Imprintalish: Feature Sponsor- Rachel @ and then, she snapped!

Today, I've got a special treat for you guys from one of my fabulous Featured Sponsors! She really doesn't need much of an introduction as I know most of you are familiar with her beautiful photography! I've been reading Rachel's blog, and then, she snapped for awhile now and am always impressed by her photos! She's got some cute kids that she writes about too! Some of my favorite posts include her Christmas decor, and the monthly letter's to her son, Charlie. But you really should go and explore her blog for yourself, I know you won't be disappointed...and if you've got some photos to show off she has a great linky on Thursdays called Show Off Your Shot :)

So let's pass it on over to Rachel and check out what she's sharing with us today!

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Hi! I'm Rachel and I take pictures. And stuff. I also blog ~~way too much~~ over at and then, she snapped and love to meet new friends over there. Lish asked me to write a guest post over here and of course I agreed! I decided that I'd share a photography tip with you that is just perfect for the holidays...How to photograph your Christmas tree (without being a "pro").

Do you want to take a cool photo of your Christmas tree? I know I do! It's super easy to get great results as long as you follow a few simple rules. I took this photo at night because I really like the tree to stand out.

Turn your camera to manual. Don't be afraid, just do it.
Set your ISO to 100 (even if it's dark, don't worry about it, we will compensate with a slow shutter speed). If your ISO is higher your photo will turn out "noisy" or grainy.
Set your aperture as wide as it will go (this means the smallest number)*.
Use a tripod. If you don't have a tripod use a table or a ledge, or something that isn't going to move. We are going to need to use a slow shutter speed which is going to make your tree blurry if your camera isn't completely still.
Set your shutter speed relatively slow. Start with 1/2 second and see what you think. If it's too dark, try slower (maybe 1 whole second). If it's too light try faster (maybe 1/3 or 1/4 second). Don't look at your light meter because it's not really going to be accurate in this situation.

Here's how it turns out. I love how the lights seem to "glow!"

ISO 100 | f/3.5 | 1 sec

*Alternatively, you can set your aperture as small as it will go (the largest number) and your lights will look like little starbursts. With this method your shutter speed will need to be even slower, which is fine, but you may end up with more in focus which I personally don't like as much. It's totally your choice though, play around with it and see what you like the best.

Now get out there and try it. You won't be disappointed.
Thanks to Lish for having me over here to visit today, now you come on over and visit me at my own blog: