Yes, it's still August—but around here holiday seasons start very early. It makes sense when you think about it. We're spoiled as locals being able to visit any time we want, but for most people if they come in August they probably won't be back before October. And if they come in November they very certainly won't be back before December. So in order to give lots of people the chance to experience the magic of the holidays here, we have to start early. And the decorations also go up...well...early!
Considering that...and considering that you probably want to buy your Halloween decor before its actually Halloween, I'm kicking off this week with the very first holiday-themed photograph (of many!) here at Thousand Circles. I know some of you like to swap your prints with the seasons, so here's a little something for your fall decor setup.
I took this during the 50th celebration, so you'll see that "50" still on the castle. It was after one of the first Halloween parties of the season. I waited until the very, very end (and then some) for the streets to clear completely. My camera was set on a tripod at the start of Main Street, just in front of the flag pole. I opened my 50mm lens up to f/1.2mm and took a bracketed set of photos at 1/50 seconds, ISO 500. Bracketed photos allow you to take a series of identically framed shots, each focused on a different section of the image. The pictures are then layered together, taking the focused portions of each, so you end up with a fully focused photograph while still being able to maximize light with a wide open aperture. I know we aren't all into the technical details, but I include them for those of you who find them as interesting as I do.