The holidays are such a beautiful time of year! We just love the gorgeous decorations and the twinkling white and colored lights and everything else that makes Christmas so magical. Capturing beautiful photos of all the lights can be a challenge so today we wanted to share with you a few tips for taking awesome photos of Christmas lights.
Whether you are in your town photographing beautiful holiday scenes around the city or simply capturing photos of your very own Christmas tree or house, we hope these tips help you capture beautiful ones! We hope each of you have a very happy holiday and be sure to share with us all your wonderful photos you take of beautiful Christmas lights.
Photo credit: Huffington Post
Timing
If you are photographing Christmas lights outside, be sure you do not wait until it is too dark. You want to make sure you find that perfect balance where the ambient light and and the Christmas lights balance themselves nicely. If you take your photos when it is completely dark outside, you will still be able to see the lights but the rest of the scene will be too dark to see clearly.
If you are photographing lights indoors, try to dim the lights a bit so that the holiday lights stand out a bit more.
Shutter Speed
Since it will be pretty dark when you are taking the photos, a slower shutter speed at around 1/4 second to 2 seconds or more will be needed.
Be Steady
Because your shutter speed will be at a slower setting, your photos will more easily become blurred. It is important to use a tripod, or you must have a very still hand, to make sure that your photos come out clear.
Photo credit: Americanholidaylights.com
Use Lower ISO Settings
It is most preferable to use lower ISO settings that are around ISO 100 or 200 for better picture quality. You will find that most cameras will begin to show digital "noise" and a decrease in color brightness if the ISO setting gets around 400 or above.
Turn Off The Flash
Be sure to turn off your flash when you are taking photos of outdoor lights. If you are very close to the lights that you are photographing, it will most likely wash them out.
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