This time of year is so festive, with people buzzing around everywhere and thousands of Christmas decorations turning less than fabulous landscapes into something truly magical. With the big day drawing near, some of you may be out touring the Christmas lights, hoping to get a few good shots to share with your friends and family. As with every type of photography, we encourage you to get out there and shoot! But we wouldn’t send you out there on your way without a few tips, would we?

 

 

On the 11th day of CHRISTmas…..Santa Came to Town…
Photo by Daniel Y. Go

 

The biggest problem with shooting Christmas lights is the stark difference between the lights and the background. This is especially prominent if you wait until after dark to start shooting, which most people do as that’s when they’re out looking at the lights. On the other hand, shooting Christmas lights in the middle of the day is equally fruitless as you can’t see any of the lights against the midday sky! So what to do?

Well, we’ve talked about the golden hour quite a bit here…and this tip is actually a variation on that principle. You need to find the “golden hour of Christmas light photography” to get an effective balance between what is left of the natural light outside and the lit up Christmas displays. The key to success here is to start shooting before the light of the day is completely gone, but also before it is completely dark. There’s probably only a ten minute window of time to capture your shots before the light changes from ambient to dark so here’s our top photography tips for Christmas lights.

Plan your shoot.

 

 

Let there be light on a Sunday Christmas Morning
Photo by Mark Carline

 

As you are out and about getting the Christmas shopping done, scope out the best spots for lights. This might be your enthusiastically festive neighbours house, the town lights, or a special Christmas display. Some cities even set up a Christmas lights tour, giving residents information on the best places to see light displays and also schedules of when the lights will be on. Always check that the lights will be on when you plan to shoot. You may need to ask for them to be switched on a bit early. If you’ve got a few places in mind, you’ll need to plan to shoot them on different days as this technique works best when you can relax and take in the environment as the light fades.

Get there early.

Once you’ve got a photo spot in mind, get there nice and early, well before the time the sun is due to set. Plan to arrive before sunset so you can be ready before the good light happens.

Set Up and Compose.

First, compose your shot to include a good balance between light and sky. The point here is to be sure that you can see some of the leftover daylight and that you get plenty of Christmas lights in your shot. Use all of the things you’ve learned about composition, but also don’t be afraid to bend the rules a bit as this isn’t your “traditional” night photography.

 

 

Light Extravaganza to Greet 2008
Photo by Ivan Makarov

 

As with most evening shots, you are probably better off using a tripod, if you have one. If not, find a steady spot to prop the camera so that you can avoid the dreaded camera shake. If you’re shooting handheld with an iPhone, be sure to hold the phone steady with both hands and keep your elbows tucked into your body.

If you’re shooting with a digital camera, you can handle some of the white balance issues you may encounter by setting your camera’s white balance to Tungsten. If you’re shooting with your iPhone, try using a few different shooting apps – there are apps out there on the market that also have white balance adjustments. The ProCamera app is a good place to start.

Shoot continuously.

Begin shooting just before the sun sets and shoot continuously (once every minute or so). As you begin shooting the sky will still be quite light, and the Christmas lights will not be very impressive. As the sun continues to drop in the sky you will begin to see the ambient light change from sunlight to twilight and this is the “Christmas Golden Light” (not a technical term). You’ll see the Christmas lights become more prominent as the light of day gets darker. Continue to shoot as you compose and re-compose, ensure you’ve caught the scene from several different angles and perspectives.

Sit back and reflect.

When the twilight has faded into complete darkness your images will begin looking too dark and unimpressive. Take a few moments at this time to really appreciate the lights and the scene before packing up your gear.

From start to finish this entire process should only take you about a half an hour. Of course, with the hustle and bustle of this busy season it can be a bit tricky to get outside on a weekday before it goes completely dark – especially seeing as it gets dark so early! But this is a really great principle to employ on the weekends, especially with the kids and family. Don’t forget to take a pause in your Christmas shopping to appreciate the beauty of the light and season as it happens around you!