My first session using a backdrop of a Christmas tree with fiber optic and mini-lights on the left,and on the right about 300 mini-lights hung from a long boom arm,and positioned in front of gold curtains. The Nikon 200mm VR lens gives beautifully rounded OOF highlights shot at f/2.2 to f/2.8; Canon's 70-200/2.8 IS yielded ugly football-shaped highlights at f/2.8. The most difficult part was getting a low-powered flash; I ended up using a 285HV set to 1/16 power and WideAngle in an enclosed Lastolite Umbrella Box from 7 feet away. I used VR enabled,slow shutter speeds,and a wide aperture.