So what better way to brighten up our lives (and say adios to the year) than getting into the festive spirit.

Christmas lights and displays have started popping up across the Manning and Great Lakes, much to the delight of children young and old.

Manning River Times photographer Scott Calvin has provided this handy guide to taking the perfect festive photo at night.

DSLR cameras

It's best to use a tripod to support your camera and shoot with a long exposure (30 to 40 seconds). Use the self timer or trip cord so you are not touching the camera during the taking of the photo.

Use the exposure compensation button (+/-) to either lighten (+) or darken (-) your photo.

Set your camera to a low ISO, for example 100 to 200 ISO, when using a tripod.

You can handhold your camera when shooting Christmas lights but you will need to set your ISO to a high number, for example 1600 to 3200, but the higher you go the more pixelated noise will appear in your photo.

Many DSLRs have a HRD (High Dynamic Range) setting in the camera. This will create a photo that captures details in the dark areas and light areas in your photo.

See some of the samples above from photographer Liam Worth, or try shooting your photos on the RAW setting which you can manipulate on your computer.

Phone cameras

Try using the HDR setting on your phone as this will create a photo that captures details in the dark areas and light areas in your photo.

On iPhones, touch your finger on the screen as you are about to take the photo to correctly expose that part of your image. The image will darken or lighten depending on where you touch.

Many phones have an exposure compensation button (+/-) to either lighten (+) or darken (-) your photo.

Once again, see some of the samples above.

Send photos of your Christmas lights and displays to robert.douglas@manningrivertimes.com.au or add them to the comments section on the Facebook post for this story.

Remember to add your name, street or town, and a little bit about your lights or display.

All pics will be featured in a photo gallery next week.