Christmas lights from around the world 2012

• Posted By: Robert Lachman
• Posted On: 3:00 p.m. | December 24, 2012

The Christmas season is the the most colorful time of year, given the variety of decorative lighting on display throughout the world.

In addition to this gallery of worldwide images, I’m including a few of my tips for taking photographs of Christmas lights, offered in some of my previous photo columns. Best wishes for a happy holiday season.

Creativity – Holiday lights offer a great opportunity to try a little creative technique. Panning at a long exposure is one of my favorites.

Break the rules – Once in a while it’s just fun to break the rules and be creative with your camera, especially during the holiday season. With so many twinkling lights aglow in every direction, it’s a snap to use them to your advantage and try something a little different.

Cellphone camera – It’s crazy, but sometimes I seem to get better results with my iPhone without any exposure controls than I do with my Canon 7D DSLR. I wish I had an answer for this, but I don’t. What could be better? You don’t need an expensive camera and there are lights everywhere this time of year. You can even try out any of those creative photography Apps you bought for an iPhone. Remember, there are no rules!

Panning – You need to use the sports photography technique of panning.  Panning is a technique whereby you start moving the camera in a direction before you click the exposure. Practice is important. Start moving the camera, click and keep moving the camera. Don’t stop when you press the shutter. It’s not difficult, but it sort of goes against the normal hold-it-steady technique.

Twirl – Most advanced cellphone cameras will give you the long exposure you will need. It’s up to you as to direction: straight, curves or twirls. Just keep experimenting.

DSLR – If you have a DSLR or compact camera with manual exposure controls, you might start at ISO 400 1/2 second exposure at f5.6. Results will vary depending on the brightness and color of the sides, so it’s important to experiment. Having the display screen on the back of the camera for instant results makes checking your results a snap.

Flashlight - This is probably my most import helper. Even though there are plenty of Christmas lights against the night sky, your camera just doesn’t come backlit, nor do any of the dials you may need to set, for that matter. Even though your camera might have a bright LCD screen, there are plenty of other dials, buttons and switches that are not illuminated. Trust me, cameras are not getting any easier.

Jacket – Don’t forget this and even an extra sweater as you set out on this excursion. You’ll be standing around waiting for the perfect shot, getting colder and colder. You may consider gloves depending on your location. This is supposed to be fun, so keeping yourself warm is important. A thermos with hot chocolate or coffee is a nice addition to the adventure.

Tripod - If you have a tripod for your camera, be sure to use it here. There are plenty of lights out there, but they seem to be getting dimmer, not brighter. The new low-power consumption LED lights seem to need longer exposures. I started by setting my camera at IS0 400; 1/2 second and  f/4. Depending on your lens, you may need to drop down to a full second. It is possible to get some good results as you hold your camera steady, but if you want sharp and consistent photographs, I recommend a tripod.

Remote cable release – Using a remote cord to fire the shutter really helps to keep the camera steady.  Without it you really need to be careful as you release the shutter with a soft touch to eliminate any camera shake. Unless your tripod is very steady and your camera is locked down tight, this can be a tall order.

Experiment – Once I’m out I always like to experiment with my cellphone camera. It amazes me how good the pictures look. My iPhone adds the feature of touching the back of the screen to change the exposure. It usually picks the brightest lights to darken the overall exposure.

Photos: iPhone 4S photographs – Christmas tree at South Coast Plaza and lights in downtown Los Angeles. Credit: Robert Lachman

robert.lachman@latimes.com

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