{Photography} Experimenting...

...a little with lighting. Like most of you, I adore the Christmas season, and always admire the Christmas tree pictures I see on the web where there is that soft, pretty glow from the tree lights. My tree pics would always come out looking too bright, too dark, or giving the appearance that the lights were completely washed out. After experimenting unsuccessfully on my own a few times, I finally decided to try an online tutorial {click here to read the tips}. Magic! My tree pics look much better....not perfect....still a lot to learn, but a huge improvement from last year.


I even took one when it was light outside, and I was happy with the results. You can actually see the lights shining on the tree.


Dean and I have been reading the Nutcracker story before bed each night, and he loves it. His favorite part is when the nutcracker doll gets broken -- he says, "Ut oh!" about a hundred times ;-} While in Target last week, we happened to stumble upon a nutcracker ornament, and in the cart it went. He loves touching it ;-}


My Christmas mantle pic looks a lot better than my fall mantle pic. It definitely gives a better idea as to what the mantle looks like when the white twinkly lights are turned on.


On Saturday night, my little family went to the Pitman Grove light display. I tried my new lighting technique out while there, and I wasn't as crazy about the way the pics turned out. I think it may not have been dark enough because of all the light displays.

The Pitman Grove light display was a really fun little outting -- close by, no lines, about a 15 minute walk-thru, Santa & Mrs. Clause pics, and it's free {donations only}. Can't beat that!