Mini Challenge #258- Season's Celebrations

JAG

Since we are in the Christmas and Hanukka season, lets see your decorations, celebrations and anything else that gives us a sence of the season. Whether you celebrate or not, I'm sure you can find images that reflect the season, even if its houses all lit up or public displays. Or maybe you celebrate something else at this time of year. It would be nice if we see some fresh images for a change, but I will not hold anyone to having to take a new image for this challenge.

I will post some images once I take them, to show as examples. Happy shooting or digging through years past.

This challenge will begin immediately and will run till Wednesday, December 27th, 2017. This should give plenty of time for us to dust off our cameras and get some new material (or not).

Rules are here if you do not know them. https://dgrin.com/discussion/248032/mini-challenge-un-official-rules

jwear

Found this in the hills while looking for wildlife

pegelli

Thanksgiving casualty

Decorated Christmas candle

New Year Fireworks

JAG

Thanks for getting things started @jwear and @pegelli (Jeff and Pieter). Great entries!

grandmaR

I have two - this was one I did for another mini a couple of years ago

And this was taken at a historic house decorated for Christmas. If I find a better one I may substitute it for this one

And this isn't my photo but it is one I coached my husband to take (because I couldn't physically get out to take it) so it may not be eligible, but I think it is interesting anyway. Bob has got electric candles in each of the windows of the house and he wanted a photo of them which of course has to be taken at night with a tripod. I have a tripod, but we had to find it and put it in working condition again and figure out what angle to take so that the lights of the school across the street were not reflected in the windows. I told him where to stand and set the camera up so that all he had to do was press the button

kurzvorzwoelf

This monday, I got myself an early christmas present in form of a new lens, the Olympus 12-40 Pro (yay!). I worked hard throughout the year to be able to afford it and couldn't wait to test it out. So I mounted it on my OM-D EM-10 II, and put that combination on my tripod. Coincidentally, my girlfriend decided on the weekend that my apartment could need some christmas spirit, so she built me some decoration and arranged it in my living room. This gave me the opportunity to combine some lens testing with participating in this mini challenge, results follow

Pictures are converted from RAW, slightly sharpened but otherwise unprocessed.

1. ISO200, F/5.6, 2s
   

2. ISO200, F/2.8, 0.4s
   

3. ISO200, F/8, 1s
   

puzzledpaul

@JAG said:

... and anything else that gives us a sence of the season.

Sometime soon after I started taking waterfowl pix I got asked by passers by what I did with the photos / did I have a website?.I didn't, so I started one - then got fed up of writing the details (on site) whenever asked ... so I started making cards ... ' non business' ones as I'm not a pro ... just 'contact' ones - here are some examples ... including ones with a certain theme ...

I use any piece of (decent quality) cardboard packaging that crosses my path and appeals in some way. Ones made from old xmaS cards (as here) are added to the mix at this time of year.
Cards are hand cut, individually hand written - and never identical - even when made from the same type of carton / packaging.

Incidentally, being circular ..they never snag in pockets

The arrival of snow is certainly one of the things I celebrate at this time of the year / during the silly season. Trying to get a half decent pic with snow actually in frame is an opportunity not to be missed in my book - although sometimes one has to be careful what one wishes for ... and end up with more of the stuff in frame than's ideal .. as here, imo.

Both pix 'fresh', btw. ... we had snow last w/end.

Since uploading the above pics I'd come across some 'robin in snow' ones taken a few years ago - one of which I'd considered adding - although quite hackneyed / clichéd. Then this card arrived yesterday, attached to some goodies from my older daughter ...

As she (later) said (paraphrased) ... 'Dad, the card's so naff, I couldn't imagine who else I could send it too '

Since both mrs pp and myself applaud and encourage hand made personalised endeavours over useless trinket buying, it was much appreciated.

pp

JAG

Great work @grandmaR , @kurzvorzwoelf and @puzzledpaul I look forward to seeing what others come up with too, but these are all wonderful entries!

lkbart

1. Christmas Lights ~ playing with my phone on a Christmas party bus
   

2. Meower of Holiday Town!
   

3. Sugar Plum ~ wouldn't be the holiday season without The Nutcracker!
   

DavidRGillespie

1. The solstice is a day I anticipate - simply because now the days are now getting longer. This image is my solstice morning view from the front of my house.

   

2. I also watch my garden for signs of renewal and rejuvenation. A hellebore bud starting to emerge. This plant will bloom in mid January

3. And of course, there is all the seasonal stuff. Best of the season to everyone!
4. 

sarasphotos

Since Joyce challenged us to make new photos for the mini, last week I paid a visit to the Christmas Market with camera in hand. In the interest of portability I limited myself to my small 20mm (40mm) 1.7 pancake lens.

1) The main aisle of the market with the town hall looming over the proceedings

2) Among the booths full of tacky souveniers are pretty hand-made decorations such as this one, which was swirling in the breeze

3) There was an entire stand of snowstorm paperweights

Wishing all al happy holiday season.

slpollett

1. Christmas Kitty: This is my 16.5 yr old watching the proceedings from the safety of the window.
   

I'm sure I will find others later.

Sherry

JAG

This challenge is closed. I will have the results up by tomorrow. Thank you all for participating!