PBW: Holiday Lights

Ho ho how are you? Sorry, just clearing my throat. Today's Photo Blog Wednesday is all about the holiday season. How much is too much, and how good is my camera at night?

I realized after the fact, that the way I worded Sunday's post, I inadvertently made it sound like I was going to use my camera to photograph any trespassers on my property. This was not the case, as the flash would give me away and if I did get a picture of someone, I would not know who it was. If I saw anyone, I would simply have made a few phone calls. The camera really was for any interesting lights, and driving around I hit paydirt:



There's not one square inch of that front yard that isn't covered by some lit figurine or animatronic device. The walls of the house are covered in lights, some shaped like popular characters. Music was blaring, and one can only imagine what their electric bill must be like. I also wonder what helicopters and airplanes see when they look down. Satellite photos must be interesting too. Here are some details from the above photo, as well as a video:







So, after visiting this residential wonderland and checking my dad's property the first time, I proceeded to the Reckson Center to see their tree at night, something I'd missed last year. Unfortunately, traffic cones and a security guard barred my way, as well as that of the three cars ahead of me with the same idea. As I heard him call in to his walkie-talkie that he was letting cars in just to turn around, I was discouraged. The MCF thing to do in such a situation would be to meekly ask permission to pull in to the facility just to turn around and head out the other side. Instead, I found myself asking, “Let me take a few pictures?” He told me to drive up to the tree, and remain in my car at all times, because it was after hours. I thanked him, and proceeded to get my shots:




At a meeting on Tuesday, a coworker shared a great Wayne Gretzky quote I'd never heard, apt in many facets of life, from sports to photography: “I missed every shot I never took.”