I believe it’s safe to say many of us grew up taking in the Holiday Lights provided by those who decorated their home exteriors at Christmas time (and still do). I have the memory of my dad driving around neighborhoods at night to take in all the sparkling lights. As a little kid it was magical – and even now as an adult it still is!!
Some go over the top with their decorations. This leaves me wondering what their electric bill must look like!! But it appears to bring the decorators joy as well as the folks that take it all the glimmering lights in.
Lights at the Botanic Gardens
Depending on where you live, your local Botanic Gardens may decorate with much fan fare around the holidays. And if you are able to, I highly recommend taking in this annual event with friends or family.
The first time I experienced this was via a friend who kindly surprised me with a ticket. It was early December 2009 and it was sooo cold. With fresh snow on the ground, it was perfect for taking it all in – albeit wearing lots of warm clothes!
The gardens been incredibly decorated with Holiday Lights. And the cold temps allowed them to have beautiful Ice Carvings placed through out the gardens. The sculptures were lit up and the colors reflected off the ice and glistened. Beautiful!!
I’m so grateful to have experienced the ice sculptures at that time. With our warming planet, they have not been able to have the ice carvings since.
My Sub-Par Photographing Holiday Lights at Night
For the record, my current abilities at nighttime photography are sub-par. The results are often laughable!
Thankfully there are lots of articles an/or videos available to improve my skills. I have since read up on the best camera settings etc. But when I’m out walking around with friends, I’m not going to drag a tripod with me. I prefer to snap and go. Thus, less than stellar photos. However, all hope is not lost!
As in the post on abstract flowers and trees, after giving some of these photos a bit of luv in post processing, the results are Holiday Lights with an abstract twist.
I do love playing with these specialized filters. There can be lots of trial and error and not all photos will work. But often a few do.
Ethereal and Enchanted Imagery
With specialized filters, the photos can often take on an ethereal or enchanted appearance – IMHO. The globes below look like they belong in a magical forest. The look may not be to everyone’s liking, but that’s the beauty of freedom of creative expression 🙂
At some point I’ll figure out how to take some great Holiday Lights photos. But in the mean time, may you enjoy the abstract creations as they are. AND above all, Season’s Greetings!
