The Big One

It looks really pretty looking out the window. It's so quiet to be out walking through the snow.

I used to have to clean a sat dish and put out a newspaper short-handed. Not this time. It's nice to be relaxed and watching the flakes fall with Shirley and a hot cup of tea.

I have been outside for about 90 minutes. First I tried to fire up the snow blower, but some mice have chewed on the wires and that was a no go. Luckily a neighbor cleaned out the driveway. Thanks to Mark for taking the time to help out.

I took my Nikon and walked around the the neighborhood in Eldersburg and was able to document the storm. I took the dog this morning and nothing beats watching a lab run through the snow. She loved it, but didn't care for the blowing snow. We will go out again this afternoon and feed the birds at the same time. Of course the camera will be going along.

Christmas Lights

I always liked shooting Christmas lights. It's fun to drive around and view the lights, also. When I was working in newspapers I had shot homes for about five years. The last year I shot over 700 homes.

When I was younger, my mother would load us into the station wagon and off to Westminster we would go to look at Christmas lights. Back in the early 60's there were only about three developments.

Well, it's holiday time again and the urge to shoot the lights again hit me. I contacted Eldersburg.net and they were interested. So off, Shirley and I went to shoot homes in the Eldersburg area. I shot over 100 displays in two evenings. Included here are some of the well lite displays in the area.

The Morning After

After the first snow, you get the morning after. I got up early and waited for the sun to rise. When the first light filtered through the trees, the dog and I headed outside. She romped through the white stuff, while I aimed my camera toward the ice and snow.

Carroll County got a good dose of winter Saturday. The images seen here were shot in the neighborhood in Eldersburg. I had to be careful walking because of the ice, but it was worth taking the time.

Yes, I know it's cold outside, but if you have a honey inside waiting to keep you warm like me and think about a hot cup of tea, you will not notice the cold as much.

First Snow

There's nothing like the first snow of the season. It's so pretty and quiet outside. It also puts one in the mood for the season. It's time to grab the camera and head out doors.

Shirley and I had some errands to run this morning, so we were already out. We headed to Liberty Lake to capture some images.

I had shot some of the scene earlier in the week before the snow. I will share those with you this week.

I took over 150 images at the lake, so I couldn't wait to see the images. If I get a chance I might go back. It's fun to shoot snow with a digital camera. When you shot with film there was a color shift.

Lighted Parade

It's the holiday season and time for Santa to appear. He came to Westminster Saturday as part of the Miracle on Main Street holiday event.

There were carnival rides for kiddies, a mile run, later shopping hours and the biggest item of the day, which we went as a family, the first holiday lighted parade. We enjoyed the lighted parade at Disney World, so we were looking forward to the event.

I like to shoot natural light, so this was right up my alley. It was chilly, but worth the trip to the county seat as a family. It was also a fun event to shoot.

What a crowd. It was one of the biggest crowds I have seen in Carroll County for a parade. Now if the people would return for the Memorial Day parade to honor those that have served their country.

Foggy Gettysburg

I had to drop off an assignment to Celebrate Gettysburg magazine, so I was happy for a reason to cross the Mason-Dixon line.

It was misty and foggy as we set out for Gettysburg, the most famous small town in America, if not the world. The weather made me happy as I would get to shoot the battlefield with fog. It wasn't a dense fog, but enough to make some good images. It is another reminder to keep a camera handy and do not worry if it's not a sunny day, as there are still pictures out there.

MD Irish Festival

What to do on a cold and wet Saturday?

Shirley and my sister, Jane came up with an answer. A real good answer. The Maryland Irish Festival. I am not Irish, but I like the food beverage and music.

As usual my camera went along. I have shot at the state fair grounds before and knew the lighting. What I didn't expect was that each booth had different lighting. So it kept me my toes. The stages were either in low light or the light was uneven. That was fine as it offered a challenge.

When you go inside to shoot, remember to set the camera settings back to outside when you leave.