07 Jan 13. A couple of years prior to our departure from MD we were introduced to the Christmas light display at Brookside Gardens. It was such a delight that we visited every Christmas until we left. We we moved to Seattle we found something similar although not fully comparable in the Bellevue Botanical Gardens. In both gardens the grounds were fully decorated with incandescent light that photographed well, at least for me. Each year was a delight and every visit provided for a different experience. Last year we didn't go due to a change in the philosophy of the garden in Bellevue and as such there were no Christmas light images for the end of 2011 or start of 2012. We didn't attend this year either but we did find a new location to shoot right in our own back yard so to speak in Kingston at the Port Facility. It appears the the idea for decorating the Port was inspired by the Bellevue Botanical Gardens show. As in the past, the night I chose to shoot the light was really cold! but this year's exercise was the coldest I can recall. I wasn't very pleased with my results, and I'm not sure if it was the weather, the location (a decorated parking area rather than a garden) or the use of LEDs as opposed to the bigger and not as bright incandescent bulbs. While I'm rather certain that all 3 played a role, I'm thinking it was more the kind of lighting than the other two. Since I wasn't satisfied with how the "straight" images turned out, I've creatively altered this image to give the kind of experience I was hoping to experience but didn't. It is very festive it not factual, but I thought I'd share it as the 12 Days of Christmas have just past and if I waited any longer it might seem very unseasonal. Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 100; 6 sec @ f /18 on a tripod.

07 Jan 13. A couple of years prior to our departure from MD we were introduced to the Christmas light display at Brookside Gardens. It was such a delight that we visited every Christmas until we left. We we moved to Seattle we found something similar although not fully comparable in the Bellevue Botanical Gardens. In both gardens the grounds were fully decorated with incandescent light that photographed well, at least for me. Each year was a delight and every visit provided for a different experience. Last year we didn't go due to a change in the philosophy of the garden in Bellevue and as such there were no Christmas light images for the end of 2011 or start of 2012. We didn't attend this year either but we did find a new location to shoot right in our own back yard so to speak in Kingston at the Port Facility. It appears the the idea for decorating the Port was inspired by the Bellevue Botanical Gardens show. As in the past, the night I chose to shoot the light was really cold! but this year's exercise was the coldest I can recall. I wasn't very pleased with my results, and I'm not sure if it was the weather, the location (a decorated parking area rather than a garden) or the use of LEDs as opposed to the bigger and not as bright incandescent bulbs. While I'm rather certain that all 3 played a role, I'm thinking it was more the kind of lighting than the other two. Since I wasn't satisfied with how the "straight" images turned out, I've creatively altered this image to give the kind of experience I was hoping to experience but didn't. It is very festive it not factual, but I thought I'd share it as the 12 Days of Christmas have just past and if I waited any longer it might seem very unseasonal. Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 100; 6 sec @ f /18 on a tripod.