Photography Holiday Traditions

Elvishefer

As I select some gear in anticipation of going to a holiday party, I got to thinking about how photography my changes around this time of year.

I shoot more people, and people are generally more easy going about cameras. Christmas lights, snow (for some), families together in one place and time, food, food and more food - and thanks to my partner I get to enjoy her culture's Winter Solstice traditions too.

I do a yearly family photo shoot of my partner and our cats that is typically a disaster. The cats are not the 'sit still' types, and somehow pushing the remote and holding one of them instantly results in me looking ridiculous in the photos. The cats hate it and scratch me up so much in the process that I usually settle on the least wacky shots and end the experience as soon as possible. I use Lightroom or Photoshop to clone out the worst of the blood.

It's great fun.

I also spend time this time of year updating my portfolio site with the photos I took and liked from the previous year because of the spare time I tend to have.

What are some of your holiday photo traditions?

Happy holidays!

ChasCS

Speaking of seasonal pics and vids at this awesome time of year.
There is a street apply named "Candy Cane Lane" in the city.

It's remarkable...

Welcome to Candy Cane Lane
Edmonton’s Candy Cane Lane is visited by hundreds of thousands of visitors every Christmas season and it has become traditional for Edmontonians to flock to this West End Christmas Light and Decoration display every year. The sights and sounds of Candy Cane Lane instill the spirit of Christmas in all of us. The colourful light displays and unique decorations bring out the magic of the season for young and old alike. Christmas in Edmonton is not complete without a walk down Candy Cane Lane.

When: The Lane will be up and running this year (2013) on December 6th until midnight January 2nd.
Where: Candy Cane Lane is located at 148 Street between 100 Avenue to 92 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta,.

How: The best way to enjoy Candy Cane Lane is to walk it if at all possible. It can get very congested at peak times such as on weekend nights just prior the Christmas and you can end up spending a lot of time in traffic. This causes accumulations of exhaust fumes which becomes unpleasant for the residents as well as for the walkers. Park it and walk it so we can all enjoy the fresh air or to make your sleigh ride reservation through our online scheduler.
What: Please bring a donation for the Edmonton Food Bank. There are donation bins located all along the route for your convenience.


Yeah, Please give to the Food Bank of your home town/city,,,!!

Photobug

My yearly Christmas tradition is the picture of the tree. I wait until dark, turn on the tree lights, darken the room lights and take a picture of the tree with lots of presents under the tree. I use a long exposure so the lights inside the tree nicely illuminate the inside of the tree and at the end of the exposure, I fire the flash to provide fill light and immediately close the shutter.

I have gotten some beautiful shots over the years. There is some trial and error but you get a nicely exposed area around the tree and then the beautiful bulb colors and color inside the tree.

Msmoto

Full frame, 35 or 24mm f/1.4 is my choice. Just grab shots of what is going on. Maybe a group shot to finalize the "snapshots". I prefer the casual look of images of family and friends…easily seen on my Flickr photostream….last Christmas at some friends….

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fantinesfotos/sets/72157632331545911/