Prospect Carol Sing

Aside from shooting some of JJ's hockey games, it seemed like I hadn't done any real photography in months.

But when I saw that the tiny hamlet of Prospect in Beckwith Township was planning to hold a Christmas Carol Sing by candlelight, I more or less asked Bob to take me there. I don't know if he was actually planning on going, but I knew that he had done this shoot before and would know the ins and outs of both getting there and shooting there.

We arrived early, as we always do with Bob, and I like to be prompt too, so it suits me. We scouted around for possible angles long before the lights were to come on in the church. Although the intention at this point was simply to scout for a location to return to once the candles were lit, I couldn't resist taking this shot with the glow of the setting sun in the distance.

I should stop to say at this point that this church is almost abandoned. I think (and I may be wrong) that it is only used once a year for the carol sing. They bring in a portable heater, and light candles, and it is quite charming.

As it turned out, I didn't get back to the same spot once the church was lit, partly because I couldn't find it in the dark, and partly because Bob was setting up nearby, and we didn't need to be in each other's way.

So, I switched over and grabbed the following photo, and I am happy enough with the result. (As a side note, you can see stars overhead, at least on larger versions on my computer and on Flickr. Read on for that link.)

Bob has a powerful flashlight which has a red filter that he can employ. I'm glad he had it because it was very dark otherwise, and it lit both the foreground and the church, particularly the roof.

Although I took a number of photos, most were poor, and some were unfocused in the dark. This ↑ was my final photo, taken after I asked Bob to light the scene one more time. I'm glad I did because the others were so bad that I trashed them.

When I posted this photo on Flickr, it got noticed by the right people who flagged it, and, the photo then garnered ~14K views. That doesn't happen often, but it is kind of gratifying when it does. (You may see that version by clicking here if you wish. It's the same image as posted here but at a better resolution.)

I do have an idea for next year should we return, which is to take a photo something like the first when there is still some light but then leave the tripod in place and take another when the church lights come up. I could then blend the two together.

However, we are at an age, and it was Bob who said something like, "If we are able to return next year ..." You just can't take it for granted any more, so you live in the present while keeping an eye on the future.

PS: Permit me to note one thing about the Flickr photo. I have a decent monitor, or thought I did, but it looks even better on my ipad — a little sharper and more vibrant, I would say.