Tips for shooting Christmas Lights

Thanksgiving is behind us and Christmas is only a few weeks away. I, like many folks, enjoy going out and viewing all of the holiday decorations. I like to check out local venues such as Botanical Gardens for the light shows they set up. Every year I am asked how to correctly expose for the lights. A few quick tips for photographing holiday lights and other decorations:
First, try and get out during the “magic” light. I consider that magic light to be just shortly after the sun has set over the horizon and there is still a decent amount of light in the sky. I find it is extremely easy during that half hour or so to capture great shots with little or no special consideration what so ever. During that magic time, I shoot on Aperture Priority, Matrix or Multi-segment metering at f8. As the sky darkens ever so slightly I may have to adjust the exposure compensation to -1/3 or -2/3 to keep the sky dark but maintain good color. After that half hour has passed the only adjustment I make is to set my exposure compensation to -1. I have been using this formula for many years and I have found it to be pretty much fail safe. I also tend to leave the White Balance on Auto. Often the lights are different temps; one may be an LED while others could be Tungsten. Leaving the setting on Auto usually gets it pretty close. Because I shoot on RAW, I can always tweak the balance in Photoshop.
Another tip would be how to control the amount of “burst” occurs around the lights in your shot. It is a natural effect for the light to take the shape of a starburst when the light is a small pinpoint of light. You can control the amount of the burst very easily by adjusting your aperture setting. The smaller the aperture, i.e. f2.8, the smaller the burst, the larger the aperture, i.e. f16, the more burst. I usually keep my aperture somewhere between f8 and f16.
A tripod is a necessity after that magic hour, but it is very possible to shoot some great lights using only the Vibration Compensation on the lens. In order to do so though, you may have to shoot at f4 or f5.6. My favorite lens to shoot holiday lights are the Tamron 10-24mm, Tamron 17-50mm VC, and of course the Tamron 18-270mm VC PZD lens.
Don’t forget to pull out the Lensbaby too! Christmas lights and Lensbaby go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly! I love using the Creative Aperture disk to change the shape of the lights. I went to my local hobby shop and picked up a “cutter” from the scrapbook section that allowed me to cut a blank disk in the shape of snowflakes. All of the out of focus lights take the shape of snowflakes! I usually use my Double Glass optic for the lights but the Single Glass or Plastic optics also does great effects too.
Whatever you choose to capture your shots, the key is to get out there and shoot! Do some shopping too. If you are finished shopping, I have a few things I can add to your list…

Is it Fall or Fell?

Anyone that knows me, knows that fall is my favorite time of year. I am not a big fan of summer, it is just too hot here in Hotlanta most of the time. But I love waking up to cool mornings and especially those first frosty mornings. There are just so many reasons to love fall. Cooler temps, the wildlife is at it’s prime appearance as it readies for winter, and of course the fall colors. I have these internal debates on what are the prettiest leaves during fall. Is it the golden yellows of the hickory, the reds of the maple, burnt orange of the oak, or the multiple choices of the aspens? Today it was the reds of the maple! Oddly though I love the color on the front of the leaves but I almost enjoy looking at the backside of the leaf and all of the incredible textures it contains. If I am photographing dew on the leaves, the back of the leaf is always the best.
For this image I “helped” 2 leaves find each other in the growing larger pile of leaves in my yard. I used the Olympus Pen EP-3 with the Lensbaby Tilt Transformer with the Tamron 60mm Macro lens attached. Because I am getting close to the ground I selected my Vanguard Alta Pro 284CT tripod and set up about 12″ from the ground. I used the translucent disk from the Interfit 5 in 1 disk set to even the light on my subject. I chose the Lensbaby Tilt Transformer to mount the Tamron lens so I could easily adjust my aperture by “over turning” the lens on the mount. This alone is a reason to get the Lensbaby Tilt Transformer if you are a M 4/3 shooter. I turned the lens to about f16 and tilted the lens to be parallel with the leaves to maximize the sharpness too.

I have one burning question though when photographing leaves in the fall. If they are already on the ground is it now “Fell” or is it still Fall?

Evelyn admiring the Milky Way!

Evelyn and I were up in Northfield, Maine last week for a vacation. We had no cell phone coverage, no internet and we really tried not to watch TV except to get updates on Irene. Instead we were serenaded to sleep by Loons and awaken by a Bald Eagle. We spent a lot of time on the boat dock at the house we rented admiring the view. We especially enjoyed the night time sky and the incredible view of the Milky Way. This image is of Evelyn taking in the incredible view.
I made the image using the Nikon D-300s, Tamron 10-24mm lens and the Vanguard Alta Plus 255CT tripod. I set the camera on Manual Mode, 30 second exposure, lens wide open and used a cable release to trigger the shutter. I like this technique because it is very representative of what we really see with our eyes. This image sort of sums up the relaxing atmosphere we enjoyed out on Bog Lake.

Getting ultra itty bitty with some Marumi Achromat diopters and a Tamron lens

A question I get regularly when I am teaching is “Can I do macro if I don’t own a macro lens”? I always emphasize there are advantages to owning a true macro lens, but it is possible to do some quality macro work with a good sharp telephoto lens too. One of my favorite lenses is the Tamron 70-300mm VC USD lens. It is extremely sharp, compact, and has a great vibration compensation system. I wrote a blog entry recently about using the Marumi Achromat +3 diopter on the front of the lens. I was very impressed with the combination. I was curious to see if I could get closer and still be extremely sharp. So I picked up the Marumi +5 diopter. I really got crazy and put both the +3 and the +5 diopters on the front of the lens. I attached the lens to the Nikon D-700 body. I experimented a few times hand holding, but found that the depth of field, even at greater than f22 was very shallow. I decided to use the tripod and turn off the VC on the lens. I used my Vanguard Atla Pro 284CT with an SBH 250 ball head.
I searched my gardens and finally located the perfect subject. A jumping spider that was between 2-3mm in length. The cool thing about most spiders, especially jumping spiders, is that they are curious and will stand and stare into the lens. I positioned myself to a point that the lens was focused at it’s closest point, in this case the front of the lens was about 4-5 inches from the spider. I snapped off a few frames as the spider hunted on the daylily. As I checked the LCD screen to get a preview, I hoped that the image would look as good if not better on the computer. As I imported the images, I was elated at the sharpness and clarity of the images!
I know now that when I am traveling and don’t have the ability to take a “macro” lens, I know I will be able to capture great macro images using my Marumi Achromat diopters. I am going to do a some experimenting with the diopters on the front of my 180mm Macro lens to see just how close I can get. The diopters work best with longer lens, thus the choice of the 180mm and 70-300mm (extended out to 300mm). These diopters are extremely sharp and will give you outstanding results when attached to a sharp lens. Give them a try!

Billy the Beekeeper

I was driving home from the International Headquarters of Bear Woods Photography (the shack in the woods) when I spotted a man preparing to tend to some beehives. I pass by these hives, and have on more than one occasion, wanted to stop and buy some of the “honor system” honey offered for sale. Seeing the keeper out with his hives, I decided to stop and photograph him while he tended to the bees. I asked permission and he said it was fine to take pictures. I asked how far away I should stay. He smiled and said a few feet was good. He then told me that honey bees are really not aggressive and they get a bad rap. He told me that if they do get you, it is only once and they leave their stinger with you. Hmmmmm…I decided 10 feet was good. That’s why they make zoom lenses, right? I watched as he applied some smoke at the entrance of the hive. He then lifted the lid and placed another “box” on the top of the stack. He then placed a rock on top of the hive and walked toward me. I decided it was a great time for an education in beekeeping.

I introduced myself, he stated his name was Billy. He told me he keeps bees as a hobby. He retired a couple of years ago. He grew up in a family of beekeepers, so he felt it only natural to do the same. He explained to me that the honey he sold was raw and natural. He told me about the different hives and their designs. He had 5 hives, or swarms, as he called them. Four of the swarms were housed in the “traditional” design of 2 brooding boxes vs. the newer 1 brooding box. He told me the old timers did it this way because it meant more bees. Some of the newer keepers feel it makes the bees more aggressive, but Billy said he didn’t agree with that train of thought. He also told me of the decline of honey bees and all of the theories out there regarding the decline. The most prominent reason appears to be mites. He told me he uses a screen bottom on the boxes so when the bee grooms, the mites fall out of the bottom. Using solid wooden bottoms causes the mites to get back on the bees each time they enter or exit. He told me he doesn’t like to use chemicals on his bees like most newcomers. He said he sprinkles powdered sugar on the bees because it stimulates them to groom, thus knocking off the mites. He told me the bonus was that the bees used the sugar to them make more honey!

All of this talk of honey was making me hungry. I asked if he had any honey to sell yet and he told me it would be another couple of weeks. He said it was mainly because it was such a messy ordeal, he had to make sure he could do a lot at once and make it worth it. I know I will be making the trip back to Billy’s to get some honey in a couple of weeks to taste what natural raw honey taste like. It was so refreshing to spend time talking with Billy and learning about beekeeping. It is great to know also that in the years Billy has offered his honey for sale on the “honor system”, no one has taken any honey without paying for it. Thanks Billy for our conversation and sharing your knowledge with me.

The images were made using the Olympus Pen EPL-2 with the 14-42mm lens. I set the camera to the Art Mode and the Dramatic Tone preset. These images were made hand holding the camera…just in case I needed to exit the area quickly…

The Marumi Achromat Filter for close-ups

I have always enjoyed macro photography. In the past year or so I have looked at ways to lighten what I carry on a regular basis too. I still carry my full complement of lens when I am on a shoot but I am referring to just being “out and about”. When I am in an area that I want to carry just one or two lens, depending on the subject, I typically carry my Tamron 18-270mm VC PZD or the Tamron 70-300mm VC PZD. Inevitably though I quickly find some subject that requires shooting a tighter shot. I could shoot and crop, but I would rather get it right in the camera. Both of these lenses allow me to photograph close ups, roughly 3x life size in relationship to the size of the subject. In other words, the closest I can shoot is about 4-5 feet away using the 70-300mm and the image size covers about 4 inches by 6 inches.

I picked up a Marumi Achromat filter recently after viewing a friends images he captured using one. I thought that if I could capture macro images that were crisp and clean while still using just the 70-300 or the 18-270, it would allow me to “lighten my load” of equipment when possible. I picked up the 62mm +3 version and immediately went out and played with it. I found the images captured to be extremely sharp. The glass that is used is extremely high quality and features a low reflection coating that doesn’t take away from the quality of the glass used in the lens. Instead it complements the glass and it’s contrast and sharpness.

I captured some images of a magnolia in my backyard to demonstrate the versatility and quality of the lens. The examples captured were shot at 200mm on the 70-300mm VC PZD with the camera on a tripod. It has the capability of shooting even closer and would shine even more when photographing bugs. I am extremely pleased with the filter and it is now a permanent component in my camera bag. It isn’t a replacement for a true macro lens but it does a great job with obvious quality results. It is available in sizes from 49mm to 77mm and ranges in price from $90 to $225 depending on the size of the filter you purchase. This would be a great addition to any photographer’s bag who wants to lighten their equipment load without sacrificing the ability to capture great macro images.

This image was made with just the 70-300mm VC PZD without the Marumi Achromat filter attached.

This image was made with the 70-300mm VC PZD lens and the Marumi Achromat +3 filter.

Along the Walker Camp Prong

A large part of the focus on our trip to the Great Smoky Mountains was to be rivers. With all of the rain we were experiencing here in the South it meant full rivers. Sometimes over full! My favorite time to photograph a river is shortly after a light rain or drizzle. It tends to wet the rocks and foliage, which means using a polarizer really adds punch to the image.
This particular image was made as we drove up to Clingman’s Dome one night in a failed attempt to photograph sunset. The clouds did not cooperate. We stopped at a turnout that was large enough for all of us to park. It was a short 25 feet to the river. I used my Nikon D-300s, Tamron 10-24mm lens on the Vanguard Alta Pro 284CT for the image. I selected f16 on Aperture Priority and adjusted the bias for richer greens. Of course I used a Circular Polarizer to saturate the greens and reduce the glare on the rocks. I chose this composition because I was attracted to the leading lines the rocks in the foreground formed. It almost tempts the viewer to wander out the edge and get a closer look.

Sparks Lane at Sunrise

It has been a while since I posted an image or did a blog but I promise to do better. Like I haven’t said that before! I conducted a workshop in the Great Smoky Mountains this weekend with some great people. They braved the cold, rain, wind, and even snow for some images. That’s what is great about nature photographers, they know that bad conditions mean great images sometimes.
This was the reward to us for all of our inclement weather. Sunrise in Cades Cove on Sparks Lane was fantastic. Cool temp, great fog in the background, with the sun rising over the mountains warming us up with it’s rays of light. The image is an HDR image made combining 5 images, bracketed 1 stop apart and combined in Photomatix. I then tweaked the image in Lightroom 3. The image was made using the Nikon D-300s, Tamron 10-24mm lens all resting on the Vanguard Alta Pro 284CT tripod.

The “Super Moon”

I had to get out last night and shoot the “super moon” with everyone else. I thought about some great foregrounds, things to silhouette against the light of the moon, but ended up on my front porch. I had started in the yard with some pines in the foreground but noticed that planes flying out of Hartsfield Jackson Airport might cross in front of the moon if I was lucky. I then thought about elevating my view a little so I could separate the moon from the neighbor’s roof line a little. Conveniently, my front porch worked perfect.
The planes never fly on exactly the same line so I thought there might be a chance some would fly below and some above the moon, meaning I would not get “the shot”. I ended up with 3 different planes crossing the path of the moon, one low, one high and one in the middle. The middle one was my favorite. Oddly, I had thoughts at the time were, “I wonder what their view is like”?
For the exposure I used the Sunny 16 rule which states when photographing a front lit object on a clear non-polluted day the exposure is 1/ISO at f16. If you have some haze you would add a stop or so. The full moon is just a front lit object, so this should be easy. I set my camera to ISO 400, shutter speed to 1/500th of a second and my f-stop to f8 because of the haze in the atmosphere. This exposure was right on to get the detail I wanted and to have enough speed to stop the plane’s movement. I used an Olympus EP-2 with an adapter and the Tamron 200-500mm lens mounted on a Vanguard Alta Pro 283CT tripod. I used a cable release to minimize shake on the camera.

The Martha Mills Plant

I recently had the honor of speaking to a group of photographers in Thomaston, Georgia. I wanted to avoid traffic going south out of Atlanta, so I left early. I arrived in Thomaston with about an hour to spare so I searched for photographic opportunities. I spotted a rusted water tower on the horizon and navigated a few streets to the site. I quickly discovered it was part of a plant that was being demolished. I found some of the workers and after a few phone calls was given permission to shoot for about 5 minutes at the site.
I have done some research and found the plant is known as Martha Mills. It was built in the 1920s and designed by Chip Roberts Jr. It was named for the wife of the second CEO of Thomaston Mills, Mattie Lou Hightower. The mill and the Hightower family played an integral part in the growth of the area; building the village, schools and recreational fields for the employees. The mill was bought by B.F. Goodrich in 1929. Even though the mill was successful it was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2001.
It is a beautiful mill and if you are in the area, it is worth seeing. They have stacks of the old wood that was inside the mill bundled up in front. One of the workers told me they sell the old wood. If you are there, make a few images of a historic site while it still stands.
The image below is an HDR image made using my Nikon D-300s, Tamron 18-270mm VC PZD lens on a Vanguard Alta Pro tripod. It is 7 images combined in Photomatix Pro 4 and tweaked in Lightroom 3.