It’s best to take your test shots in this way rather than with the kids, as they’ll get bored quickly and it could well lead to tears (yours and theirs)! Once I had the lights strung up, I took some test shots focusing on the red throw rug to see if the lights needed adjusting. Regardless of how you hang them, ensure your background ends up covered with lights. If you don’t have a backdrop stand, there are plenty of ways to hang your lights, such as hanging a piece of string between two chairs and draping the lights over them. As the distance between your subject and the background affects background blur, be generous! My subject was approximately 4 metres from the backdrop. Also, I get lovely soft afternoon light in this shaded area which I already know is perfect for shooting portraits. If you’re not yet shooting in manual mode, set your camera to AV mode, adjust your aperture, and let the camera balance the other elements of manual exposure.įor this Christmas lights photography tutorial, I shot outside against the grey wall on my patio, because I didn’t want to move lots of furniture in my house to get the space I needed. The first step is to set your camera to the widest aperture setting your lens will allow (lowest F stop number). ApertureĪperture is the trick to sparkly Christmas light photos. Set Up Your Christmas Lights Photography Shoot 1. The more distance between your subject and background, the blurrier your background will be, so allow for that when you’re setting up your shot. You can see the effect that the different aperture settings have in the images below. The aperture setting is really the essential element in capturing beautiful bokeh in your Christmas twinkle light photos. You might just need to place more distance between subject and background and use more lights to fill the frame. That doesn’t mean you can’t use a 50mm lens. You can see the difference between the two images below shot with a 50mm lens and a much longer focal length lens of 135mm. ![]() Longer focal lengths will compress the background and, therefore, increase the size of the lights and create more blur. When it comes to Christmas lights photography, your lens choice will affect how the lights appear. Distance between subject and background.But first, let us help you understand how to create and take the best background bokeh pictures before moving on to setting up the shot.īackground blur is affected by three things: Ok! So now you have everything you need for gorgeous Christmas lights shots. Related: The Best & Cheapest Lens You Can Buy Related: How to Get Blurry Backgrounds with a Kit Lens Lots of space (because the distance between your subject and the lights helps with the blurred effect).A lens that lets you shoot with a wide aperture (low f-stop number) – a prime lens such as the 135mm f/2.0, 85mm f/1.8, or the 50mm 1.8 (the inexpensive and fabulous nifty fifty! ).String, tacks or a stand to hang the lights on.Several light sources with white cable (not green).Behind The Scenes Of a Christmas Lights Photography SessionĪre you a Christmas lover? The excitement, the anticipation, the planning for the big day? Christmas tree fairy lights are the perfect backdrop for your holiday cards, and this tutorial will show you exactly how to make your fairy bokeh effect sparkle! As a bonus, it’s loads of fun and a perfect way to celebrate! What You’ll Need
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