A Photo Story

Part of my experimentation with the holiday lights was to zoom in very close to several lights.  When I first looked at this photo, it almost looked like fireworks going off.  Detail photos can end up being very interesting.  Camera specs: Nikon D300 with 18-200mm lens at 200mm, 1/30 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 800.

This is a wonderful example of using motion in photography.  I saw this guy on the side of the road twirling lights.  I slowed my shutter way down to capture the movement of the light.  Camera specs: Nikon D300 with 18-200mm at 1.6 seconds at f/8.0, ISO 800.

Hope everyone is having a merry holiday today!

This snowman caught my attention because it changed colors every couple of seconds.  I took many photos of him and decided that this green photo was the best one to post.  I did really like the blues and purples, but they were just too dark in the end.  Camera specs: Nikon D300 with 18-200mm lens at 65mm, 0.8 seconds at f/6.3, ISO 400.

Here was another southwestern-styled light display.  I experimented with this display and tried blurring the lights as well as taking them in focus.  In the end, the focused display was the better photo.  I encourage others to experiment with photography as well just to see what would happen if…  Camera specs: Nikon D300 with 18-200mm lens at 105mm, 1/6 seconds at f/8.0, ISO 800.

These carolers were nicely framed with lights.  I decided to meter and expose the photo for the bright lights behind the carolers.  I felt that they detail in their clothes was not important to the photo and it was more important to not blow out the highlights of the lights.  As a benefit, their faces stand out more.  Camera specs: Nikon D300 with 18-200mm lens at 32mm, 0.6 seconds at f/8.0, ISO 800.

One of the assigned photo challenges while on this photowalk of Christmas Lights was to find holiday cheer in an abstract form.  So, here is a smile I found by zooming in to the bottom of a wreath with bells in the center.  I like the way the lights reflect in the bells.  Camera specs:  Nikon D300 with 18-200mm lens at 170mm, 1/2 second at f/9.0, ISO 400.

This photo tells a story by showing the movement of the people walking by as well as those stopped in front of the house to look at the lights.  Camera specs:  Nikon D300 with 18-200mm lens at 18mm, 1.3 seconds at f/6.3, ISO 400.

I though this was a great way to celebrate a Texas Christmas.  Camera specs:  Nikon D300 with 18-200m lens at 90mm, 1.0 seconds at f/8.0, ISO 200.

Camera specs: Nikon D300 with 18-200mm lens at 112mm, 1/40 seconds at f/5.3, ISO 800.

Many people have the misconception that purchasing a DSLR means better flash photos.  While this is true with the right equipment, it is certainly not necessarily true when pulling the camera out of the box.

Pop Up Flash

Most entry and mid-level DSLRs come with a pop-up flash.  Be sure to read your owner’s manual to see how to operate the flash.  Some DSLRs require you to press a button to open the flash.  Many will automatically open the flash for you if you are in auto-mode.  The pop-up flash is very similar to the flash on a point and shoot camera, only it isn’t quite so close to the lens.  You do not have the ability to rotate or chance the angle of the flash.  The flash will always be directed straight at your subject and give you those same overexposed faces.

Read your manual.  You can probably turn down the output of the flash to get more natural looking photos.  You can also change the timing of your flash if you are taking a longer exposure.  Other ideas for more natural flash-light would be to purchase a diffuser for the flash, or simply make one out of translucent paper.

Speed Light

If you take many indoor photos that need a flash, consider purchasing a speedlight/speedlite for your DSLR.  A speed light is simply an off-camera flash purchased separately that attached to your camera’s hot shoe.  This way your camera can transfer data to the flash like zoom length and when to shoot the flash.  The benefits of speed lights are numerous.  You have the ability to rotate the flash head in almost any direction.  Try bouncing your flash off the ceiling or a wall.  Remember that the color of wall you are bouncing off of will add to your photo.  I usually choose white walls for that reason.  I find that inside a house, bouncing off the white ceiling makes for some very natural photos.

Before you buy your speed light, take a moment to look at the options on the flash and your camera.  Is it possible to use the flash wirelessly with the camera?  This is a great feature because then you will have the ultimate creative control of where the light is in your photo.  If not, you might be interested in a cord that extends from the flash to the camera so that you can position your flash elsewhere.

Pro Cameras

Pro DSLRs will usually not come with a pop-up flash as the pros will almost never use that function of the camera.  If you do decide to buy a pro-level camera, remember to buy an external flash to go along with it.