Castle Photo

Have you ever dreamed of getting that perfect shot of your Christmas tree or home holiday lighting but found the results to be less than festive? Let us share a few tips to help you create that postcard-perfect picture to remind you of the remarkable lighting that graced your home this holiday season.
Covet the Clouds: An overcast or cloudy day can be the perfect time to photograph your outdoor holiday lights. If possible, wait until late in the afternoon or during dusk to take the photographs. Your holiday lights won’t need to compete with bright daylight, allowing them to show the warm tones and sparkle of the hundreds of tiny lamps adorning your roof lining.
Take Your Tripod: Regardless of whether you’re using a DSLR or a compact point-and-shoot camera, having a tripod will greatly assist in capturing the essence of your lights. This will help eliminate image shake, which will be especially important when shooting in low-light settings such as this one.
Be Aware of Ambient Light: Consider which light sources you have in the room and make sure that the ambient light doesn’t overpower the holiday lighting. Try a few pictures keeping a lamp light or two illuminated to see how it affects the overall image. Also consider keeping your flash off to retain the warmer tones in the room.
Adjust Your Angle: Try shooting from a number of different positions in the room. Instead of simply photographing the Christmas tree by simply shooting it in the middle of the frame, consider framing the shot where the tree is off to one side and includes the fireplace, a reading chair or some other point of interest. The tree will still be a focal point but will be showcased in a more interesting manner than a traditional head-on shot.
Play with White Balance Settings: On your camera, your white balance setting (WB) is designed to help you capture an accurate ‘white’ in your image. However, a number of things can influence the ‘true white,’ leaving the color to be more orange or blue depending upon the situation. If you’re shooting indoors and find your images are too orange, consider changing your white balance setting to ‘tungsten.’ The term ‘tungsten’ simply refers to lighting from artificial sources such as standard room lamps or overhead lighting. If you’re shooting outdoors, consider waiting until just past sunset and changing your white balance settings to ‘outdoor.’ You will still have some colorful ambient light but it will enhance, not compete, with your outdoor holiday lighting.