Picture-A-Week 2022 - Week 49

[pierces]

Pictures taken between Monday, December 5 and Sunday, December 11.

 

Shorter days, longer nights. Cooler days, Christmas lights. 

Longer days, shorter nights. Warmer days, Christmas lights. (Southern Hemisphere version.)

Take.

Some.

Pictures.

 

Rules: See above

That's it. This isn't a contest.

All photos taken this week are welcome (not just cruising).

Prizes will not be awarded. Discovering the joy of photography is the prize.

The idea is to get folks out using their cameras for more than vacations and toddler birthdays.

Post one. Post many. Up to you.

Have fun with your camera and share your fun with others!

[boeckli]

It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas on Westerdam

 

 

 

[boeckli]

Securing the white "skirt"

 

 

[pierces]

Saturday found us up in the High Desert for a viewing of The Chronicles of Narnia for the Christmas at the Movies program at Dan's church. The staff transformed the worship center into a mini movie set with the entry converted to a wardrobe complete with hanging coats and a small forest of Christmas trees representing the first view of Narnia as you entered. The White Witch even provided the moviegoers with hot cocoa and Turkish Delight. It was a good movie in a fun environment complete with falling snow at the proper moments. The day ended well with the evening trip home featuring a park and shoot moment as the strong high-altitude winds bent the clouds and the sun saw fit to add the painter’s touch. 

 

High Desert, Higher Winds

 

 

 

 

Dave

[Host Bonjour]

Always amazed by what everyone posts... from spectacular gingerbread... let's face it, not just homes, but palaces, to the white skirt, to Dave's evening sky... such a treat, and great variety!

 

Thanks everyone. I'm tardy again pinning, I know but thankfully the fun continues no matter... 'tis the season for running around a bit extra. 

 

All I do is take pictures and they live in the camera permanently (even on the phone!) maybe one of these days... but please keep them coming everyone 🙂 (And thanks so much!)

[zackiedawg]

Dec 6 - 12 I was on vacation at Disney World, for our annual Disney Photography group gathering...always a great time reconnecting with friends and enjoying photography together.

 

My 1-bedroom villa at the Boardwalk Resort had this view from the bedroom balcony (the Dolphin Resort across the river):

 

Epcot Center has a Christmas tradition called the 'Candlelight Processional', and every few nights they have a new guest narrator telling the Christian tale of Christmas, with full orchestra and chorus inserting songs between the stories.  The guest narrator on our night was Draymond John, from the show Shark Tank:

 

The Hollywood Studios Christmas tree:

 

Wandering through Epcot at night, enjoying some tripod-mounted long-exposure night shooting - this is The Land pavilion:

 

Spaceship Earth, Epcot's landmark symbol, has all new lighting which is very cool at night:

 

On that night, I was traveling light and just had my camera, tripod, and 18-135mm lens.  Some of my fellow photographers who only get to Disney once a year had backpacks full of lenses.  We decided to ride the Spaceship Earth ride tracing the history of Communiction, but I had no fast prime with me.  A fellow photog offered to lend me his Sony FE 24mm F1.4 GM lens...and WOW that thing is sharp!  Like 'don't cut yourself' sharp.  Wide open at F1.4, and ISO 5,000 for this scene of Rome:

 

Or here at ISO 8,000 and F1.4, of Jewish scholars keeping records after the fall of Rome:

 

The new Guardians of the Galaxy ride entrance, with the Star Lord's ship and a glowing Spaceship Earth in the background:

 

The Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom:

 

The fire breathing steampunk dragon from the Festival of Fantasy parade:

 

As there were about 15 of us in the group, we got spread out on the line for Splash Mountain.  That allowed me to exit the ride and rush around to the viewing spot for the big drop, and catch some fellow photography group members dropping down (if you couldn't tell, the two in the first row were in my group):

 

Cinderella's Castle puts on some intricate Christmas lighting and projection:

 

As you all know, I'm a wildlife photographer, so I was quite thrilled to be enjoying coffee on my balcony before heading to the parks when I spotted a bald eagle on the hotel roof across the river.  I grabbed my 70-300mm lens which was the biggest one I had with me, and got lucky when it decided to fly off in my direction:

 

It was a good start to that day, which was going to be spent at Animal Kingdom park - so that same lens would be getting more use.  First, with the lovely cheetahs, who were up and pacing around:

 

And continuing the cat day, the Sumatran tiger was also active:

 

And finished off wandering around the African village of Harambe just after the park closed, for some blue hour and night shooting: