Photo Assignment #71: Christmas Lights (Entry)

Use this thread for posting your single entry for Assignment #71 - "Christmas Lights"

Please refrain from commenting on photographs (yours and others) in this thread until after the winner has been selected. Any comments posted prior to the announcement of a winner will be deleted without warning.

Your photograph has to have been taken between now and & Tuesday December 27th midnight. (Yes, the date has been extended a day)

You may post only one entry, but you may change it any time until December 27th midnight.

All forum posting rules apply.

by klb1122, on Flickr

Lots of great entries and plenty to look at too! Some creative minds were working on this one!

Here goes.... (and remember, I'm no expert with my observations and these are learning exercises for all involved)

DFW_Warrior
Props for creativity! I know you really had to think about how you were going to pull this one off. Nice and colorful, deliberate slow shutter speed to show rotation. I have to ask, if we didn't have a title would we know what the image was?

Janet
A disco-ball Christmas at your place. Love it! I like how you worked the Manual Mode for this one and the colors involved. Is that a quiver camera right with arrows in it on the chair back?

Voni
I think this is one of those shots that shows the essence of a home at Christmas with lights. From the simple lines in two planes at a ever-so-slight diagonals drawing your eye across the image, to the warm lighting inside the window with people milling around, this looks 'cozy'. The little red flash reflection and the one white roof corner artifact would be a couple little nits to the image, easily corrected in post.

Jbay
Another great shot using simple lighting combined with the real meaning of Christmas. A bit soft in focus and I'm guessing handheld at that 1/6th of a second? A really nice artifact to include the inside home window on camera right with that yellow bulb glow.

dixonduke
Again, you're technical creations impress me. I'm not sure how you did this or exactly what it is, but it's good. When did you get the 35m f/1.8? Nice, colorful and certainly speaks of Christmas lights.

klb1122
Technically, this is a great shot in that your images continue to have a 'crispness' to them. Super lighting too. Nice colors and who can't resist a child opening a package on Christmas. A really nice grab.

Butte
Ah... Bill and his camera figuring out what button to press next. This has to be a sentimental shot for you being your first Christmas married, huh? I'm not sure the B&W treatment works well for Christmas lights and I can't get over the fact I think I'm staring at a dog's butt too?

poser
Technically, another great capture. The perspective is good, it's clean, it's simple, and the fireplace included just makes me think this is what Santa would be looking at. And the lighting is awesome coming from the tree.

fiddyone
An interesting shot as well. I like the simple in it to include a couple ornaments and the lights in a subtle manner. I think the lights (lower right) were also a bit bright for the rest of the image overexposing it some and washing out the red. Easily corrected in post.

I have to say, this is a tough one. MANY good entries to ponder with many differing approaches to the assignment.

Kory squeaks out the win on this one. The child appears to be the primary subject initially and the lights subtle in the background. Yet for me, when combined with the word Christmas, this shot summed up quite well the spirit of the season and assignment. But Kory - you've got some others nipping really close at your heels...

Kory - you're up and congratulations.


.

I'm honored! I really wasn't expecting to win this one, just thought I would participate with an opening presents shot of my daughter with the Christmas tree lights in the background.

I'll try and come up with the new assignment by tomorrow evening.

Great entries everyone!

M38A1 said:

poser
Technically, another great capture. The perspective is good, it's clean, it's simple, and the fireplace included just makes me think this is what Santa would be looking at. And the lighting is awesome coming from the tree.

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thanks! What's funny is that wasn't at all a planned shot. I was shutting down the house for the night, had just checked on the kiddo and was headed to bed. I turned off the living room lights, the tree lights were still on, and I thought, "wow that's really cool looking, looks very Christmas."

So I grabbed the camera, put it on auto with no flash and that was the first pic I took. I took a few others messing with shutter speed and exposure time, and I still liked this one best. I guess the camera is better than me

great photo contest! Enjoyed all of the entries.

M38A1 said:

dixonduke
Again, you're technical creations impress me. I'm not sure how you did this or exactly what it is, but it's good. When did you get the 35m f/1.8? Nice, colorful and certainly speaks of Christmas lights.

.

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Thanks Scott. This was a fun one. I knew the competition was going to be hard, how can you compete with kiddo's this time of year!

Your critique was spot on a thorough as we have all grown to appreciate. As for exactly what my picture was of, its a christmas wreath with little white lights and a read bow. I have had the 35 1.8 for a couple of years now, it is fun lens, and was easiest for my attempt at the creative bokeh.

I will post up a how to on how you get "created bokeh" in the comments thread. Its simple (slap your forehead simple) and fun.

Kory, good job and great pic! Looking forward to the next challenge!

Congrats Kory! Although I must admit that I liked your Christmas card photo in the comments section even better. However, both are spot on and very good.

And Scott, thanks for the detailed critique. I always like reading what you have to say about, and try to learn from it.

DFW_Warrior said:

Congrats Kory! Although I must admit that I liked your Christmas card photo in the comments section even better. However, both are spot on and very good.

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Thanks! It would have been a no-brainer to sumbit that one, but it was taken a week too early for this contest.

I'm still puzzled with your shot. Very creative!