More Fun with Christmas Lights

How to make your Christmas lights twinkle like this:

 

Set your camera on a steady surface, preferably a tri-pod.

Put your camera on Manual Mode

Set your ISO to 200

Set your Shutter Speed to 10 seconds  (looks like 10")

Set your aperture to f22

Turn your camera's timer on

Focus on your tree and hit the shutter button to take the picture.

Don't move the camera or tri-pod.

This exposure takes 10 seconds.

To get more of a golden glow, turn up your ISO to 600 or 1000, etc.

How to make your Christmas Tree Look like THIS:

Using the same settings above (tri-pod, f 22, 10 second exposure, ISO 500ish)

Zoom In close to your tree.

Hit the shutter button to take the picture AND

Slowly and very gently zoom your lens out all the way during exposure.

And This!

Again, using the same settings as above, move your tri-pod closer to your tree so that you only see a small section of it through the viewfinder.

Hit the shutter button and slowly rotate the whole camera from horizontal to vertical.

(on my tri-pod I have to hold in a button to allow the camera rest to move from landscape to portrait)

And This...

Using the same settings above (tri-pod, f 22, 10 second exposure, ISO 500ish)

Move close to your tree.

Zoom In and get a small section.

Hit the shutter button to take the picture AND

Slowly and very gently zoom your lens out all the way during exposure.

Have Fun!!!

Let me know if you try it.

Jodie

Classes in Tennessee

Now Teaching Classes in Mt. Juliet Tennessee  A subburb of Nashville

I am teaching one on one photography classes weekly.  Classes are $20 per lesson.  Each lesson is 2 hours and is hands-on.  Call me to set up a lesson:  812-480-5253

If a classroom environment is more to your liking, I teach at The Scrap Room in Mt Juliet.

141 Adams Lane, Suite 21, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122

615-758-9596 / thescraproomtn@yahoo.com

The next scheduled class will be 4 hour workshop Saturday January 26th from 11-3:30.  $50

Call to register. Space is limited.

We learn to take the camera out of Auto Mode by exploring all of the creative modes.  Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual Mode.

Class Outline:

Lesson 1: Navigate the buttons and dials on your camera while learning Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO and Focus and Depth of Field.

Lesson 2: Learn about metering, focus modes, seeing the light, using flash and white balance.

Lesson 3: Putting it all together. We will discuss composition and the right camera settings for a variety of situations like sports, landscapes and portraits.

This class is designed for, but not limited to the DSLR camera owner. All makes, models and cameras types welcome! 

Christmas Shaped Bokeh

Bokeh: the out of focus area of an image

How it's done:

•Focus on something close

•Place your homemade filter in front of the lens

•Snap your picture.

To make a filter:

Fold a recipe card in half. 

Cut or punch a shape out of the center.  

Unfold.

Settings:

Night portrait mode (flash + long exposure)

The flash illuminates your close subject and the slow shutter speed allows the camera to capture the light in the background.

ISO 400

1/15 second

f5.6