Tag Christmas lights

Christmas Lights

Catherine Bowman Leave a comment

Greetings!

Yes, this week’s photo sharing is a day late but I have a good excuse:

Yesterday we went to see The Nutcracker.  

It was wonderful.  It wasn’t a professional show so lacked the pomp and circumstance of the show the National Ballet of Canada would put on but that just put more emphasis on the dancing and I have to say that the dancers all did fantastic jobs, right down to the youngest boy (who looked about 5 years old).  The principal dancers and lead soloists were simply divine.  I do wish I could share some video with you but alas, you’ll just have to imagine it for yourselves.

I don’t have a car and have been having trouble with my legs & back so getting out at the end of the day to take pictures of Christmas lights had to wait until Peter and I were together.  (Stairs and a lot of walking are not my friends)  Therefore it was Friday before I got out to tour Christmas lights.  We drove around town and found a few interesting things I liked.  It was my very first attempt at photographing lights and I like they way then all came out.  Mostly.  

I took them all on the fireworks setting, using a tripod (the fact that Barbie is taller than my tripod doesn’t make it less of one *laughs*) and a 2 second timer to try and avoid the camera jiggling when I pushed the button down.  For the most part, all I did in Photoshop was crop the pictures.  In one of the snowflake pictures I removed the faint image of a lamp post using the clone stamp tool.  

This is the Pinedale Inn in Grand Bend. I don't normally like just blue lighting - it doesn't feel very Christmassy - but I did like what they did here because of the smaller details. I wish I could have taken the ridiculously bright office sign out but I couldn't figure out how without making it a big black rectangle.

This is the Pinedale Inn in Grand Bend. I don’t normally like just blue lighting – it doesn’t feel very Christmassy – but I did like what they did here because of the smaller details. I wish I could have taken the ridiculously bright office sign out but I couldn’t figure out how without making it a big black rectangle.

Ha!  During the preview I noticed the slant of this picture.  I promise you the trees are on a hill.  *laughs*  The tripod was sitting on the ground with the camera angled properly.  😀

After I took the picture of the inn I noticed a fascinating little detail in one of their little park seating areas. They had a green spotlight with something over it that was throwing dots of light out like crystals on a bride's veil. I cropped this picture and made a slight adjustment on the curves graph (?) to bring out the dots more.

After I took the picture of the inn I noticed a fascinating little detail in one of their little park seating areas. They had a green spotlight with something over it that was throwing dots of light out like crystals on a bride’s veil. I cropped this picture and made a slight adjustment on the curves graph (?) to bring out the dots more.

Polar bears! Need I say more? Actually, this took me a couple of attempts to capture. The heads move and in the first shot it was way too blurry. This time I managed to catch it just as the head moved back into starting position so it's not *too* blurry. This was taken by me creeping up the front walk of an empty but lit up house. :D

Polar bears! Need I say more? Actually, this took me a couple of attempts to capture. The heads move and in the first shot it was way too blurry. This time I managed to catch it just as the head moved back into starting position so it’s not *too* blurry. This was taken by me creeping up the front walk of an empty but lit up house. 😀

Santa riding a penny-farthing, what could be more retro than a 19th century bicycle? I took this by draping the tripod over the edge of the car door and NOT quite getting the camera level. *laughs* The fact that he's riding downhill *is* my fault.

Santa riding a penny-farthing, what could be more retro than a 19th century bicycle? I took this by draping the tripod over the edge of the car door and NOT quite getting the camera level. *laughs* The fact that he’s riding downhill is my fault.

Two more of the snowflakes and this is the one from which I removed the lamp post. I do love the image of them just hanging in the night sky.

Two  snowflakes in a little town park and this is the one from which I removed the lamp post. I do love the image of them just hanging in the night sky.

These are three of the snowflakes in a little town park. They were 12-14" in diameter and I quite like them. I was pleased to get just THEM in the shot and not all the lights around the park.

These are three of the snowflakes in a little town park. They were 12-14″ in diameter and I quite like them. I was pleased to get just THEM in the shot and not all the lights around the park. The “streaks” are branches lit up around the snowflakes.

This is from the house behind us. I set the tripod on the ground (remember, this thing is shorter than Barbie, but taller than GI Joe) and adjusted it to take the pic as best I could. In the way of the wreath at the back is a pork support and I was trying to avoid a 911 sign.

This is from the house behind us. I set the tripod on the ground (remember, this thing is shorter than Barbie, but taller than GI Joe) and adjusted it to take the pic as best I could (by kneeling and bending waaaaay over). In the way of the wreath at the back is a porch support and I was trying to avoid a 911 sign.

A friend of ours owns a house in a gated adult community. Last year I noticed these enormous circles of floating lights. I loved it but couldn't take a picture last year. It's a simple thing (and one end has fallen from the tree) but I had to take a picture. I set the tripod on the roof of the car, waited for another car to pass then took the shot. I'm pleased with the results.

A friend of ours owns a house in a gated adult community. Last year I noticed these enormous circles of floating lights. I loved it but couldn’t take a picture last year. It’s a simple thing (and one end has fallen from the tree) but I had to take a picture. I set the tripod on the roof of the car, waited for another car to pass then took the shot. I’m pleased with the results.

Now I am off to get some writing done since the migraine seems to be fading.  

Have a happy Sunday!