Photographing Christmas lights at night
Dec 4, 2015 11:26:56 #
gvarner
Loc: Central Oregon Coast
Looking for advise. It's so easy to get the lights overexposed. Need advise on settings to start from, maybe some example pics. Is dusk better than after dark? A big problem is wind outdoors, can't see a solution to that other than no breezes. My biggest problem is glare from the lights, reduces apparent sharpness. Your thoughts and examples would be appreciated. Thanks.
Dec 4, 2015 11:32:09 #
gvarner wrote:
Looking for advise. It's so easy to get the lights overexposed. Need advise on settings to start from, maybe some example pics. Is dusk better than after dark? A big problem is wind outdoors, can't see a solution to that other than no breezes. My biggest problem is glare from the lights, reduces apparent sharpness. Your thoughts and examples would be appreciated. Thanks.
Use the search function at the top of the page to find discussions on this subject.
Dec 4, 2015 11:34:22 #
gvarner wrote:
Looking for advise. It's so easy to get the lights overexposed. Need advise on settings to start from, maybe some example pics. Is dusk better than after dark? A big problem is wind outdoors, can't see a solution to that other than no breezes. My biggest problem is glare from the lights, reduces apparent sharpness. Your thoughts and examples would be appreciated. Thanks.
Read these tips:
http://www.wikihow.com/Photograph-Christmas-Lights
Dec 4, 2015 11:39:25 #
Old Timer
Loc: Greenfield, In.
A good time I have found is just after sunset, About half dark is good I have found. I like to use a tripod and shoot in manual so I can control the the settings. Light is changing fast at that time of day so your settings have to be adjusted accordingly. If you want to take a pic of some one and the lights in the back ground you can use your flash. Get out in the evening and play around and you should get good results with a little practice. You will probably have to focus on a light or bunch of lights to get your focus.
Dec 4, 2015 11:58:47 #
Besides the dusk-to-night issue, camera settings will also vary by how many lights are in your composition and how bright they are. Bracketing would be a good idea.
Be sure to try some close-ups; those shots are often more interesting than trying to get an entire display that ends up including house and driveway and has no strong focal point.
Even do some deliberately out of focus close-ups to get just circles of color or take the camera off the tripod, use slow shutter speed and move deliberately!
Do a Google image search for "Christmas lights" for some great ideas. Think about the feelings (warm, happy, family, color, energy, pretty) rather than the literal "a house with lights."
Be sure to try some close-ups; those shots are often more interesting than trying to get an entire display that ends up including house and driveway and has no strong focal point.
Even do some deliberately out of focus close-ups to get just circles of color or take the camera off the tripod, use slow shutter speed and move deliberately!
Do a Google image search for "Christmas lights" for some great ideas. Think about the feelings (warm, happy, family, color, energy, pretty) rather than the literal "a house with lights."
Dec 5, 2015 07:44:06 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
ephraim Imperio wrote:
:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
Dec 5, 2015 07:44:40 #
http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/how-to-take-better-photos-of-christmas-lights
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/12/how-to-photograph-christmas-lights.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Photograph-Christmas-Lights
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2013/12/13/how-to-photograph-christmas-lights-the-best-camera-settings-to-use-free-cheat-sheet/
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/12/how-to-photograph-christmas-lights.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Photograph-Christmas-Lights
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2013/12/13/how-to-photograph-christmas-lights-the-best-camera-settings-to-use-free-cheat-sheet/
Dec 5, 2015 08:25:28 #
gvarner wrote:
Looking for advise. It's so easy to get the lights overexposed. Need advise on settings to start from, maybe some example pics. Is dusk better than after dark? A big problem is wind outdoors, can't see a solution to that other than no breezes. My biggest problem is glare from the lights, reduces apparent sharpness. Your thoughts and examples would be appreciated. Thanks.
I shoot at an EV between 8 and 9. For example, 1/6 sec, f/7.1, ISO 800 is EV 8.33.
Dec 5, 2015 08:49:22 #
Mac wrote:
Use the search function at the top of the page to find discussions on this subject.
Or go to youtube.
Dec 5, 2015 09:02:41 #
[quote=gvarner]I always drop the EV (exposure value) by -2 EV. Even pocket cameras has this feature. The camera exposes the the darkness around the lights and the lights are over exposed. Try minus 2. David
Dec 5, 2015 09:12:58 #
jcboy3 wrote:
I shoot at an EV between 8 and 9. For example, 1/6 sec, f/7.1, ISO 800 is EV 8.33.
That's a good starting point. It's only one stop brighter than the standard recommendation for film here. They suggest between 4 and 5 at ISO 100, which translates to between 7 and 8 at ISO 800.
It's easy to accommodate a one stop deviation in post processing if you work with the raw file.
Dec 5, 2015 10:01:50 #
gvarner wrote:
Looking for advise. It's so easy to get the lights overexposed. Need advise on settings to start from, maybe some example pics. Is dusk better than after dark? A big problem is wind outdoors, can't see a solution to that other than no breezes. My biggest problem is glare from the lights, reduces apparent sharpness. Your thoughts and examples would be appreciated. Thanks.
Actually it's Venus, but it was perfectly placed back in 2013 to stand in for the star...
Dec 5, 2015 10:38:38 #
gvarner wrote:
Looking for advise. It's so easy to get the lights overexposed. Need advise on settings to start from, maybe some example pics. Is dusk better than after dark? A big problem is wind outdoors, can't see a solution to that other than no breezes. My biggest problem is glare from the lights, reduces apparent sharpness. Your thoughts and examples would be appreciated. Thanks.
Good tips here that I will be trying out this season:
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2015/11/21/how-to-photograph-christmas-lights-best-camera-settings-to-use-free-cheat-sheet/?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=13421&utm_term=6723601&utm_content=219397
Dec 5, 2015 12:26:21 #
tjphxaz wrote:
I shot this photo just before 6 p.m., well after sunset, with camera on a tripod, Manual ("M" ) setting, f/8, 2.0 seconds, ISO 100, cable release. I don't recall how I arrived at the exposure time. I do know I shot various exposures between 1 and 3 seconds, all at f/8, ISO 100. I always shoot in RAW (NEF for Nikon ), but I think I just did a conversion from RAW to JPEG, using ViewNX2 to do the conversion. Lens was a 24-70 zoom, at 38 mm.
I did try using Aperture Preferred ("A" ), but it came out very over-exposed and that's when I switched to "M".
Dec 5, 2015 14:41:01 #
bdo wrote:
I shot this photo just before 6 p.m., well after s... (show quote)
Beautiful color. :thumbup:
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