Happy Chanukah to those who celebrate!
I want to share some photo tips to help you get better Chanukah photos.
For me, most of my Chanukah photo taking is during the candle lighting time so that’s the area I’ll focus on here.
1 – Turn Off The Light
As you can see in this photograph, I didn’t turn off the lights in my dining area where the girls light the menorahs. It was way too bright – the light from the candles get lost. It’s flat with no mood.
Then I remembered to tun the light off which brings me to point number 2
2 – No Flash, Increase ISO – Use the light from the candles as your light source
As the nights go on, there will be more candles lit so the light from the candles will be brighter. But even before that you can still do this. If you have a camera like a DSLR where you can change settings, increase your ISO to a much higher setting. I was probably at 2500 for this one! The image will be more grainy but I personally don’t care. It captures a moment and sets more of a mood when you get the warm glow of the candle light.
3 – Don’t worry about being perfect
You may be looking at this next photograph wondering why I would include it. It was taken with my iPhone which by looking at this image most likely needed to be cleaned but I still like it. It’s far from perfect but it tells the story of our family. I love how as she’s lighting the menorah, you can see our Christmas tree lights in the background. Yep – we celebrate everything!
Since we light the candles at night, the girls are usually in their pajamas, the table is a mess, and they are in a hurry and eager to light their candles (or perhaps just play with matches!) which only takes about 2 or 3 minutes. It’s not about getting a perfect shot – just focus on the moment with whatever camera you have handy at the time.
Use these tips for birthday candles as well!
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