The lanterns at the Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur is only lighted once a year during the Lunar Chinese New Year for a period of two weeks.  There is only a two weeks window to shoot this spectacular light-show.  The lanterns will be lighted for the whole duration of the Chinese New Festival until the 15th day of the New Year, more popularly known as "Chap Goh Mei".  People from near and far, regardless of religion, will congregate to this temple in the evenings just to witness the lighting of the lanterns. 


This viewpoint and location is very popular among photographers - the red lanterns will contrast magnificently against the cobalt blue skies during the blue hours of twilight.  There is only one viewpoint to shoot this image, at the very center of the temple courtyard on the fourth floor of the temple.  To ensure perfect symmetry, the tripod will need to be placed at the very center of the courtyard.  Thankfully, the markings on the floor can be used as positional guides to ensure a center placement.  To obtain the contrasting red lanterns against the blue skies, the camera must be positioned at a low angle, tilted upwards using a wide-angle lens.  The symmetrical element of the composition cannot be achieved at any other camera / tripod positioning.  Due to the huge crowds every evenings, you will need to arrive early to reserve your tripod space.  A very clear and calm day is also essential to get the perfect shot.  If the winds are too strong, the lanterns will be swaying during the exposure.  As a result of this, the lanterns will be less than sharp in the final image.


There is nothing much you can do to ensure that the crowds do not walk across your camera during the exposure.  In this image, I had welcomed the people walking across the frame when making this exposure.  The slow shutter speed used had provided some motion blur to the human elements of this shot which in my opinion had added more drama than an otherwise static shot.


EOS 5D Mk II / Lens EF17-40mm f/4.0 L USM