Mysterious Christmas Lights: How to Photograph Them Before They Disappear

by Miscelleana Rhinehart

Christmas lights are a beautiful part of Christmas. They seem to glow in the darkness as a reminder of the holiday coming. Certain designs of lights can take your breath away and cause you to pause and enjoy them a bit longer. Maybe even take a picture. But, taking pictures of Christmas lights isn’t easy, is it? They are just bright lights or blurry or cause a fuzzy strip of light. So, what’s the best way to photograph the magical and mysterious Christmas lights?

Here are some tips to take pictures of the house down the street or the building covered in lights in town for the photographer in you.

Before we begin, you should know that you don’t need a big, expensive, high-end, break-your-wallet camera to take great shots of Christmas lights. It’s all in the technique, and even a very inexpensive digital camera will work. No, you don’t even need a flash either. Just you, a camera, and the twilight.

Photo by karenwithak

Time of day: This is the most important part of taking Christmas lights pictures. Some photographers wait until it is too dark to shoot. If it is completely dark outside, then you will be either shooting the environment or the lights, not both, as only one at a time can be exposed correctly at that time. Of course, the problem with shooting during the day is the complete disappearance of lights, being not
visible at all.

So, the tip? Try to shoot when the ambient light and the Christmas lights find a balance.

Choose your location. Is it a neighbor’s house? The giant tree downtown? Choose which lights you want as your focal point, and set a day to go visit.

Get to your location early. Since you want to shoot before the light is completely gone, get there early to set up your shot. Around sunset should be enough time.

Photo by Sentrawoods

Compose your shot. Try to fill in the sky in the background as much as you can. Get down low if you need to. This will give your lights an environment to fill.

Set your white balance. By setting your camera’s white balance to “tungsten”, you will be able to see the lights as they shine crystal colored, depending on their color. The “tungsten” setting is used for shooting indoors without a flash, and being that the little lights are tungsten balanced, this setting will really make them pop against the twilight sky.

Steady your camera. Your camera needs to be steady as you take shots. Use a tripod or a beanbag, anything that will keep it steady. If you use a smartphone to take pictures, both hands please.

Wait. Now, you are ready for the time that the light changes. As the sun disappears, start taking pictures every minute. As the light will disappear quickly, take as many as you want. Don’t worry about checking each one, just start taking shots. You can easily delete the duds later.

Well, that’s it. Your tips to taking amazing Christmas lights shots. The shots may not be what you want the first couple times you try it, but practice will help you find the exact time to take the shots. The more you do it, the better the shots will come out until you have your own technique.

Get those Christmas lights in frame before they disappear into the day.

Miscelleana Rhinehart a lover of holidays is an avid candid photographer. From holidays to no reason at all, Ms. Rhinehart loves to break out her camera. As a writer, she loves to share her tips with an audience, hoping to give them one tip they can use. Currently she writes for a marketing company, helping to sell NY used cars to a wider audience with options like searching online classifieds.

Taking Fabulous Holiday Photos

by Olivia Nicholas

Whether you are a seasoned photographer or are just getting your start in the industry, it’s always good to get a fresh perspective on suggestions for new techniques, ideas and tips for your photos. I have always found that holiday photos are some of the most fun to take. Whether they are of a newly married couple or a family of six, there is something about families and the genuine love and camaraderie present in the atmosphere that makes taking holiday photos a complete and utter joy.



Norman Rockwell, revered by many as one of America’s most iconic painters, became famous not because he created anything extraordinary. Norman Rockwell gained the popularity that he did precisely because of how ordinary his work was. Similarly, in the photo industry, ordinary does not necessarily mean pedestrian. Ordinary means that you are able to capture a moment or a scene out of regular day to day life and you are able to do it so remarkably that people are able to instantly identify with and relate to it. That’s what makes a photo brilliant. Norman Rockwell did exactly that with his scenic paintings of everyday American life. But I digress.

Having said that, don’t underestimate the power of capturing a photo of your subjects while casually engaging in an activity together. Whether they are dressed in their Sunday best surrounding a table with a turkey in the middle for Thanksgiving or are playing baseball (it’s the all-American sport after all) clad in shorts and T-shirts, try to steal several candid shots of the family laughing with each other or smiling while having a casual conversation.

There are countless concepts which you can use for holiday photos. If you sense that the family is more adventurous and willing to be a little (or a lot) silly all in the name of fun, round up the gang and have them don costumes appropriate for the occasion! Who says that you have to wait until Halloween to dress up? Even a holiday like St. Patrick’s Day can be celebrated photo-wise. This is especially cute to try if there are babies or younger children in the family. Have everyone come to the studio dressed as leprechauns or if the family prefers, you can even shoot the photos in their home. The truth of the matter is you need not wait until the holidays roll around for the family to wear costumes! Celebrate the spirit of Christmas all year round by having different family members dress in their preferred Christmas costumes—whether as Santa Claus, the Christmas elves, Rudolph the red nosed reindeer or even Joseph, Jesus and Mary! The priceless moments captured on film are sure to be treasured for a lifetime.

Another piece of advice that I would like to share for holiday photos is to take advantage of your geographical setting. In photography, it is said that a good photographer knows no bad weather. This only means that you should be able to take full advantage of the situation no matter what cards nature deals you. If it’s raining outside, then take some photos of the family playing around in the rain, splashing in the puddles, and simply enjoying one another’s company. If there is a beach or a park in the vicinity, make use of those venues as well and have the family dress in the same colour or come as they are. Whatever they’re most comfortable with is best as it is difficult to get good or smiling photos of people who are unhappy where they are or with what they are wearing. Overall, get the family involved in thinking up ideas because after all, it is their family photo that they will be displaying in their living room so they need to be happy with the results. And whether they want to dress as superheroes or super villains, cooperate fully and stay professional. Don’t forget to have fun!

Olivia Nicholas is a mother, writer and designer who loves photography. She works with Storkie where she writes, engages with the party community, and occasionally helps inspire invitation designs.

Ways to Photograph the Holidays: Time to Be Creative

by Miscelleana Rhinehart

The holidays bring about so many opportunities and wonderful moments to photograph and keep forever with pictures. Whether Christmas, Hanukkah, Kawanzaa or any other winter holiday, finding creative ways to photograph can add different perspectives to the holiday photos. There is no need to have only posed pictures of your family and events. It’s time to get creative and change it up. So how do you do that?

Photo by Maniy

Change the composition

A lot of the time photographs are taken the same way, one by one, like when photographers place all of the focal points in the same center frame. Eventually you have the same picture compositions over and over. A face in the center with other faces. Always surrounding the center. But it’s time to be more creative with the shots and look for new and interesting camera angles and viewpoints. Try to put your subject off-center. Use left and right framing. Shoot from down low. You can even cut off half of the frame to make it interesting.

Get close

Some photographers keep a distance from the main part of the picture. It may be that they are trying to get the subject and everything around it, but that doesn’t automatically make for a good picture. It can cause the subject to look clustered around too many focal points or cluttered with color. The subject will also look more impressive as it takes up most of the frame if you zoom in. Don’t be afraid to zoom in. Get a smile, get a hug. Make the picture more personal.

Use flash outdoors

Most think that flash is only needed for indoor and night photography. It can be used creatively in bright sunny outdoor settings too. The bright flash in the day will fill in any shadows or will even out the harsh contrasts too. A bright overcast setting, believe it or not, is actually great if you are trying to take portraits. The soft and even light makes the photos look very natural.

Find Reflections

A very different way of photographing the holidays is to look for ways to capture reflections instead of the object itself. Oftentimes, splashes of color from holiday lights or other holiday decorations will make a reflection that is a great photo by itself. Reflections can be very artistic or add that extra unique touch to a photo.

Photo by Ashley Rose

Taking photographs for the holidays can be a lot of fun and very artistic. Any of these tips can help you find new ways to create holiday photographs to add to your collection. Have fun with what you are taking a picture of and think outside the frame. Literally.

Miscelleana Rhinehart a lover of holidays is an avid candid photographer. From holidays to no reason at all, Ms. Rhinehart loves to break out her camera. As a writer, she loves to share her tips with an audience, hoping to give them one tip they can use. Currently she writes for a marketing company, helping to sell NY Hyundai models to a wider audience with options like searching online classifieds.

Finding the Best Digital Camera Accessories to Improve your Photography Experience

by Steve John

Digital cameras became really handy and very essential, especially to the important moments with your family and loved ones. Buying them can be a really hard task for everyone, especially to the beginners who do not have enough knowledge about digital cameras. Aside from buying the camera itself, you must also be aware that there are other accessories that you can place on the camera to make the photo shooting experience more exciting and fun.

Find the perfect bag

The first thing that you can consider is the camera bag. Basically, this is very important if you have a digital camera. It can be considered one of your most prized possessions because the cost of a digital camera is really expensive. A camera bag can be used to store all the things that you need if you want to take pictures. You can place everything there and carry it wherever you want. You can be sure that the camera and all the things inside will be safe, stored and protected at all times. If you are worrying about the price, it is really inexpensive. It is one of the most important but also one of the cheapest accessories that you can buy for your camera.

You need the best accessories

Another one is the camera tripod. Some people do not bother to make use of camera tripods, but it is really handy for people who want to take stable shots. It can help reduce the camera shakes providing a clear and high quality picture. It can also allow you to take shots from different angles. Another good thing about this is that no one is left behind when taking pictures. You can set the timer before the shot goes and you can also pose together with your family and friends. It is also not too troublesome when taking it with you because most of the tripods can be folded.

The memory card is also one of the most important accessories of a digital camera. It is the hardware that stores all the image data that you caught with the use of the camera. All the photos that you took are stored inside. You must remember that memory cards also have limits. If you want to take more pictures, you also need to have a higher size memory card. Memory cards with higher capacity can allow you to take more pictures.

Which batteries?

Next are battery chargers. Digital cameras operate through batteries unlike other traditional cameras so if you want your photography experience to last longer, it is best if you have battery chargers. If you have some extra batteries, you can charge the others while you are using the extras. This way, you can continue taking pictures without worrying about the battery.

Steve John is a writer and photography enthusiast who writes for a number of blogs in the UK and beyond.

Don’t Send a Normal Christmas Card: Creative Photography Ideas for the Holidays

by Miscelleana Rhinehart

Oh, the dreaded Christmas photo. The one where the whole family gets together: parents, kids and even the pet goldfish, Rex. Trying to get the kids to stand here or there, holding this or looking there. Never the easiest time of year for most. There are fast ways to do this, and there are creative ways to do this, but they don’t always work together easily. How about this year, instead of standing in a group and saying cheese as you run back to make it in time before the camera snaps a picture, let’s add some pizzazz.

Props, Pets and Costumes

Spice up your pictures. Sure, use pumpkin spice if you want, but it is time to bring new elements into the photo.

Photo by K9 Playgroups

First, props are always a good way to add the Christmas feel into the picture. Maybe you had a lot of snow this year and are going to take the family picture with the newly built snowman outside. Maybe you visited the dollar store and found some giant candy canes for everyone to hold, lean on, or pretend to poke each other with. Get creative and take wrapping paper and make piles and piles of it for everyone to sit in the middle of. Use over-sized bows or boxes. Anything that makes the pictures stand out from other years.

Another fun prop picture is to have the kids spell out something to do with Christmas. If you have three kids, paint a box, paper, anything, with the letters J. O. Y. then have them stand there with the cards in front of a chosen, Christmas-y background. This could make them the card instead of being just the picture in the card.

Second, include your pets. Yes, that includes Rex the goldfish. Playing with the family pets can make a good picture of fun and unpredictable play between kids and the family. If your kids are playing with the family dog in the snow, take a bunch of pictures. You don’t know which candid shot will come out to be the one you may send in your cards.

Third, costumes anyone? Dress the kids up as elves or as Santa Claus. Paint their noses red and give them some antlers. Some kids will have a blast with this, and others may not, so don’t forget to do it too. If you have a big red nose, maybe they won’t feel like the odd ones out. Dress up and make the final photo shoot fun for all.

Photo by CurlyQT

There’s no reason why taking pictures with the kids can’t be as fun as Christmas. Ask them what they want to do for the picture too. You may be surprised at their ideas. Don’t limit yourself to the house either. Go outside. Go to the mall. Get in the car and go for a drive. Whatever you do, enjoy the time you spend together while making another memory together to share.

Miscelleana Rhinehart, a lover of holidays, is an avid candid photographer. From holidays to no reason at all, Ms. Rhinehart loves to break out her camera. As a writer, she loves to share her tips with an audience, hoping to give them one tip they can use. Currently she writes for a marketing company, helping to sell NY Mazda cars to a wider audience with options like searching online classifieds.

7 Examples of Tilt-Shift Photography

Post by David James

The art of tilt-shift photography is quite a skill. When done right, the real-life scene captured is given the appearance of being miniaturised, as if tiny models have been photographed. The 'tilt' and the 'shift' are literally two different types of movement used in the capturing of a single image to create the effect. It results in what is often called a 'selective focus', which emphasises certain parts of an image while drawing attention away from the others. It is this that gives the impression of looking at a photograph of miniature models.

Below is a selection of photographs that employ this exact technique to great effect.



Taken at Gatwick airport this example of tilt-shift is a classic. The high and distant perspective really strengthens the effect and makes all the planes look like miniature replicas. Superb work.


Cityscape shots also lend themselves really well to the technique as this example illustrates, the Old Town Hall in Munich getting the tilt-shift treatment. Looks like you could pick it up between your finger and thumb.


Ole! Mini-Matador vs. mini-bull. This image was taken as a normal photograph and then given a tilt-shift makeover in Photoshop. It is particularly effective, really isolating the figures and the action to emphasise the miniaturisation.


This photograph taken in the Capital of Finland, Helsinki is another Photoshop tilt-shift. Looking down on the street and using the selective focus to draw the viewer into the pedestrians and the blue car works particularly well. The sensation of looking at tiny models is particularly pronounced on the right side of the image.


Even without masses going on in images, the discipline of tilt-shift photography can still be effective. This architectural variation sees the focus skim along the line of the arches, conjuring the sense of tiny and making them appear as though train set scenery. Marvellous.


Oh, the irony of making basketball players appear minute. There are a number of good examples of tilt-shifting at sports events. There is something about the arena setting that reinforces the effect.


Thought we'd finish with a classic and go for some tiny trains. Ok, technically they're trams. Focusing on a subject that is well known for being made into models is a good method of maximising your tilt-shift work. There is something about the familiarity that creates more impact when viewing the image. These trams were photographed in Tokyo on the Toden Arakawa Line.

If you've been inspired by this collection of images, and are tempted to give tilt-shifting a go, there are plenty of resources out there for setting you on your way. Have fun, experiment with it and see what you can create, happy shooting.

David James researches and writes about creativity and design for the quirky Christmas gifts retailer Find Me A Gift.

5 Mistakes Made By New Photographers

by Denis

One of the thrills of photography is the ability to take as many photos and shots as you wish without having to worry of the cost. Even so, it is still very frustrating if you have to delete loads of the shots that you have taken because they are not the quality that you wanted. How do you ensure you get the perfect shot the very first time? Here are some of the most common newbie mistakes to avoid in photography.

Ensure the camera remains at the same level throughout
What can be more annoying than getting home only to discover that all the shots are 'wonky'? Although you may be able to adjust the horizons using image-editing software later on, wouldn’t it be better to avoid wasting time by avoiding the mistake in the first place? The easiest way you can ensure everything remains straight right from the start is to make use of the sides and tops of the AF points in the viewfinder as your main references when lining up images to ensure the horizon remains straight all throughout.

Photo by Gary Hayes

Eliminate the distracting clutter
Before clicking the shutter, always ensure that the image is free of any distracting clutter. It isn’t uncommon to get distracted by the charm of a landscape only to miss out on an important element in the shot that you are about to take. Take several minutes to study the background of your shots to ensure everything is intact.

Avoid capturing all in a single shot
This is a very common newbie mistake – trying to capture everything that comes before your eyes in a single shot. If you are not careful, it may lead to messy photos with no real or identifiable focus for your viewer. The best course of action would be to try and search for that single person or interesting part in your shot, zoom in on it and focus entirely on it. You would rather end up with a single quality photograph than thousands of cluttered and messy photographs.

Make use of a tripod when taking long shots
Regardless of how steady your hands and how accurate your site is, you are likely to end up with terrible camera shakes anytime your shutter speed is slower than 1/60th of a second. What this means is that if you plan on taking landscape shots or shots of running water, you should invest in a tripod, or at least a pod.

Do not forget the eyes when taking photos
A good photograph will have pin-sharp eyes. Certainly, the aperture that you end up using will significantly affect the clarity and sharpness of the image, depending on its depth. This is when you may need to manually select your focus to ensure eye sharpness.

Just as an additional tip, you need to pay close attention to the sun when taking photographs. Unless you want to take thousands of silhouette images, it is always very easy to make shots when the sun is directly behind you. Following this simple rule will ensure you come up with well-exposed images. In photography, they say you are as good as your last photograph, ensure your last photograph speaks volume of your photography skills, even if you are just getting started.

Besides sharing his love for photography, Denis works for the marketing department of Click Discounts UK where you can get some interesting deals in order to allow you to save money.