Christmas lights lighting

[metoo]

Dec. 2010 284 2 by meetooo, on Flickr

Camera Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS
Exposure 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture f/1.8
Focal Length 50 mm
ISO Speed 800
Exposure Bias 0 EV
Flash Off, Did not fire

this was also taken handheld. I have some weird aversion to tripods......

What do you think? Does this work? What could I do to improve this idea next time? I'm thinking I should have included a bit more of the tree....... What about the lighting is it to dark? To much motion blur/noise? The only post editing i did was run it through a noise reducing program. ISO 800 is pretty noisy on the XS.

[MrJones]

technically I think it's fine.
I think you could have made it much more interesting by choosing a different angle such as taking a step or two to the left and shooting sort of through the tree. something like including more of the tree and more of her face in the same photo.

[metoo]

Dec. 2010 277 2 by meetooo, on Flickr

Is this one better? The rest of the pics had to much motion blur to really use them.

[TheEagleSpirit]

Personally I like them both but the second one would make for great Christmas Cards too

[MrJones]

the second one is much better..

[kristenh]

really like the second one- less dead space in the middle- and the first one had a shadow (of the couch) that bothered me...

[naeno]

The second one is better because it is better exposed, and you can see the little girl's face better. Well done.

[metoo]

thank you all! I knew there was something about the first one I didn't like.

[helloGreenStar]

second one is really nice.

I'm with you on the tripod issue. I love holding the camera but I know I need to get used to the tripod at some point because I get a lot of blur pictures in lower lighting, which frustrates me a lot.

[metoo]

I'm always afraid my kids will knock the tripod over.