Photos Within

Surprise

The surprise discovery I referred to in the earlier post, Before the Lights Come Down, was finding that there were actually several distinct photos within the initial photo that could stand on their own. This photo is from the lower left-hand portion of the initial shot. If you’d like, take a moment to click on the link to the earlier post so you can compare the two photos.

During the process of photographing at Shallowford Square, I simply didn’t see the additional photos that existed in portions of the scene. But, of course, I had gone to the Square with the intent of shooting wide shots — as many as I could in the rapidly fading last light of the day.

The other photos that I discovered within the initial photo focus on narrower portions of the scene. Please CLICK to see the other photos within the photo.

Before the Lights Come Down

Sunset at Shallowford Square was the perfect time to create this HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo yielding unbelievable detail throughout.

Prelude to an Uncertain Photo

Boy, was this image ever fun to work on! Of course, it wasn’t fun when I first thought I should go back out in the cold to get the shot! After all, it was New Year’s Eve, and I’d already spent a good portion of the day photographing the first phase of the Nissen House move.

When I arrived home after photographing at the Nissen House site, it felt so good to be in from the cold and the wind. I immediately began offloading the day’s images from the memory cards and was anxious to start editing them.

And then it occurred to me that, with all the December activities, I’d not managed to make any wide-angle shots of Shallowford Square decorated with its Christmas lights. I knew the lights would probably be up for about a week more, so I could wait till another day, if I’d like. But the reality was that there was no guarantee that my schedule and the weather would coincide ideally before the lights were taken down.

Decisions, Decisions

It’s times like this when I sometimes battle with myself, and I don’t always make the best long-term decision. I should photograph such-and-such, but….

If I’m too lax with myself, I’ll miss out on some good photos that can’t be easily or quickly replicated, if at all. On the other hand, photography doesn’t completely control my life, so I’m not compulsively driven to capture every single moment.

A few weeks earlier, my excursions to photograph Christmas lights were under different conditions. For instance, the photo for the Never Forgotten post was shot during a cloudy sunrise, and the photo for the Lights, Camera…Snow? post was taken at pitch dark. I’d since determined that my next attempt at Christmas light photography would involve photographing them just prior to, during and after a cloudless sunset.

So as I looked out the front window at the brilliant, clear sunlight of the remaining hours of New Year’s Eve, I made the somewhat ambivalent decision to head up to Shallowford Square for a sunset shot of the Christmas lights. CLICK to read more.

The Other Christmas Story

Remember young Ralphie Parker in the movie, A Christmas Story? All he wanted for Christmas was a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-Shot Range Model Air Rifle. The problem was that none of the adults in his life wanted him to have one — not even Santa.

Despite all odds, did Ralphie get his wish? If you’d like to see for yourself, just set aside an evening to drive by the home of John and Barbara Huffman at 1010 Conrad Road in Lewisville and take a look at their lit-up front yard.

With the help of their grandsons, Andrew and Ivan, the Huffmans have set up a very creative multi-scene display of some of the more memorable moments of A Christmas Story. This is the Huffmans’ third year at this, and they’re already thinking of three or four additional scenes they may introduce next Christmas. Wow — it’ll only get better!

If you’d like to see some photos of the Huffmans’ depictions of Ralphie and key moments of A Christmas Story — including more of the famous lamp shown above — just click to visit the Huffman Decorations photo gallery.

Interested in more Conrad Road coverage? CLICK to enjoy more ARTICLES and PHOTOS on Conrad Road.

Pointing the Way

The three wise men in the Live Nativity at Shiloh Lutheran Church look for the star leading them to the Baby Jesus.

Shiloh Lutheran Church presented its second annual Live Nativity this weekend, on Friday and Saturday evenings. Five stages of the Nativity, which included live animals, were depicted by actors and actresses of varying ages who played their roles with heartfelt enthusiasm, even as the night temperatures fell.

From the warmth and comfort of their vehicles, visitors driving along the Nativity route listened to a description of each stage from either a CD or tape player provided by the church. Each stage depicted a portion of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The first stage of the Nativity showed the archangel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she was with child by the Holy Spirit, followed by Joseph and Mary in the second stage looking for a room in the city of Bethlehem. Lowly shepherds were greeted by angels in stage three who were pronouncing the Messiah’s birth. In the fourth stage, the Baby Jesus was shown in a manger surrounded by Mary, Joseph and an angel. Finally, in stage five, the wise men were seeking the child King as they followed his star.

Upon completing the Nativity route, visitors were treated to hot cider, hot chocolate and baked goodies in the church’s fellowship hall.

Thank you to the members of Shiloh Lutheran Church for giving your time and talents to present the Live Nativity to the community.

To see photos of the various stages of the Live Nativity, please visit the Shiloh Lutheran Live Nativity photo gallery.

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