The holiday season is here! Soon it will be gone but for this
blog post I wanted to capture the essence of the season in these photographs. Christmas
is many people’s favorite time of the year for many reasons including putting
up lights, exchanging gifts, drinking hot cocoa, and seeing friends and family.
One of my favorite activities to do during this time of year is looking at lights.
No matter if I stroll through a neighborhood by car or go to a local park, I
love how much Christmas cheer a string of lights can bring.
I ventured to a local park that was having a lights display to
take some photos of Christmas lights. This time I decided to use a higher quality
camera, the Canon EOS 60D. I admit I still need to get comfortable with using some
of the buttons and adjustments on this camera, but in the long run I’ll be able
to take better photos once I figure it out.
In my independent reading book, Ang says, “. . .your
versatility as a photographer improves the more you see color as a subject in
itself, not something that is only a feature of your subject. . .Try isolating
a strong color against a muted background to emphasize the shape of an object
or the perspective in a scene” (Ang 36). I kept this in mind when I shot these
photos. Since it’s currently winter time and the sun sets early, by the time I
got to the park the sun had already set and it was fairly dark. I used this to
my advantage since lights are more vibrant at night. I would be able to use the
author’s tip and isolate the strong colors emitted from the lights, while also
including the shape and backdrop. In my 3rd photo I attempted to
isolate a single light, but since it was so dark the color was washed out and
the photo didn’t come out the way I wanted. Although, I thought the other two
photos turned out pretty well since the bright colors give off a feeling of
high-energy and excitement (Ang 37).
What do you love about Christmastime? What
aspects of Christmastime would you choose to photograph?
Ang, Tom. How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures from Your Digital Camera. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2007. Print.
The first two pictures turned out amazingly well! I think you did a great job capturing the essence of the holiday season. I completely agree on how something as simple as lights can bring in so much of the Christmas spirit. I personally love driving around neighborhoods with my family and photographing houses that have Christmas lights and decorations. What are some difficulties you tend to face when trying to photograph artificial lights and what are some tips you have to overcome these complications?
ReplyDeleteHi Michelle. Thank you! It's so much fun looking at lights and taking photos of them! A difficulty I tend to face is getting the camera to focus on the light without fading out the color and detail. Tips I have to try to avoid this is finding a good angle and if you're using a higher quality camera, use the zoom feature to capture the smaller details of the light.
DeleteHi! I think you did great with the photographs, the different lights brought a lot of excitement and angles emphasized this! I really enjoy going to different parks and driving around the neighborhood looking for lights, as they are always intriguing! I also love giving and receiving presents to my friends and family and seeing their reactions when opening them! During the Christmas season, I love taking pictures of Christmas lights and other Christmas decorations, like the Christmas tree. When taking pictures of Christmas lights at night, do you use any setting (like close-up or no flash), or do you keep the camera at its original setting?
ReplyDeleteHey Erika. Thank you so much! I totally agree with you about lights and gifts. When taking pictures at night I recommend not using flash on photos from a far away distance because the flash will wash out the colors and overall photo. I'm still experimenting with the controls on my camera so so far I've been using the original settings. Thanks for keeping up with my blog!
DeleteHi Diana! Your first pictures are so pretty! My favorite thing about Christmas time is going hiking in the snow. My favorite pictures to take are nature photos because they remind me of my tradition to hike in the winter. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your blogs!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna! Nature photos are always so gorgeous especially when there's snow. I absolutely love your blog and keep up with each post you upload! Thanks for checking my blog out!! :)
DeleteHey Diana!! I think I like your second picture best, it so pretty! My favorite thing to photograph during the Christmas season would have to be the tree. I love all the lights and different colors against the green background. I think my second favorite thing to take pictures of would have to be my family. Everyone is always smiling (one of the few times in the year that we all do)... I just love how happy Christmas is. What do you think? What's you absolute favorite thing to take pictures of?
ReplyDeleteHi Elise!! I've never tried taking a photo of my tree but I should try taking one next Christmas! I agree with you, Christmas is such an amazing time that brings people together and I think that's a lovely thing to capture. I don't know what my absolute favorite thing to take pictures of is, but I do enjoy taking nature photos (plants, waterways, etc.) and city life (architecture, mini shops, street art, etc.)!
DeleteWow I really like the pictures you took, they really pop with color!
ReplyDeleteHey Taylor, thank you! I've looked at a couple of your blog posts and have been impressed with all the photos you've taken! Thanks for checking my blog out!
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