<p>Ada Since it is the Christmas season and the Christmas lights season, I thought I would share a couple of tips about photographing the tinsel and glitter.</p><p>Turn off that flash. If you shoot in AUTO(also know as "green box mode") while trying to photograph a Christmas tree or a parade, your camera will probably respond to the relativedarkness with flash. Pick another exposure mode (like manual) and turn off the flash.</p><p>See the light.Holiday lighting is very dim compared to normal lighting conditions. Prepare accordingly; you're going to need a large-aperture lens (the 50mm f/1.8 in many camerabags is a great choice) or a tripod, or both.</p><p>Be aggressive with exposure compensation.The+/-selector is your best friend, and unless you are in manual mode (exposure compensation only affects automatic exposuremodes), you'll probably need a lot of+. The exposure sensors will see the bright lights and adjust accordingly, often resulting in pinpoint lights and large, black backgrounds. Thatdoesn't convey the sense of glowing light that makes Christmas beautiful.</p><p><a href="http://www.theadanews.com/local/x1707834559/Helpful-hints-for-taking-better-Christmas-photos">Keep reading...</a></p>