Every year during the month of December, the Garfield Park Conservatory in Indianapolis is decked out in holiday decor, highlighted by displays of poinsettias; trees and plants festooned by thousands of lights; and model trains that pass through miniature towns whose structures and people look to be from another era of time.
In a way, my visit to the conservatory Friday was a trip to another time. I had not been there in the month of December since my children were still small and sang in our church's cherub choir. Back then, the cherub choir would learn a program of seasonal carols and perform a handful of shows at a few places in the community. Some venues for the shows would change from year to year, but one of the static sites was the conservatory, with the colorful poinsettias and holiday decorations serving as a beautiful backdrop.
Near the end of each December, to launch the beginning of extended hours of "Christmas at Garfield," the conservatory throws a special event, "Candlelight Crossing." In addition to providing live harp music and making snacks, cookies and beverages available to visitors, Candlelight Crossing (and the extended hours for the rest of the display's duration) enables you to see these exhibits after dark, where the light displays really stand out -- and beg for photographers to capture it in images.
This year's "Candlelight Crossing" was Friday, and I visited as an outing with members of the photo club I belong to. On this evening, even the condensation on the conservatory windows proved to be of photographic interest. The images you see here are from that trip.
As always, click on a photo to view a larger, sharper version. To see a gallery of all photos from this shoot, visit my site at SmugMug.com.
Thanks, Joe, for all the great exposure you give Garfield Park. We're lucky to have you live close by.
ReplyDelete