Boston by Christmas Light

I was at work last weekend, bored as usual, when I heard music. I looked outside and saw a crowd forming around a stage. Beyond the stage, a man in a Boston Public Works jumpsuit was connecting handfuls of cables to a small portable generator. As the band worked their way to a crescendo, the man flipped the switch - and behind him a massive evergreen sprang to incandescent life.

I watched the scene from the door of the bar with a smile. High a top the tree, well above the marketplace rooftops, sat a blazing blue star.

If only I could photograph the scene as well as I seem to be able to describe it in a blog. Anyways, its now been a few days since that night and I finally got around to taking some shots last night. It wasn't too cold outside and the night sky was cloudy but not overcast - seemed like a good night for it.

I walked through Fanueil Hall Marketplace, and Christopher Columbus Park. I even headed up to the roof of a nearby garage to get a different look at the skyline. I ended up taking some decent shots - the best of the unedited versions are included below.

I really liked the way the tree was reflected in the windows of the shopping center. The color is bothering me a bit though, I guess photographing Christmas lighting presents its own challenges.

The central dome of Fanueil Hall. Im not sure about the framing of this picture, but I liked the way the lights outlined the building against the night sky. The colors seemed to have come out better this picture though.

The archways at Christopher Columbus Park. I really liked the way this looked, a bit of editing and cropping and I may have something usable. The picture doesn't do it justice though - if you're ever in Boston's North End make sure to check it out.

A different angle of the archways at Christopher Columbus Park. I actually feel good about the exposure on this one.

So much is wrong with this picture - but I absolutely love the way this building looks. The color and architecture really stand out among the other buildings on the block. I can't wait to get try again.

And my absolute favorite shot of the night! Its not perfect, and I'll probably try and retake it on another night - but this picture exemplifies what I was looking for all night. I wanted to capture a Boston Christmas scene and I think with some work this will be it. 

I continue to lament my lack of a Tripod, but I'll be holding off on that until after the holidays. It was another good night, I had a lot of fun walking around taking pictures. I'm also starting to develop my "photographer's eye." I'm starting to see things differently, and envision them in different ways - sadly my technical skills aren't quite capable of realizing these visions as of yet.

I'm looking forward to getting back out there and taking some more pictures soon.

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