best setting to take chrsitmas lights with

[sobolik]

im wondering what best setting on a camera to take christmas lights with when u going thru a park in a car is

Not an easy question to answer but I will try.

First of all the key is that you are going in a car and I assume it is moving. At least you are not stopping and setting up for one specific composition. Therefore the time of day is equally or more important than the camera settings.

Go when it is getting dark but not there yet. You will have available light to aid in getting a good photo but dark enough to get the lighting recorded as well.

I would say that 25 minutes after the sun set is too late. Sunset to 20 minutes after is your window of opportunity. Just as the sun goes down get the lights that are shaded and dark already. As you get closer to 20 minutes after get those lights that still benefit from what light is still in the sky.

The camera that you use is important as well. My Nikon DSLR should be fine in auto for these shots. Some cameras are poor low light cameras while others are good low light cameras. What camera are you using?

 

[dehart68]

oly e 620

 

[dehart68]

and to the people wondering it was something like this Festival of Lights u drive thru it

 

[dehart68]

speedway christmas lights - a set on Flickr HERES THE PICS FROM THE EVENT

 

[Geaux]

My guess, you didn't use the right settings .....

Almost all of your shots suffer from too slow of an shutter speed and or camera shake.

 

[dehart68]

probly 2 low of shutter speed more then likey i know to try differnt settings nxt time

 

[jamesdavidboro]

With shots like that you need to go into manual. Expose off the lights and fill flash. You may also need to adust your ISO to get a fast enough Shutter Speed. Depending on how fast you're travelling and how steady your hand is i would suggest a Shutter speed of at least 80 maybe even over 100. Select the lowest stop number you can and set your metering mode to spot, your AF mode to continuous and meter off the lights. If you meter off the lights you should get a fast enough shutter speed, if you don't then up your ISO, then you can mess around with flash compensation ect. I'd lean out the window aswell to get a clear shot and take photos of things in front rather than as they pass by the side. This will give you more time to compose and less chance of motion blur.

 

[mrpink]

speedway christmas lights - a set on Flickr HERES THE PICS FROM THE EVENT

I see some interesting tight crop photos in that bunch, but that is just me.

As for displaying the event... how do you think that they turned out?






p!nK

 

[dehart68]

personaly i dont think they did 2 bad for some body just learning but i dont think there good enuf to post on forums