Originally Posted by vievetrick
(snip) So if anyone else has good advise on getting Holiday lights pictures please post them here.
Photographing Christmas and Holiday lighting isn't all that difficult, Pat. The strobist article linked to covers the basics (tripod, timing, tungsten, etc), but no need for the total emphasis on early evening (dusk) alone since such lighting can be photographed very successfully at other times as well. And you can get decent shots without a tripod if the lighting is bright enough (a city street with lots of lights, for example), but a tripod is almost a necessity otherwise.
In the end, Christmas lighting, from the camera's perspective, isn't all that different from any other lighting at night (street lights, store windows, etc), meaning pretty much all the same techniques apply. When it comes to exposure, meter on whatever you want to emphasize (the lights, the people, etc) and bracket.
If you want to include people as subjects in the images, using slow sync or not, remember the Christmas lights are often the main light source, so make sure that light falls on your subject well. For example, pay attention to where shadows might fall and don't have your subject's face in those shadows without something else (more lights, your flash, etc) to fill in those shadows. Again, bracketing is a useful tool.
There really isn't much else to say. I can't offer exact exposure settings since each situation is different. Ultimately, it's up to you. Find a scene, photograph it, study the image, and be prepared to reshoot with different settings until you have exactly the results you want. Of course, if you live in a cooler climate, dress warmly because you may be out for some time.
stewart
