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s/o Decorating the Tree........Post a picture of your tree here!

MariannNOVA
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astrid

astrid

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Here's one from Christmas Eve a couple of years ago, but honestly, it doesn't look much different. Same garland, same position, same ornaments. We always get a real tree so it's a bit more full this year, but basically the same.

 

Take after presents were arranged late Christmas Eve.

 

astrid

post-3801-13535084238002_thumb.jpg

post-3801-13535084238002_thumb.jpg

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Guest

Guest

Posted
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I used to put up what I liked to call the "Macy's Tree." Hubby and kids didn't like that so much. Here is this year's tree...hand decorated by two lovable little kiddos. So what if there is more than one ornament on each branch and some spots have no ornaments at all? LOL

 

 

 

Same story over here. This year I sat on the couch with some coffee and let them go at it. Now, we did have to move some of the long ornaments that hung from the bottom of the tree to the ground. Couldn't get any presents under those! :D Other than that, ours is totally kid decorated!

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gardening momma

gardening momma

Posted
Posted (edited)
ETA: oops, forgot to quote gardening momma's post...

 

Oh lovely! I wish I could find my camera cable too, because I think we have the same angel! Is she holding 2 "light" candles and move her arms and wings?

 

IF my kids saw your angel, they would be at your front door in an instant! Is it the one that moves its wings?

She is holding a light in each hand, but her wings do not move.

 

ETA photo

post-4611-13535084239616_thumb.jpg

post-4611-13535084239616_thumb.jpg

Edited by gardening momma
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ShutterBug

ShutterBug

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I didn't actually do any real editing in photoshop, other than merging two photos. The lighting itself was all in camera though. If anyone has a good dslr and wants to know how to do it, I'd be happy to give the steps and my settings!

 

I'd like for you to share your settings :)

 

I'm surprised you didn't have to do any dodging or burning in there.

 

The only way I've ever seen the sparkly lights done has been with a PS stamp or action. I'd love to know how you achieved the sparkle without PS :)

 

Thanks!

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ShutterBug

ShutterBug

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Posted (edited)
I'd like for you to share your settings :)

 

I'm surprised you didn't have to do any dodging or burning in there.

 

The only way I've ever seen the sparkly lights done has been with a PS stamp or action. I'd love to know how you achieved the sparkle without PS :)

 

Thanks!

 

NM

 

I'm guessing you used a wide open aperture for the shot with the kids in it and then a much smaller aperture with a much longer shutter speed to get the sparkly lights and then merged the two.

Edited by ShutterBug
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cin

cin

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Love it!

 

My DS plays in our tree. As in, with his Star Wars figures. The tree is their home base. :tongue_smilie: I never know who - or what! - I might find hanging out on a branch when I walk past.

These sure are precious days, aren't they?

 

Our tree has a cabin theme. lots of pine cones, fake berries, bark & animal ornaments. Last year, as I putting some of the ornaments away, I heard a funny noise. Turns out a polly pocket size Cinderella was stuck in one of our birch birdhouse ornaments. Of course, I couldNOT put it away like that!!! So I spent half an hour with tweezers trying to position and birth cinderella out of a freakin' Christmas ornament. :blink:

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tammyw

tammyw

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Equipment needed: for me, a good dSLR that can handle high ISO (I used Canon 5D M2); a tripod or stool (I used a stool), a good lens (I used 24-70mm 2.8). I had a photog business at one point, so that's why I have this equipment, until I decided I didn't want to be in business and much prefer doing it as a hobby!

 

NOTE: there may be other ways to do it - others have mentioned photoshop methods - that's very possible, but I've never tried that - I really try to do what I want to do in-camera, with minimal post-processing, so keep it in mind that this is just MY method!

 

For the end result, I actually merged two photos in photoshop.

 

1st shot WITH KIDS - 1/25 sec, 4000 ISO, 2.8

with-kids.jpg

Notice - this looks similar to the end product EXCEPT the lights aren't twinkling. This is my "base" image. NOTHING done to it in photoshop at all. This is straight out of the camera.

 

 

2nd shot NO KIDS (told them to get out of shot but I did NOT move my camera - I don't have a tripod, I just propped it on a stool - I also don't have a timer - I just pushed the button and let go) - 2.0 sec, 4000 ISO, f/20

without-kids.jpg

http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae38/tammywahl/without-kids.jpg

 

Then I used the shot with the kids but I overlayed the shot with the twinkly lights and just used masks (in photoshop) to have JUST the tree show through with the twinkle lights. The first picture is pretty, but I like the twinkle lights. To get twinkle lights, you need to use the higher aperture, and when you do the higher aperture, to get enough light, you must have a much slower shutter speed (aka 2.0 seconds). Since humans are not inanimate, we move, and even slight movement gets REALLY highlighted at 2.0 seconds.

 

Here is an example of what it would look like if you tried to do the second image with your kids in it. Note that I told my son "STAY STILL" (I was curious how much blur would appear) and even his tiniest movements show as crazy blur. But of course the rest of the picture is sharp because nothing else moves:

with-blur.jpg

 

I realize this will sound like gobbledy-gook to anyone not familiar with the technical side of photography, and I apologize for that, but for anyone familiar with photography, hopefully this helps!

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ShutterBug

ShutterBug

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Posted

I realize this will sound like gobbledy-gook to anyone not familiar with the technical side of photography, and I apologize for that, but for anyone familiar with photography, hopefully this helps!

 

Thank you :)

 

This is what I suspected :)

 

Unfortunately my camera's ISO only goes up to 1600 and gets grainy at anywhere near 600..so in the shot I posted of my son I needed like a 5 second exposure at f/1.4. He held still well though, lol.

 

To get the exposure for the twinkly lights I need a 20-30 sec. exposure..I think I'll get the tripod out and try tonight though :)

 

Thanks again!

 

Sigh...I need a camera upgrade, lol.

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cin

cin

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looking at everybody's pictures, and seeing their homes, I'm ashamed to show mine! Honestly, as I sit here, one blind is crooked, one is all the way up and one is down (this is just the front window!) the books on teh top of the bookshelf have fallen over, and are sliding over the top of the bookend that didn't work, there are widgets all over the floor, toy binoculars under the tree a singing snowman, box of cards, santa hat and a fleecie thrown on the couch, and I also just found a half unraveled skein of yarn under the tree.

 

That's just the living room. :lol:

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gardening momma

gardening momma

Posted
Posted
looking at everybody's pictures, and seeing their homes, I'm ashamed to show mine! Honestly, as I sit here, one blind is crooked, one is all the way up and one is down (this is just the front window!) the books on teh top of the bookshelf have fallen over, and are sliding over the top of the bookend that didn't work, there are widgets all over the floor, toy binoculars under the tree a singing snowman, box of cards, santa hat and a fleecie thrown on the couch, and I also just found a half unraveled skein of yarn under the tree.

 

That's just the living room. :lol:

Why do you think I cropped mine so tightly? :D

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bookfiend

bookfiend

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Posted
Equipment needed: for me, a good dSLR that can handle high ISO (I used Canon 5D M2); a tripod or stool (I used a stool), a good lens (I used 24-70mm 2.8). I had a photog business at one point, so that's why I have this equipment, until I decided I didn't want to be in business and much prefer doing it as a hobby!

 

 

So all the other lights were off, except for the tree?

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MariannNOVA

MariannNOVA

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Why do you think I cropped mine so tightly? :D

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

I actually had to take about 8 photos b4 I was able to get one to post. DH was home today and everytime I clicked, he managed (accidentally) to somehow be in the frame or in the mirror or something.

Edited by MariannNOVA
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Liz CA

Liz CA

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If I can find the cable to the camera, ANYONE can find the cable to the camera!:glare:

 

Funny you should say that. We CANNOT find our cable to the camera. My dh asked me, I asked ds, nobody knows where it is and that darn dog is not talking!

 

Sorry - no pics here tonight. Our tree has almost exclusively "ball" ornaments, mostly in gold and red colors and three white and red doves. The topper is a golden looking star.

Better than a picture, eh??

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MariannNOVA

MariannNOVA

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Funny you should say that. We CANNOT find our cable to the camera. My dh asked me, I asked ds, nobody knows where it is and that darn dog is not talking!

 

Sorry - no pics here tonight. Our tree has almost exclusively "ball" ornaments, mostly in gold and red colors and three white and red doves. The topper is a golden looking star.

Better than a picture, eh??

 

The cable is either in the large rectangular basket with the magazine on the left of the sofa OR it is in the large rectangular basket to the right of the sofa with the colored pencils, notebook paper, and other school stuff that has to come off the table when you get ready for a meal.;) Ask me how I know.:D

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Liz CA

Liz CA

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Here's ours. . . I think we were going for the "kid-decorated-because-Mom-was-too-tired" look.

 

What a joy! They did it ALL themselves. It's - um - unique.

 

You and I have the same tree topper! :001_smile:, let's see how many others we can find with this one.

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Liz CA

Liz CA

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The cable is either in the large rectangular basket with the magazine on the left of the sofa OR it is in the large rectangular basket to the right of the sofa with the colored pencils, notebook paper, and other school stuff that has to come off the table when you get ready for a meal.;) Ask me how I know.:D

 

:lol:

Already looked there - NO cable.

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