Photo How To

In case you hadn’t noticed, Christmas is right around the corner. And with this festive holiday come numerous opportunities for once-a-year photos. In the quick tutorial below you’ll learn how to shoot amazing XMAS images at night.

Most people have already strung their lights, as have businesses, municipal buildings and other outdoor sites. That means you can start practicing tonight, simply by taking a walk around the block.

This lesson comes from our friends at Photo Genius, a popular channel based in Brisbane, Australia. Instructor Paul Farris has been sharing helpful digital photography tips for over a decade. Many of his videos, like this one, involve very easy-to-achieve techniques.

Farris considers this a beginners guide to nighttime photography, with a special XMAS twist. So if you lack experience in low-light photography, this video will get you started and prove invaluable throughout the year.

In just 12 minutes Farris walks you through everything you need to know, from key camera settings, composition and other shooting tips, to important accessories. He also provides a few very special images to get you intrigued.

Farris begins by discussing the basics of shooting with long exposures, which are required for this particular task. And that means a sturdy tripod is very helpful for steadying the camera. And if you absolutely insist on shooting handheld, Farris has a few tips for this too.

For this particular task you’ll need a camera with either a Manual mode or semi-automatic settings like Aperture- or Shutter-Priority. Farris explains the best way employ these options—depending upon the particular scene at hand.

Farris then moves on to the other settings he prefers for shooting Christmas lights at night. Then he explains a few of his favorite techniques. If your decorations are already in place, just walk out on your lawn tonight and give this a try.

There is an abundance of how-to information the Photo Genius YouTube channel so be sure to pay a visit.

And if you often experience image-killing autofocus problems, check out our recent troubleshooting guide and get squared away.