Park and Christmas Lights Shots

deda

I'm taking shots for our local paper in a near by park for the city's annual Christmas in the Park celebration. I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions for the best settings for that type of shooting? Would love to get some really crisp shots of the Christmas lights and I will be holding the camera.

Auston

@deda - One big thing to do is get a monopod. Holding free hand in that low of light you will get some fuzziness. I would recommend a tripod for even better shoots.

Settings wise I would shoot in AV mode to get the biggest aperture I could. For a news paper I would want enough light to show the area, but dark enough to let the lights twinkle. That is going to require a little play time, but you can start with f/2.8, shutter around 1/80 to 1/125, and ISO 800 to 1200.

Of course this would be easier if I knew what lens you are using and the lighting in the park, but I feel this should give you a good starting point.

Good luck and Merry Christmas.

Auston