The Christmas Shelf

Sue has put up the Christmas decorations. My favourite display is the shelf over the tv.

I have never been able to figure out how to capture the shelf properly it in a photo. My tripod certainly wouldn't extend that high so any shot from it would be at an angle, and I didn't want that. I could try holding the camera over my head, but, somehow, that doesn't appeal to my photographic sensibilities. 

After years of this, I finally thought about setting the tripod on the stairs? The angle wouldn't be the best, but at least the camera would be on a level with the shelf, and so the perspective wouldn't be too out of whack. The tripod would also help me to get a cleaner image than I would get by handholding the camera in the dark.

Not bad really, considering the angle, lighting and the balancing act on the stairs.

The lights change colours, at least the centre strip of lights does. The ones at the end stay yellow. This photo is, perhaps, not my favourite colour, but I think I like everything else about it best such as exposure and perspective.

I kept changing the colour and taking more photos. The above pictures were blends of different exposures to try to adjust better for the lighting. The following two images are just single exposures, but they are satisfactory. At least I think so.

Sue changes the decorations seasonally. Sometime after New Year, red and white for Valentines will be go on display, still combined with snowmen and such because winter will still hold sway. Then Easter and spring will follow before summer and fall as the circle goes round and round. But Christmas is the best. I wasn't in the mood for Christmas until the displays went up, but now I am.

I am playing Christmas music at the moment as a matter of fact.