Shooting Christmas Lights outside Helpful info - Page 2

vievetrick · 12-01-2007, 08:27 AM

So the stroll was last night. Ever have a time where you just where not feeling it. Well, that was last night. I did take some shots but it was a stroll and that meant a long walk and not much time to shoot. I got maybe 2 or 3 shots that are okay. This one is one of the ones I like. I have a strong feeling not many others will but I do. It shows the part of the crowd and some of the lights in the back. Actually the more I look the more I find I like

. The plan is to get out with the tripod tonight and shot the lights around town without the couple hundred people around and the ability to stop and take my time. Stay tuned. Others please feel free to add you holiday lights to the thread and helpful hints along the way.

Photo Tramp · 12-01-2007, 08:42 AM

Good shot Pat.
I remember this part of town well. I think your right. Take the tripod and work with out the crowd. Ginger and I will be leaving for Longwood around 2pm this afternoon. I really want to get some of the fountain displays. Ginger wants to go for the organ music and some of the new plant displays in the conservatory. I can't say much for the organ music (Christmas Music BAH HUMBUG)

But I hope the outdoor lighting displays will be good shots. I'll post what I got tomorrow afternoon.
Good luck tonight.

zenimagery · 12-01-2007, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by fletcherkane

I think that slow sync flash refers to a (usually) outdoor photo at night.
On a long exposure, a short low power flash burst fires at the beginning of the exposure to light the faces/bodies of people in the foreground, and then the shutter remains open to properly expose the rest of the dark scene.
My K100D has an automatic slow sync setting somewhere in the menus...

ya it comes in very useful when you don't want your object to be bright at the same time having your background pure dark ...... can you find that menu? because i checked the manual and it says to have the shutter lower than 1/180 and then it doesn't really say anything else, i searched the menu and couldnt find anything. it's strange too, because my little canon a630 has it, and it'll be sad if i couldnt do that with my pentax :P

vievetrick · 12-01-2007, 01:39 PM

Dave good luck as well. Are you saying you have been to Easthampton? Forgive the slipping memory

It will be dark soon but it is also freezing out so I suspect a short trip tonight

Photo Tramp · 12-01-2007, 08:18 PM

I sure have been to East Hampton Pat. Delivered to your local Wal-Mart a few times and have driven through at other times to make deliveries.
Well I'll post the ones That turned out fairly well tomorrow, but I think I need a lot more pratcice.
Didn't have much luck tonight. There are some shots Ginger took with the DL inside that came out nice but the Lights shots were just too blurry. The 3 point AF just doesn't do it.

Photo Tramp · 12-02-2007, 06:21 AM

OK Pat time to show.

Like I said I need practice. Here are some of the Christmas lights from Longwood, I didn't do this beautiful place justice and I'm sorry. But here goes.

First shot.

Second shot.

Third shot.

Last Shot.

like I said I need some more practice and by the time the season is over I may get it right.

vievetrick · 12-02-2007, 07:15 AM

I am wondering do you mean the Walmart in Northampton. We don't have Wal-Mart here in town but you may well, could have driven threw to get there. Anyway I did get out and will post a couple here and may start a thread in the post your shots section to get some reviews. First, holy cow was it cold last night. Not sure what I was thinking getting out there with a nasty wind and below freezing weather. But I did for about 45 minutes at a couple of spots in town.

This one was shot for a couple of reasons. One I helped put up the tree with our local Chamber of Commerce gang. Two it spotlights Mt. Tom in the background. I shot just after sunset and used a tripod and remote shutter release for all the shots.

This one was on the corner of Cottage and Union Street with the K10 - 16-45, Raw and cropped to remove street and cloned out some power lines.

Exposure Time 0.7 sec
F-Number F4
Exposure Program Aperture priority
ISO Speed Ratings 100
Metering Mode Center weighted average
Flash No flash fired, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length 16.0 mm

This is the fountain that is the spot light in the center of town at the rotary. Shot this with the 77 LTM litteraly guessing on exposure in Bulb after some trial and error.

Exposure Time 9.84 sec
F-Number F16
ISO Speed Ratings 100
Exposure Bias Value 0
Metering Mode Center weighted average
Flash No flash fired, compulsory flash mode
Focal Length 77.0 mm

I plan on heading back out when the snow falls. That could be tonight.

Here is a link to a couple others as well as these Christmas Lights in Town (4 images)

Photo Tramp · 12-02-2007, 08:19 AM

It was the Northampton WalMart but I had to drive through Easthampton to get there. It's a nice town and the people and the cops were friendly. (everyone told me where to go)

Some good shots Pat. I wish there was a way to get clear shots of the lights but like yours this type of lighting makes the subject seem blurred. And by the way the cold is good for ya.

It was cold here too but having good thermal undies on and Carhartt coat on did the trick for me. (I'm use to being out in freezing temp and I always swear by Carhartt.) My wife on the other hand froze her ..... Well lets just say she had places to hang decorations.

Jodokast96 · 12-02-2007, 10:59 AM

Here's one I just finished working on for a neighbor. First attempt at this, and this was the best shot of the bunch. Not the greatest, but ok I guess.

vievetrick · 12-02-2007, 11:54 AM

I think it looks great! I bet they will be thrilled. Don't forget most of us are, our worst critics.

BrianK · 12-02-2007, 11:56 AM

Your shot is great. I just started playing around with the light shoots and I have found, as others mentioned, that the led lights give strange effects to images.

What do you set the white balance to when trying to shoot Christmas lights. My area has Sodium street lights so I tried Tungsten setting but you get a very strange look to the led lights as this image.

Excuse the focus problems.

Jodokast96 · 12-02-2007, 01:52 PM

In my case, I too used the Tungsten setting. However the Sodium streetlight was about 90 degrees and 20 feet away to my left, so it really didn't light up their house any. I'd guess a custom WB would be needed here, but I'm still a learning noob.

*LeoTaylor* · 12-02-2007, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by vievetrick

Are you saying you have been to Easthampton?

I too have been to Eastampton MA awhile back, you are just west of Mt Tom. I live about 90 miles south near the start of I-91.

Bet you didn't know your town was so popular.

We visit in Northampton each year.

My wife and I are planning to spend some time photographing Holiday lights with our Pentaxs.

What is the walk with glow rings about?

vievetrick · 12-03-2007, 06:54 AM

I am a little shocked about my little town being recognized, far and wide.

Brian tried tungsten as well and it worked okay but auto was okay as well. You can always shoot RAW then tweak after to what looks best.

Leo - This was our annual Holiday stroll a walk threw town singing xmas carols and then we have a visit from Santa and light the trees in the center of town. They give out the glow necklaces for free

Thanks for the comments as well.

*Canada_Rockies* · 12-04-2007, 07:02 PM

My neighbour has put up a full set of lights already this year. The street lighting is sodium, so the WB was a bit strange. I left the camera on AWB and set the white balance in PS Lightroom with the eye dropper on the window frames, which are white.

I put up 3 shots, 1 stop apart, all taken with the DA* 16-50 wide open, in a very light drizzle (might as well take advantage of the weatherproofing ...), they were taken at 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 seconds using auto bracket. I used spot metering on the siding of the house, and bracketed 5 stops from -2 to +2 using the K10D's autobracketing.