Candle Power

Last January I posted my first 'favorite pictures of the year' entry.  For no other reason than having a good excuse to flip through last year's memories, here is a collection of some of my selections from 2013. Twenty-thirteen didn't have blockbuster excursions as the year before, but some nice pictures came out mainly due to the sheer number of the pictures taken.

The first picture is from the Smooth Criminal dance my daughter Alex's team performed.  I really liked this frozen in time moment.  They girls look like they are levitating above the stage.  Alex is the one just to the right of the sign and she is looking to the right.

Smooth Criminal - Premier Dance Team - FDF

The next picture comes courtesy of the fourth of July and the vantage point of the patio roof top of Randy's Steakhouse.  This picture illustrates the the power of cropping the original picture.  The result is the very top of the grand finale.

Fourth of July coming to a bright close

While the next picture isn't incredible exciting I selected this picture since I was trying get the picture of the little red finch with a shallow depth of field so the background would be out of focus.  Out of all of the pictures I snapped at Williamsburg, this is the one that I've selected to share.  This pictures was taken along the moss covered wall that surrounds the Capitol.  I was pretty happy that I was able to pull off this snapshot, now if I could only remember how to do it again.

Red finch in artsy shot

The next picture was actually taken by Jill as she was trying out her new Nikon.  I really love this picture taken during the December Dallas Ice-a-gedin.  The picture is from the backyard looking back through the crate myrtles to the patio with the lights hanging off the pergola.  The picture seems to invite you into the very middle of the picture.

Light the way home - Photo:  Jill Steele

The next two pictures are linked together in purpose.  The first is more of a cheap parlor photography trick taking advantage of the collection of votives being prepared for Christmas Eve luminary display.  I like the picture for the geometric symmetry that it delivers making the middle seem to bulge out from the rest.

wait, let me take a picture before we bag'em

The second picture is the culmination of an idea I've had for the past ten years.  I've wanted to line the meandering sidewalk across the street from the house with luminaries for years.  The sidewalk runs along the canal and provides a great chance to provide a Christmas candle powered gift to all that might drive by.  Some years we were out of town and other years the north Texas winds were just not fire friendly enough. This year however the stars aligned and with the help of my three home bound assistants, we lit 80 luminaries on Christmas eve. This picture just captures about a third of the luminaries that were placed.  It was fun watching cars turn onto the street and suddenly slow down and pass by the whole length of the display very slowly.  I was lighting the last of the candles at one end when a car at the other end stopped and thanked Jill for this 'magical display'.   Gift mission accomplished. 

Candle light magic on the 24th

I've saved my favorite picture for last again this year.   After many years of working towards a new, formal church, our congregation dedicated our new St. Francis of Assisi this past December.  One advantage of being the current parish council chair was being able to get into the church the days before the dedication for a picture shoot.  I had already taken many pictures, most of the grandness of the church and the symmetry of it's interior.  I was just about to pack up and leave when the stain glass window of Our Lady of Sorrows caught my eye.  While the whole window is beautiful, I was really taken by her face and the way the light was coming through the glass at that moment.

Our Lady of Sorrows - St France of Assisi

I hope you have enjoyed this year's version of 'look what happened last year'.