Almost 2/3rd of Americans decorate there home with some sort of electric lights during the holiday season.  Over half require the use of some sort of extension cord and or power splitter during there holiday lighting decoration process.  The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Reports that Christmas tree fires alone cause on average an estimated $16.2 million in direct property damage, 16 injuries, and 6 deaths every year.  This statistic does not include injures or deaths due to outdoor lighting electric shock or fall injuries such as ladder work.

I have a great deal of interest in digital photography, but my life is as crazy as anyone else’s. My son, family, and work keep me busy from dawn to midnight every day. I’ve never had time to cultivate any photography skills, even though I’ve always been very interested, sitting on the edge of my seat, if you will, for a chance to take some digital photos in order to learn a little about how capturing light can create astonishing works of art.

My interview with Matthew Danser had given me my long sought “excuse” to try out some photography techniques. But it also required that I put in an honest effort. The thought in the back of my head: These photos are going to suck. Probably a lot. And they will most likely be seen by the thousands of people who visit this blog monthly. Second gulp.

But I’m the kind of person so riddled with ADHD that even my paranoia about being judged on a mass scale can only last about three minutes before the audacity to try anything resurfaces and action is taken. So here’s what happens when a total amateur who has no idea what he is doing tries to “Paint with Light.”

A one-dollar flashlight from – you guessed it – the Dollar General. One dollar. Even. Gotta love it. Especially since it’s all I could afford, seeing as how I’m still paying off the aforementioned Nikon that I bought to take photos of our baby son. (True, a million pictures have been taken of him during his first year-and-a-half on Earth. However, 999,999 of those photos were taken with an iPhone. Go figya.)

THE PLAN, STAN:

The plan was to wait until it was dark in the apartment and do some light painting. I knew that I could use the Shutter mode on my camera to set it to take exposures of up to thirty seconds. I saw that my camera also had an option for bulb release, so, invoking Danser, who recalls how his girlfriend had to hold down the button on his camera for a full thirteen minutes, I determined that if I asked really nicely, I might be able to persuade my wife to hold down the trigger to get exposures longer than thirty seconds. Otherwise, thirty seconds was my window of time to do all the light painting I could.

I started off pretty timidly. I had seen photos online in which people used long exposures to create squiggly lines. The most popular examples are pictures of traffic at night, headlights and tail lights streaming, giving you a sense of the fluid motion of busy intersections. You’ve also seen those nature pics in which streams and rivers and clouds and stars become gauzy with movement because of long exposures.

But what I really like about Danser’s work is the use of color. The effect of running inside the hut and popping off red-gelled flashes shown at the beginning of this blog post (Matthew Danser! And happy lightpainting, everyone!

Cold weather and winter storms are often to blame for power outages. It seems like when you need your heater the most, it will be rendered useless by a power outage. The power may go out for a number of different reasons. An accident, a severe storm or mechanical failure are all possibilities. You never know what may happen. A Pasadena electrician has some tips for you to keep handy just in case the power goes out this winter. If you have any more questions, you can always call The Electric Connection.

• Unplug your small appliances, computers, Smart televisions, gaming systems and any other items that have sensitive electrical components. Leaving items plugged in could damage them when the power comes back on. A small power surge can fry the electrical components. You can reduce or eliminate this risk by having a whole home surge protector installed by an electrician. Pasadena residents can save themselves a great deal of money on damaged appliances with one of these inexpensive tools.

• Call the power company hotline to determine how long the outage is expected to last.

• Shut the doors to any rooms you are not using to keep the heat in one area. Put on extra layers of clothing to stay warm.

• Pull out flashlights and candles if the power outage happens in the evening. Emergency candles are different than the typical decorative candles and will put out more light.

• Instruct everyone in the house to leave the refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Your food will stay cold for 4 hours in the fridge and up to 24 hours in the freezer.

If the idea of dealing with a power outage does not thrill you, you could always invest in a standby generator. These handy tools will keep your home powered and allow you to continue on with your life without any interruption. Give The Electric Connection a call today to learn more.

Be sure to observe these simple tips to make your holiday decorating a safe and fun experience for the whole family:

In addition to using LEDs, there are a few other ways you can save money with your holiday decorating. Consider using a timer to ensure that your lights only run between sundown and bedtime, which will help keep your energy bills under control. And be sure to invest in sturdy storage containers to protect your lights and other delicate decorations when they’re packed away.

These tips will help you keep your home and family safe throughout the holidays, but if you ever need additional help planning your electrical light display or with other electrical issues, contact an experienced and licensed electrician.