Every December, millions of sparkling lights illuminate cities everywhere,

dazzling viewers. Whether you are strolling around Rockefeller Center, on Main Street or admiring your light set up this year, here are a few tips for getting the best photos of Christmas lights.

FIND A GREAT SPOT

Don’t just stop and take a photo. Walk around. Take a look at all angles. Get down low and explore it from the height of a toddler. Photograph the details as well as the overall look.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

The trick to getting good photos of outdoor light displays is to star shooting at dusk. Get to your location early, this is a short window of time. If you shoot too early in the evening, the lights won’t pop in your photos. If you shoot too late, the lights will look like tiny points floating in space.

Why can’t you take a photo that looks exactly like what you see? Unlike your eyes, cameras have a limited range. They can only focus on either the bright lights or the dark surroundings (although today’s phone cameras are pretty good), but not both at the same time.