Christmas lights better off of focus
One of my own personal favorite photos of all time that I made involved Christmas lights. These shots are quite different from that one, but one thing remains, I like Christmas lights out of focus better than in focus! Strings of lights make are an excellent opportunity to test out the bokeh quality of a lens, and my new Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART lens impressed me with roundness of the light circles due to its 9-blade design. I took the lens mounted on to my Sony a7R IV on a stroll around Old Town Albuquerque during the annual tree lighting event, but the tree itself was not interesting to me to photograph. Much more interesting were these hidden shots I found around small stores and down old alleyways. Scroll down for a top photo tip!
Vertical Bokeh in Old Town Albuquerque Christmas 2019
Showing only part is better sometimes
Photography Tip
This Christmas tree was not in a very good setting and had a busy background. I chose to shoot a tight shot of the tree showing off the most interesting part of it to me, and include some out of focus lights in the foreground to add some depth and mystery to the shot. Often, not photographing the entire thing produces a better photo. Try it and let me know the results in the comments!