Explosive Lights For The Holidays
Christmas lights are great subjects to explore using a slow shutter speed and twisting and turning the camera and focal length to create some very explosive colors of the holiday season.
(ISO 100. Manual: 1/4 sec. at f/4)
Every year we all see the same old photographs of the Christmas tree. While there is nothing wrong with that, it's the time of year to get creative and show those lights and all that hard work of putting up thousands of lights in a whole new way. After you photograph the tree to document your crowning achievement, it's time to go to work and create some masterpieces. The trick is to use a very slow shutter speed that when combined with motion that you create by rotating, swinging, zooming and even using a combination of those movements, you can create some very unique images that even Monet would be proud of.
Getting your camera to a slow shutter speed is the key. By selecting a low ISO and since most likely you will be working on your masterpieces in a room only lit by the lights of the tree, only thing to do is to throw your camera into manual mode to really start getting creative. I usually start out at f/4 (since we are not dealing with any depth of field here, only light) and a shutter speed of around a 1/5 of a second I begin "playing' with the lights.
Moving my camera in all kinds of motions is the fun part since you can do this a hundred times and each time the end result will be completely different. Move your camera slow, fast, in circles, semi-circles, up and down, side to side, zooming in and out... the possibilities are endless. Checking your work as you go is critical to make any fine adjustments such as slowing the shutter speed down even further, or perhaps speeding it up to create even different effects. You may even want to throw your lens into manual focusing and blur out the lights to create an even more wild look. Here are just some more examples I came up with in a short time:
When setting your camera to use a slow shutter speed, you can "move"
the camera while the shutter is open to make the lights "dance".
(ISO 100. Manual: .3 sec. at f/4)
Not only are horizontal images great, but don't forget to go vertical
and paint the light from top to bottom.
(ISO 100. Manual: .3 sec. at f/4)
There is no right or wrong way to create your masterpiece for each time
you move your camera in different directions you end up with totally different results.
(ISO 100. Manual: .3 sec. at f/4)
You will quickly realize that how fast you move your camera will also
totally affect the outcome of your images.
(ISO 100. Manual: 1/5 sec. at f/4)
Changing your shutter speed also affects the intensity of the lights
and just how fast (or slow) you move is up to you.
(ISO 100. Manual: 1/5 sec. at f/4)
Don't be afraid to try different movements with your camera. Also explore different areas
of the tree as each area can and will produce totally different results as well.
(ISO 100. Manual: .3 sec. at f/4)
Switching off my lenses auto focus and manually focusing so all the light are completely
blurry totally changes the effects you can create for a whole new set of create ideas.
(ISO 100. Manual: 1/5 sec. at f/4)
Try also some zooming of your lens to add a different layer to your
creations while you are twisting and turning your camera.
(ISO 100. Manual: 1/5 sec. at f/4)
In the end, the great thing is that you can really experiment with this technique and create some very
unusual pieces of abstract art that you can have printed on canvas for a great conversation piece.
(ISO 100. Manual: 1/5 sec. at f/4)
Remember, there is no right way or wrong way to do these simple, yet creative images. The end result is completely up to you and you will certainly have some fun learning about slow shutter speeds and how by just changing your settings can affect the outcome. So before you pack up that Christmas tree this year be sure to spend some time exploring those lights using a slow shutter speed and letting your creativity shine!
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