I just admit I never tire of getting out and trying to photograph Christmas decorations and trimmings in and about Siouxland. The bright, twinkling lights are uplifting and with other “bad” things in the news or happening, it is a bright spot (pun intended) for this holiday season. There still is some light in the world.
And it’s fun seeing people out enjoying the sights and winter activities, sans snow. It’s chilly, but not to terribly cold. In the Midwest and Siouxland, that is always a bonus this time of year.
There are a number of “Christmas celebrations” throughout the Siouxland region that give area residents a chance to enjoy the holiday and attend events that are fun for the entire family. A new event this year is the “12 Days of Christmas” held at the Sioux City Railroad Museum. It featured lighted outdoor displays and “train rides” on a miniature train as well as displays indoors and a chance for the youngsters to meet Santa.
Even on cold nights the cheery Christmas lighting and good mood that is set for the holiday at such events makes this time of year more memorable and folk should thank the local organizations and volunteers that make it possible to put such events on that are open to the public. While not extensive, with enough varied entities providing such entertainment it makes the build up to the big day all the more palpable for the little ones and those still young at heart.
I know having listened to classical music over the years there is a reference to “variations on a theme” in music, when a piece of it is used repeatedly in a production. I sometimes wonder as photographers if we create our own variations of a theme when photographing a subject and trying to approach it with different compositions and other ways of seeing the subject, similar yet not the same. I will do this on various shoots in and around Siouxland as I look for subjects or places I want to explore visually.
At the Gene Leahy Mall near downtown Omaha, NE a bronze figure head was installed in an area near what might be considered a reflection pool, created by Omaha artist Jun Kaneko. On a recent trip to the city and the mall in particular, I and a few other photo enthusiasts worked our magic in trying to capture images. I arrived a bit earlier than the others attending a photo walkabout sponsored by a local camera store. I was hoping to incorporate some sunset sky on some images before the sky just became black.
And I also tried just photographing the head and its reflection in just black and white. I know many photographers will shoot in color and then just remove it. I prefer to shoot in black and white and create the image in camera. Forcing myself to spot on with my thought process. In for a penny and in for a pound. I find shooting in raw and then converting hedging one’s bets. Yes, it gives one more creative freedom later but in film days, one either captured the image in camera, or not.
And I was lucky there was little wind that evening with little to no movement in the water near the head. Photographing from different angles and incorporating various backgrounds like lit “Christmas trees”, or trees with Christmas lights was a nice way to spend part of an early evening and enjoying festivities as the days slowly count down to Christmas Day.
Christmas comes but once a year, every year, reminding folk the “reason for the season” as the clever phrase or jingle is oft used. Even in Siouxland the Christmas spirit emanates everywhere. And depending on one’s bent, happy holidays, merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or other faith-based or not celebratory greetings are used.
And it’s not a bad thing to wish another person a joyous day or year. All people deserve kindness and respect although the world is filled with haters. Black and white, no shades of grey or reference to race, but just to good and evil. Life is filled with shades of grey but for one day it would be nice if folk were rise above the pettiness and loathing they may feel or desire to just let life be. And if people can, enjoy the day however and in whatever way it means to them. Some are more lucky than others in doing this, but a sense of peace is something everything should be entitled to.
Citing another oft used sentence: Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
During the Christmas holiday season many people put up Christmas light displays throughout the Siouxland region, as do others through the U.S. and the world. It’s fun to see the displays and enjoy the festive lights cheering up dark nights.
And sometimes those displays juxtapose themselves with nature that adds another dimension to the idea of a light display and makes a photographer feel lucky to capture such an image. During this time of year the blue hour is within a very short window of time. And trying to balance man-made lights with nature is not always easy. Seeing the moon rising brightly I was still a bit late in capturing it with a dark blue night sky. But I still enjoyed the light display and fun imagery it produced.
Every Christmas most every home goes out to find a Christmas tree here in Siouxland. It’s not 100% but probably close. I personally sometimes get a tree, and other times not. Over the years even my cats have enjoyed having something “new” in the house they can play with as it suits them. Occasionally at night I will here something rolling about the floor and then scampering. Sometimes I will call out, and other times I just roll over and hope that I will find only one ornament displaced and not broken.
So visiting places like the Durham Museum in Omaha, NE is pleasant, and I can experience a giant of a Christmas tree that sits inside a former Union Station, a hub of activity during the early railroad days and up through the second world war when massive troop deployment cycled through the station. Now it houses a local museum and Christmas every year displays a grand tree. One of these days I would like to make it down for the evening tree lighting when pandemic life returns to some kind of safe environment and normalcy, whatever that may be.
And the museum gets lots of visitors who do the same as I. I couldn’t imagine the amount of pine needles that is cleaned up afterwards. My trees are generally small, but somehow leave behind an inordinate amount of needles to clean up. But a small price to pay to enjoy a special time of year the meanings and joy this symbol gives.
During the holiday seasons I try to visit various places because of the displays that one can see at them and the work that goes into making visitors appreciate and enjoy such displays. I must say I am never disappointed with what I have seen at the Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha, NE. I can only guess that planning must start one to two years out as to what supplies, plants and other accoutrements are necessary for these delightful visions to take life.
The indoors gardens this year became a visual light play and can only be really appreciated as the sun sets and the lights seen in a darkened environment. And the fascination someone has with train sets as each year the trains that might be running out of doors at a display do shorter runs indoors the during Christmas season.
And I find it a marvel what is done with plants to create various scenes holiday or not and give visitors a chance to walk through and enjoy a small world away from the white noise that seems to be everywhere these days, if only for an hour or two. A brief respite in time to be a child again.
And sometimes I think the staff of the gardens can not possible out do what was done the year before and then am pleasantly surprised to enjoy a new experience and see how creatively plants can be used.
During the holiday season around Christmas it’s always a challenge to capture images of Christmas lights and decorations hoping to show them at their best and not in total darkness. Like taking photographs of people during the golden hour, the same somewhat applies to photographing the holiday decorations. And then one hopes that nature works in your favor and you get a nice sunset to help set off the holiday lights. Being prepared and ready to always good. But in these cases, being lucky isn’t a bad thing.
On a chilly evening when I would prefer to be at home having coffee in a warm house, the lure and allure of seeing Christmas lights in Siouxland is always a strong pull for me to get outside, bundle up and enjoy.
This year because of the coronavirus pandemic the Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve put up Christmas lights on walking paths instead of hosting its annual event where historical buildings on the property are opened up and children can visit Santa in its welcome center. And I always try my hand at capturing the lights. But sometimes it’s also fun to play with the light and just see shapes and designs.
I tried making a couple of exposures, one focused and the other slightly out handholding and guesstimating as best as I could my camera position. Basically making one exposure then racking the focus and making the second exposure. While maybe not totally successful, it was fun to see the results. Which I achieved through post processing by layering the two images and then blending them. Nothing ventured…..
I will be going out again to Adams Homestead to “hang out” with some fellow camera club photographers and will look to see what else I might find to experiment with and what kind of twist I can make on photographing these lights. One constant is that I go out 30-40 minutes earlier than my last trip as the sun keeps setting earlier which in my mind makes it easier to “brave the cold” while still enjoying the Christmas holiday.
Christmas celebrations in Siouxland as elsewhere takes on a different atmosphere this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Normally the Homestead would open its buildings up and upwards of a few thousand folk would pass through to visit and see Santa in the welcome center.
But Ranger Jody Moats this year decided it might be too risky for some folk and so with the help of volunteers strung a lot lights around the grounds allowing people to visit, outdoors and enjoy a Christmas light show.
Well, Ranger Moats and the volunteers put up a lot of lights and it makes for a festive walk through which will change once a little snow settles onto the ground casting back some reflective white surfaces for the lights to shine above. The walk will be a destination for people wanting to enjoy the Christmas spirit and a chance to forget about current affairs as they cautiously enjoy the lighted scenes at Adams Homestead.
I live in the Siouxland area that encompasses a wide swatch of land in northwest Iowa, northeastern Nebraska and southeastern South Dakota. The people that inhabit this area are generous folk and your basic honest, Midwestern people you like to have as neighbors. I explore the area and share observations, mostly photographic, sometimes through video, and and short text. All images and video are copyrighted material of the author.
Jerry Mennenga, Sioux City, Iowa
jerrylmennenga@yahoo.com
lostinsiouxland 