Taking glowing pics of the tree
Come show us your glow!
Dec 2011 Update: Thank you so much for all the kind words about this photo. I would love to respond personally to everyone who left a comment on this post, but many of you are noreply-commentors. I'm trying to reply to you in the comments section, but I wish I could send you a more direct response. If you are replying through Google account please change your settings so I can email you a response directly!
Let me start this off by saying that I am not a professional photographer. I don't claim to be and never will be professional. But if you're an average mamarazzi like me with a DSLR camera who likes to take pictures as a hobby, this is a good tip for you! I've been getting a lot of comments on this photo from my Christmas Tree post.
Here is another similar shot I took that night.
No, my tree doesn't have a million lights on it. I'm not Clark Griswolding it up over here.
I am not sure how many lights are on my tree, honestly, but I can promise you it's nothing out of the ordinary. Want to know how I got my photo to look like that?
If you were a facebook fan of Click Workshops, you probably already know about this effect, but I'll share it here in case you'd like to try to duplicate it.
Here is a quote from Click Workshops:
We gave this tip last year, but it's worth repeating! Turn off your flash, along with all the other lights in your house, crank up your ISO, use your tripod, and meter on the light from the tree.
I wouldn't have tried this out on my own, so thank you to Lori and Jody for teaching me that trick to capturing a great Christmas tree photo! I turned my camera on Manual mode, set my ISO at 3200 (set yours as high as it will go) then I propped my camera up on the back of the sofa since I don't have a tripod. I focused the camera on the tree and then cranked my shutter speed down to 1/30th. For those of you scratching your head and going "shutterspeed??" here is the dial you turn to change your shutter speed if you have a Canon camera:
After you change your ISO and focus on the tree crank that dial on down til you get in the 1/30th range.
Even though the camera was telling me the pics would be way overblown I snapped them anyway, and this is what turned out. Here's some amazing news...those pics above are straight outta the camera!
Here are the deets on these photos in case you're interested.
Canon Rebel T1i
ISO 3200
f/1.8 (I love this lens!)
ss 1/30th
Sharing this at Photography Week at A Nest For All Seasons
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I love you. (Purely platonic, if you were concerned.)
I'm doing this.
Those are awesome!!! I am totally impressed.
Absolutely stunning!! I love it Beth!
They are beautiful Beth! You are making me miss Christmas!!!
I am so camera illiterate and I just have a kodak easyshare. I am not going to tell you how many pictures I took of my tree last year with sad results. I am going to have to do some investigating to see if I can figure out how to get similar results with my camera. If that fails, I just have to ask Santa for a Canon this year! :) Thanks for sharing this! Found it on Pinterest.
I just found this pic on Pinterest. I am so in love with it! I am 1) exceptionally excited abour Christmas and 2) learning to use my Nikon D70s. I may have to get an f1.8 lens.
thanks for sharing your settings!!
I know this is going to sound crazy, but I just saw your pin on pinterest, clicked on it, read your "about me", and realized I knew you from the Nest days waaaay back around 2004 maybe? I was LuckyLady22. Anyway, congrats on your pinterest popularity! Your family is lovely!
Beth, I absolutely love your photo, but am wondering if you read the EXIF data wrong. There is no way that you could have gotten the depth of field that you got on this shot while shooting at f/1.8. If you look closely, the picture is in focus from the front of the frame (look down at the floor, it is in focus) to the garland on the back wall. If it were shot at f/1.8, you would have had maybe 1 foot of focus, not what looks like 5-7 feet. Again, BEAUTIFUL photo! I can't wait for Christmas!!!!
Everyone, thanks SO much for all the sweet comments about this photo! I am blown away by how much popularity this picture has on pinterest, so thanks to everyone for the repins as well!
@audra-- I remember you!! That is so cool! It's a small world out here in blogland some days. :)
@wishyouwerehere- I emailed you this but wanted to share with everyone else: When I use my 1.8 lens I rarely (maybe never?) take it off the lowest aperture setting, but I wanted to make sure in this case since you asked.
Here is a screenshot of the info: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6199924607_2ffdfc069b_o.jpg
It is definitely at f/1.8.
I'm not a professional but I do get lucky on occasion. :)
Hope you all try this out at Christmas and get some good results! Please share them here if you do!
Thanks again,
Beth
Oh my gosh. I am ready to put my tree up today so I can start taking pictures. Thanks for sharing your amazing pictures and instructions for taking them.
Lisa
I love your photo! But I thought that maybe as a professional photographer I'd give you a few tips (that you might have already learned) for the upcoming Christmas this year.
First, The Higher the ISO the more grain, or pixelation you will have.
Instead try a longer exposure.
Second, I'm not sure about your f stop at 1.8, you have such a depth of feild... But you're right about using a small f stop to let in more light. Using a higher f stop with a long exposure will reward you with pretty light refractions.
Lastly, with your smaller lens you have the ability to create very pretty bokeh, you should try it!
again, awesome photo. <3
oh, and I found your photo on Pinterest!
Oh fantastic! I can't wait to put this tip to good use with our tree this year!! So happy to have stumbled into your blog (Pinterest, thank you).
~Megan
I could be wrong with this type of picture, but wouldn't it be better to just use a slower shutter speed? Cranking the ISO up usually results in a grainy picture?
great pic!..i did this last year, but i'm confused as how you got your little boy in focus?..if you keep the shutter open that long, doesn't he get blurry??..or is he standing really still???
Found your site from Pinterest. I love this pic and thanks for sharing the tip.
WOW! Love this pic...I do photography and this was a great tutorial:)
if you're not advanced enough to shoot in manual, you can also put it on P and turn off the flash, and you'll get the same glowy effect. if you crank down the ISO, it also won't be noisy like this one is (marked lack of quality on the little boy).
Krissy- even though 1/30 is slow it is not too slow to get a motion blur free shot. As long as the subject is occupied, as her boy is in this picture, then 1/30 is fast enough. In fact I would slow it down even further and use a much lower ISO to get rid of all the grain visible in this picture. With say a 1/10 shutter speed you may need to shoot a few extra shots in case the boy moves but you will be much happier with the higher detail, better quality image. Great shot though.
I found your picture on Pinterest and I am soo happy! I am by no means a professional photographer, but I want my kids to have great pictures as memories to have with them forever! I have a nice camera a Canon Powershot SX10IS and I am trying to figure out how to capture a picture similar with my kids this Christmas. Thank you for the tutorial. I think that I can adapt what you did with your DSLR with my point and shoot.
I have this same Camera. And I was messing with the Shutter setting on the M and I don't know how to get it back what it was originally... Now on that setting the pictures are dark. :( do you know what the default is or what I should put it on? I am kind of panicing. hah Thanks!! :)
I am going to try this!
Beautiful !!!!! I am trying this !!
I have the same exact lens but can get the shutter speed set that low. I have to turn the dial to shut off the flash...mmmmm wonder what Im doing wrong?? (TraceyLN2000@gmail.com)
Ok I set my Canon to your exact settings. The tree is perfect just like yours but once I put my so. Infringe of the tree it looked as if he had lights on him too?????
@Anonymous- You can see there is a bit of glare on my son's legs as well. If the kid isn't being really still it might be making the glare worse?
@Cake Lady Tray- If you are in Manual mode usually the flash is off automatically. I'm not familiar with other brands but on my Canon that is the case.
@The Pepperlings- I commented on your blog with my long response. :)
Thanks everyone else, for your comments and compliments! :) I hope you all take some good shots this year. I'm thinking of hosting a link party so you can show them off!
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I'm your newest follower & look forward to your future posts!
I figured out how to change my ISO to 4000, but the 1/30th thing I have NO idea about. lol I have a Canon EOS...I dont see a feature on the wheel that says CA...so I tried this on Manual and TV and got a black photo....HELP! lol
I figured it out~!! Woot! =)
I did my first pics of the tree tonight. Finally got the coloring better in the post processing. It's on my FB page. Thanks for sharing this great information. Blessings, SusanD
hi beth, found this on your pinterest & i just love it!! i have a canon rebel xt & also have the 50 mm f/1.8, however after following the directions you have listed above i can't quite seem to get the same results. actually, mine just turn out all dark and mucky. i think it's because i'm not quite sure what 1/30th shutter speed is, if you could explain that would be great.. thanks!
xo,
http://daveesecrets.blogspot.com
Thanks for the tips - mine were always overbright or too dark so finally getting some good shots. Still a bit light outside so am waiting for full dark to see what magic my camera will bring when i keep on tinkering, although i may have to wait until my son goes to bed cos he keeps jumping in the way grrr or the dog walks by ....LOL it's a moms' life!
LOVE this!!! Thank you!!!
Thanks so much for this post. Don't you just LOVE Pinterest?! I love it as a blogger and just as a creative mom. I've gotten a ton of traffic from my Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites recipe - it's so fun!
I just tried this with my tree and it worked! Thank you!!!
Is there a way to do this effect with a plain jane point and shoot digital camera?
Do you know if I'd be able to do this effect with a plain jane, point and shoot digital camera?
I just tried this with my Kodak Easyshare and it worked! Thank you so much for the instructions!!
I did a pic similar to this, but I turned the lights in the house down low, used a low iso, put the DSLR on a tripod, and let the shutter stay open for 30". Of coarse, I had no toddler moving around in mine it was just the tree...
With the ISO set high, how did you not end up with a noisy photo?
Oh goodness, thank you so much for sharing! I have been searchin' on how to take great Christmas tree pics! Thank you again! hopefully my olympus pen will achieve this! - meg
I just found this on pinterest and think you did an amazing job on this picture. I have wanted a DSLR camera for quite awhile now and may need to ask santa this year! Would you recommend the camera rebel?
Jill Massena
i cant figure it out!!! LOL i have only had my camera like a month but i cranked up the IOS and turn that shutter thingy to 1/30 but nothing like yours... im convinced you have 2000 bulbs more than me! regardless, great pic and i def wanted to duplicate the look! great job!
I have this exact camera and saw this now-famous photo on Pinterest. I've had it pinned forever and finally clicked over to see how to make my Christmas photos great this year. Thanks so much for the tips!
These are beautiful!! Im doing this tonight & if all goes well my 9 month old and 3 year old & tree will be our christmas cards this year! Thank You!!
I just found your blog, and I'm already a fan! LOVE it! I shared a link to this tutorial on a blog for which I write. Hope that's okay...I'm kinda new at this! Here's the link: http://joyeverafter.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-crafts-and-tips-for-cute.html
Love this!! I love that you are not a professional photographer as well - it gives me hope that I might get this picture thing down sooner or later. Thanks for the great pic and the great tips!! Love the whole blog! (and of course have been singing Poison since I landed here :)
I cant get my camera to even take the picture??? I have a Canon T2i
I have seen your pictures all over Pinterest. I don't have a DSLR camera. :( I just have a basic point-and-shoot digital Samsung. I still tried upping the ISO but everything came out blurry. Guess I need to look at shutter speed. Also, it seems the best pics of trees are always in rooms w/o carpet. So maybe I need to remodel. ;)
Thanks for the tip. I need to try this again.
I found your link yesterday, and tried it myself. I have the IS 55-85MM lens. (And the lowest fstop it offeres is 4.5. It looks good, but the ornaments show up fuzzy.
I used a tripod, any ideas how to get it clearer?
http://lightsonthelake.blogspot.com/
haha , my camera , awesome =]
Thank you for sharing this tutorial!
that is an awesome photo. thanks for sharing what settings to use.i have a new lens to try out:)
Thank you so much for this easy tutorial. I just took the most gorgeous photos of our tree and our home lit up at night!!!
Gorgeous! I found this through Pinterest, and I'm very impressed. I'm a camera enthusiast while my hubby studied ohotojournalism. I'm hoping he still has the chops to get a photo like this of our girls!
Fabulous!!! Thanks for the photo info and love your tree!!!
Oooh, I wonder if I have that little dial thingy on my camera! Your pic looks fantastic!
Very nice shot and thank you this was very helpful. I just got the T2i but had no clue how to use it properly.
thanks for the great how-to. I have a T2i, so I'm going to give it a try! Love your blog! come visit sometime. xo
This was posted on the Photojojo twitter! (just letting you know in case you didn't know)
Thanks so much for the tips, Beth. I have a nice camera on my Xmas list and am crossing my fingers!
Thanks for the tip. This picture looks so magical. I just love it. I was browsing through your blog. Love your style. I am your newest follower!
Apparently you do not get the same results if you can't get your aperture down to 1.8. The lowest mine goes on this lens is 3.5 and my shot is good (way better than ones I've taken in the past) but does not quite have the same million light effect.
FYI for others :)
I can't get this picture at all or anything close. It is driving me crazy. The lowest my aperture goes is 3.5. I turn my flash off, get my ISO to 1600 and my shutter speed to 1/30th but it is not turning out as bright. I didn't think the number of lights on my tree matter but I am thinking it does. Or maybe there is another setting on my camera that is set wrong. I don't know! Maybe you can help. I have a Nikon DX 3000.
I am so going to try this! TFS
Try ISO 100, F11 at 20 seconds on a tripod. You may need a bit shorter/longer time depending on the amount of ambient light. Obviously any people would be blurred, but if you are strictly going for the starbursts of light, then this will yield the best results with minimal grain. :)
I love this picture!!!! Thank you for sharing the photo and how you got it to look so beautiful!!!!
I tried this and could not get it to work. My NIkon D60 only goes to 1600 ISO and the aperature of 3.5. I had it set on manual and the camera would not let me take the pic (I know I am sooooooooo an amateur. Now I cannot get my camera back to taking nice quick shots of my granddaughter! Anyone out there that can get me back to autuo or program for quick pics w/o flash. My daughter starts her sports soon and I need to take more fast action pics! Thanks, Mary B
Thank you! I used my 35mm lens and got the shot I have been trying to get! You are awesome. (and my tree doesn't have that many lights, either!).
Thank u for this info. I just got a nikon d3100 so i am super excited to give this a try. I still have my tree up so i can try it on that. Waiting to have christmas with our son who just returned from his year long tour in afghanistan.
These are beautiful. Will have to try this in 2012 with both my SLR and my Canon SX30IS. I too am not Pro just love to take pics.
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I went to one of their workshops as well - 2 total workshops changed everything, and Christmas trees were the main reason for the class! Nice to see this, and awesome pic - caught my eye on Pinterest first, led me here.
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