The holidays are fast approaching and soon our homes and neighborhoods will be transformed into winter wonderlands with thousands of twinkling lights and festive decorations. No longer will the streets be illuminated by only the corner street light. There will be trees wrapped in white lights and houses trimmed with icicle lights hanging from the rooftops. The Christmas tree with ornaments reflecting the colored lights will stand in the window for all to see.

These are special times. You want your photographs to capture the spirit and sparkle of the season without unwanted blur. There's only one way to accomplish that. Don't move the camera! Use a tripod or some kind of stable object and set the self-timer. If you don't have a tripod, brace yourself against something solid. If you're using a tripod, pack it in your camera backpack along with your other equipment and walk around your neighborhood shooting some of the spectacular holiday displays. If you don't need the larger bag, consider a smaller camera case fanny pack which would be perfect for this kind of outing.

To get that soft glow of the Christmas tree lights in you photograph as seen by the naked eye, make sure you don't use your camera's built-in flash. With the reduced light, the shutter will open for a second or two longer. A long exposure, however, can cause a blurry image. To reduce this risk, besides keeping the camera steady as mentioned above, use fast film, such as ISO 800. A medium sized camera bag will accommodate all you need to carry for this type of photography; your camera, cell phone and some extra lenses.

On the other hand, if you'd like to create a blurry, even frosty, affect when photographing Christmas lights, try one of these techniques. One of the simplest is to deliberately move the camera while you take the picture. Another is to set your camera's shutter speed anywhere from 1 to 4 seconds, take a picture at 30 second intervals to see when you get the image you're desiring. Finally, take the shot up close to the lights and don't include anything in the picture that would appear out of focus.

When taking photos of your indoor lights, such as your Christmas tree or holiday candles, get your camera from your camera bag and make sure the flash is off. Use the softer room lights. If it's during the day, take advantage of the natural sunlight which is a less harsh light and helps the colors to remain clear. This situation would also call for increased ISO on your camera.

Take your camera and your accessories, pack your favorite camera bag and try your hand at some or all of these techniques this year. Your holiday photographs will capture the magic and wonder of the season.