmas lights. I took one of my kids lighting a luminare and one of an outside tree.
Every year, one of my sisters sets up a miniature tree and puts her American Girl dolls around it. It's really cute! I took some pictures of them, because the way they were standing looked adorable.
In the ornament picture, the only problem is... it's a shiny ornament, so you can see my camera reflected in it! (I used a macro setting for that one)
I situated the doll in the other picture so that the light reflected off of her glasses. (I used a super-macro setting for that one)
__________________
Hannah | Gallery | Flickr | Blog
Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. -- Albert Einstein
I took these while I was in Georgia visiting my husband's family. I tried using an ornament to reflect the Christmas lights. I took one of my kids lighting a luminare and one of an outside tree.
How pretty!! Lights are so hard to get, aren't they? You did a great job!!!!!
__________________
Hannah | Gallery | Flickr | Blog
Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. -- Albert Einstein
Bonus Photo Challenge #2: Holiday Lights {12-20-08}
Now the third pic had a lot of background and ceiling lighting going on all around. Whereas the first pic of our tree was done only with the Christmas lights and a few candles lit. I don't know how yellow-y looking your pics are but generally Christmas lights seem to look best with that golden-yellow glow to them in pictures. Gives off the feel of the warmth to the season.
Here's to next year!
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