Freaky Cool Christmas Light Pictures
by Jenners • 11/29/2008 • Cool Photos, Lessons Learned • 21 Comments
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
If you read my earlier post about how to get an expensive Christmas present, you’ll know that my husband got a new digital SLR camera for Christmas. (And yes, he already got it … we are really really bad about waiting until Christmas to exchange gifts … plus there was that sale on Amazon!). Anyway, he is always bothering me for a new camera so I didn’t get why he needed a digital SLR camera so bad. I was promised better photos. I was promised dramatic lighting. I was promised photos that captured motion and light in a new way. I was told he could do things with a digital SLR camera that he couldn’t do with his current point and shoot. I didn’t really get it … until tonight when he took these freaky cool photos with the Christmas tree lights that we just put up. So I get why he needed the camera now if he can take cool photos like these. Enjoy!
- Turn off all lights in the room so the room is dark except for the Christmas tree.
- Set the shutter speed manually to anywhere from 1 to 2 seconds, depending on the result you want achieved.
- Use the flash (The flash will only fire once for a portion of your shutter speed)
- For the first 2 shots, press the shutter to take the picture and after the flash fires, during the remainder of open shutter, rotate the zoom from one end of the range to the other. For instance, I went from 55 mm to 18 on the first, and then 18 to 55 mm on the second. I used a tripod for this one.
- For the 3 rd through 5th shot, press the shutter to take the picture and after the flash fires, during the remainder of the open shutter, rotate the camera anywhere from 45 to 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.
- For the last 2 shots, press the shutter to take the picture, after the flash fires, have the subject quickly exit the shot.
You should make a slide show with the song being “Age of Aquarius” or something like that. Groovy man.
Hi, this is Jen’s husband and I wanted make a comment about the creation of the photos in Jen’s “Freaky Cool Christmas Light” entry. No photos were harmed by Photoshop or other photo editing software during the production of these pictures. These photos were created straight out my new DSLR using the following technique.
* Turn off all lights in the room so the room is dark except for the Christmas tree.
* Set the shutter speed manually to anywhere from 1 to 2 seconds, depending on the result you want achieved.
* Use the flash (The flash will only fire once for a portion of your shutter speed)
* For the first 2 shots, press the shutter to take the picture and after the flash fires, during the remainder of open shutter, rotate the zoom from one end of the range to the other. For instance, I went from 55 mm to 18 on the first, and then 18 to 55 mm on the second. I used a tripod for this one.
* For the 3 rd through 5th shot, press the shutter to take the picture and after the flash fires, during the remainder of the open shutter, rotate the camera anywhere from 45 to 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.
* For the last 2 shots, press the shutter to take the picture, after the flash fires, have the subject quickly exit the shot.
That’s so cool!!
LOL those are great…I gotta figure out how to do that…itll drive my wife nuts.
Jay
Very cool shots! And a very, very cool gift.
I’d say someone know photoshop really good.
I bet he loving his new gift! I know I love mine. 
Those pics are fantastic! What a great gift… I wish I could talk my boyfriend into early presents.
Thanks for visiting my blog. My Hunni (pug) is the cuddliest and sweetest of all 4 of my doggies.
Great, another thing to add to my list…and I want my gifts early, too!
Those are fantastic pictures! I want a new camera now. My husband thanks you
Holy crap! That is so stinkin’ cool! We’ve got a Canon something or other, and it’s got a huge “advanced user” manual that I haven’t even cracked open yet. I really should do that. Sweet pics!
hahahah cooolll! i am currently looking now into my finances because my hubby has been wanting to buy a laptop for more than a year. but we still can’t afford. but we saw a good deal, and we can just pay downpayment and then pay on installment.
hopefully we can get one b4 christmas.
enjoy the new camera!
http://www.poshpost.blogspot.com
http://www.marriagemarkers.blogspot.com
http://www.flowersbythewayside.blogspot.com
Happy psychedelic Christmas! Great pictures.
I like the ‘ghost’ shots… you could seriously punk some gullible people with pictures like that!
Wow! These pictures are so much fun! I can see why you could not wait until Christmas!!
Ha! I love those pics! The christmas tree/you is the very best, that would make a great christmas card don’t you think!
Okay … so, I’ve had my DSLR for 18 months now and I feel pathetic … I haven’t done anything nearly that cool
Wow, those are really neat pictures. How in the heck did he do that? Surely those aren’t straight out of the camera?
Invisible hubby -lol. Tree up and gifts already? I envy you! Hope to see you soon!
I had just told my husband that I didn’t want an SLR camera for Christmas, because I want to learn everything there is to know about my point and shoot first. But, now that I’ve seen your husband’s shots with his new camera, I want one!!
this is soooo cool!!! i love it =O)
well, there's something about DSLR that makes pictures "different". my husband got 1 too as his birthday gift last August & we love it =)