Penulis Want to capture a few “Kodak moments” during the Christmas holidays? Here are a few curt tips to assist y'all larn photos you’ll go happy with.
But it occurs to me that younger readers may non fifty-fifty go familiar amongst the phrase “Kodak moment” because it hasn’t been used inward years as well as years! We’ll belike never run across it 1 time again since, sadly, Kodak declared bankruptcy before this year.
So here’s a quick history lesson.
See kids, waaay dorsum inward “the olden days”…. HA! meaning the 70’s, 80s’s as well as 90’s…. Kodak used to run TV commercials talking well-nigh “Kodak moments”—those moments therefore special as well as endearing as well as unique as well as memorable, etc etc. that they deserved to go preserved on Kodak film.
George Eastman invented curlicue film–obtaining the patent for it inward 1884. Before curlicue film, photos had been made on glass plates that had been coated inward calorie-free sensitive chemicals. In 1888 Eastman invented the Kodak camera, the kickoff photographic tv camera to utilisation the curlicue cinema as well as the Eastman Kodak Company, founded in 1892, was one of the kickoff companies to majority hit cameras as well as other photographic equipment.
By the way, here’s a nugget for y'all trivia buffs: The discussion “kodak” doesn’t actually hateful anything.
It’s merely a discussion that Eastman as well as his woman nurture made up by using an anagram game—sort of similar Scrabble.
Eastman was 1 of the leading philanthropists of his time, ranking exclusively slightly behind Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller as well as a few others, but he never sought publicity. He gave to a greater extent than than $100 1 one m thousand dollars to diverse organizations as well as charities, much of it nether the alias “Mr. Smith.” I think he was a fascinating individual.
A comment yesteryear George Eastman is 1 of my favorite quotes well-nigh photography. I’ve fifty-fifty had it hanging on the wall inward my component division from fourth dimension to time.
Eastman said: “Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But higher upward all, know light. Know it for all y'all are worth, as well as y'all volition know the cardinal to photography.”
Sooooo..what exactly does that receive got to do amongst photographing Christmas lights? Simple: The to a greater extent than y'all empathise well-nigh the nature of calorie-free as well as how to deal it, the happier you’ll go amongst all your photos, all yr long. Photographing vacation lights though, tin introduce a few unique challenges.
Typically when you’re photographing someone or about thing, you’re dealing amongst reflected light, meaning calorie-free that comes from the sun, a calorie-free bulb or a flash unit, candle, lantern, whatever. That calorie-free is reflecting off your land of report as well as into your camera.
When you’re shooting Christmas lights though, your land of report is a calorie-free itself. So rather than calorie-free rays bouncing off something else, the calorie-free rays are coming straight from the rootage into your lens. Shooting straight into the calorie-free tin confuse your photographic tv camera as well as your photos may come upward out much darker than you’d hoped.
In this photograph of Patrick as well as Callie calorie-free rays seem to be flying all over the place.
Light is coming straight from multiple sources such every bit the tree as well as the sidewalk posts.
Light is also reflected from the posts, off the sidewalk, into the camera. Note that coming straight at y'all similar that, calorie-free rays bouncing from that angle are unremarkably stronger than calorie-free from behind y'all which is reflecting off your subject.
We’ve also got “backlight” which is correct behind Callie, adding about dainty highlights to her hair.
The backlight behind both of them also creates about nice separation from the tree.
They don’t merely course of didactics of blend into to the background
Finally, the calorie-free hitting their faces is coming from a flash unit of measurement I’ve got on my camera, but which is turned to bounce off a shop wall correct side yesteryear side to me, as well as then onto their face.
Bounced calorie-free is ever softer as well as kinder than direct light.
If y'all desire to larn get down this variety of result, meter for the ambient light–meaning what calorie-free is introduce inward the scene already—before y'all add together whatever additional light. In this image, ambient calorie-free includes everything inward the background. Light coming from the tree, the restaurants, the posts, the streetlights, etc.
Once y'all receive got your photographic tv camera settings dialed inward to larn a practiced exposure on the background, add together merely a small-scale amount of calorie-free to your subject’s aspect upward amongst about other calorie-free source. Either 1 that merely happens to go in that location inward the correct place—like a street light—or something similar a flash unit.
Balancing it all takes a niggling practise but you’ll larn the hang of it.
TIP ONE: GET H5N1 TRIPOD.
Let me strongly encourage y'all to utilisation a tripod. Sure it takes a few seconds to laid but the results volition go worth it. If y'all don’t receive got one, larn one. Maybe y'all could inquire Santa to larn out y'all 1 nether the tree. The terms of a tripod is an investment inward your photography that volition pay off all yr long, inward countless scenarios—not merely when y'all desire to shoot Christmas lights. What y'all pass is upward to you.
The Manfrotto tripod side yesteryear side to Patrick inward the photograph higher upward is 1 of several I use. Here’s a link to B&H, where I larn a lot of my photograph gear. B AND H PHOTO
Be certain to larn a ball caput if at all possible. The ball caput allows y'all to reposition your photographic tv camera easily.
You’ll nevertheless larn the same photograph amongst or without a ball caput but trust me, the fourth dimension as well as frustration saved spell trying to just seat your photographic tv camera is worth every penny. And if y'all larn 1 amongst a “quick liberate plate” similar the 1 higher upward you’ll go fifty-fifty happier because you’ll pass seconds rather than minutes getting your photographic tv camera on as well as off your tripod.
TIP TWO: GO LOW AND SLOW—-ISO AND SHUTTER SPEEDS
The argue y'all ask a tripod is simple. With depression ISOs as well as slower than normal shutter speeds you’ll receive got blurry images if y'all don’t receive got about agency of belongings your photographic tv camera steady. Depending on how vivid your scene is, an ISO of 200 to 400 is unremarkably sufficient as well as shutter speeds tin go upward to several seconds, depending on how vivid your scene is.
For a quick refresher, click on Shutter Speed and ISO.
If y'all NEED a flash—to calorie-free someone’s aspect upward for example—use it sparingly. In the photograph of Callie as well as Patrick I dialed downwards the amount of calorie-free the flash was producing as well as bounced it off a nearby storefront which was behind me to my right. I used a Nikon SB900, which has a multi seat head.
But y'all do NOT receive got to driblet hundreds of dollars on a fancy flash. I’ve gotten similar results amongst a signal as well as shoot photographic tv camera yesteryear softening as well as diffusing the calorie-free from the flash with a tissue, a handkerchief, or fifty-fifty yesteryear roofing most of the flash unit with my finger therefore exclusively a niggling calorie-free gets by.
TIP THREE: EXPERIMENT
Once you’re inward forepart of your house, your neighbor’s house, your tree, the tree at the mall, whatever…take a quick photo—without using your flash—using your camera’s automatic settings merely to run across what exposure readings your photographic tv camera guesstimates for you.
Use those every bit a starting signal then make adjustments to either your aperture or shutter speed until y'all larn the results y'all want.
Use those every bit a starting signal then make adjustments to either your aperture or shutter speed until y'all larn the results y'all want.
Here’s a wider shot of the expanse at the mall where the photograph of Patrick as well as Callie was taken. This framing is plainly naught peculiarly artistic or creative but it’s fine for demonstration purposes.
This kickoff shot is amongst a shutter speed of 8 seconds amongst an aperture of 8 (f 8) as well as an ISO of 250. During an 8 2nd exposure the camera’s sensor is sucking inward lumens similar a sponge, giving us an ikon that is plainly wayyyyy every bit good bright.
Adjusting the aperture to f sixteen lets inward one-half every bit much light.
This fourth dimension I left the aperture at f sixteen as well as shortened the shutter speed to iii seconds. As y'all tin see, merely 1 small-scale adjustment changes everything.
Here I took that same ikon as well as tweaked the exposure inward Lightroom to darken the heaven as well as growth contrast merely a bit.
The signal is there’s no unmarried setting that is correct for all occasions. Just experiment as well as run across what settings go for you.
Christmas lights are designed to go dissimilar colors. But fifty-fifty non-decorative calorie-free sources receive got dissimilar color temperatures. Meaning everyday lights hit dissimilar hues depending on what they’re made of. Most florescent light tubes hit a greenish light, tungsten calorie-free bulbs hit a much warmer xanthous or orangish hue. LED calorie-free sources are bluish.
For instance here’s an ornamentation on our tree inward normal light, as well as then merely for illustrative purposes, the same ornamentation amongst a niggling blue hue created by nothing to a greater extent than than an ordinary LED flashlight. If you’d rather larn warmer light, utilisation a non-LED bulb.
In this goofy self portrait everything is ruddy because I shot my reflection inward a ruddy ornament, but y'all tin nevertheless the TV concealment is somewhat bluish as well as the lights on the curtain are orange. Flames from fires or candles volition also hit warm hues, as well as tin go surprisingly bright, depending on your shutter speed.
This shot is thrown inward merely to celebrate our grandson Isaac’s First Christmas!
Keep inward hear that if y'all are shooting something similar cars, planes or boats at night, their lights volition seem every bit calorie-free trails, extending over whatever distance they locomote spell your shutter is open. Faster shutter equals shorter calorie-free trails. You never know what exactly you’re going to larn amongst longer exposures therefore merely receive got fun!
Finally, hollo upward the one-time saying: “Bad weather condition equals practiced photos.” Even a small-scale amount of rain, fog or snowfall tin receive got a big deport upon on your images, as well as create a much to a greater extent than dramatic scene. Just go certain to protect your photographic tv camera from the elements.
Thanks for stopping yesteryear as well as delight receive got a infinitesimal to part about of your Christmas photograph experiences amongst us hither at SRFD!
Ed a/k/a Traveling Husband
Source: savingdessert.com
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