How to Photograph Your Ottawa Christmas Light Display
Love the way your Ottawa Christmas light display turned out this holiday season? Of course you do! Which is why you should take a few photographs in order to capture the moment forever. Festive holiday photographs are a great investment – not only can you use them to make your friends jealous, but just think how beautiful your Christmas cards will be next year when you print them with your stunning Ottawa home right on the front.
And while you could hire a professional to memorialize your home on film, there’s nothing stopping you from taking on the task yourself. You don’t need a high-end camera or years of training in order to snap the perfect pic of your Ottawa Christmas lighting display. In fact, you don’t even need flash! All it takes is a little expert knowledge and artistic flare.
Why Your Photos Look Bad
The biggest problem with Christmas light photos? People wait until it’s too dark to take the shot. Once it gets completely dark outside, you’re tough out of luck; either the lights with be properly exposed or the surroundings will turn out pristine – but not both. On the other hand, try and capture your Ottawa Christmas lighting display too early in the day and you won’t see the lighting design at all. The trick is timing your photo shoot so that it falls right in that sweet spot when dusk is starting to fall.
Timing Your Ottawa Christmas Light Photo Shoot
Determined to snap the perfect picture of your holiday lights? Here are six tips to help you achieve an amazing finished photo:
1. Set Up Early
The best time to shoot your Ottawa Christmas lighting display is before it gets dark. As such, make sure you’re ready to shoot before sunset. This will give you some time to scout out different angles as well. Additional, remember to turn your lights on a little earlier the night that you want to take your photos. This may mean overriding a timer.
2. Look to the Sky
When setting up your shots, try to compose your photo so that it includes as much sky as possible in the background. The easiest way to do this is to shoot from a low position.
3. Check Your Camera Settings
For the best effect, flip your camera’s setting to tungsten. This is the same setting you would use if you were shooting photos inside without flash. This setting will help balance the lights in your Ottawa Christmas lighting display as well as highlight the night sky. Note: if you’re shooting LED lights you might have to play with this setting a bit – a whiter setting is sometimes needed to help soften the glow of this kind of light.
4. Don’t Forget the Snow
A light coloured foreground, like snow, will help add interest and a festive touch to your photo.
5. Hold steady
Avoid blurry finishes by using a tripod or beanbag to steady the camera. If you’re shooting with a smartphone or tablet, remember to use both hands and try bracing the device against something solid.
6. Wait For It…
The moment is coming! Take as many pictures as you want – the more shots you have, the more you’ll have to pick from!
The ten-minute window between dusk and full darkness isn’t long, but it’s definitely worth waiting for if you’re trying to snap a few pictures of your Ottawa Christmas lighting display from Christmas Décor. Embarrassed by your current lighting arrangement? Then contact our professional crew and book your Ottawa holiday lighting installation now… before it’s too late!
