Hard to believe the year is nearly over and we have arrived to the month of December. The fall season seemed to go slow and fast at the same time, kept waiting for marvelous color but was not able to see the vibrate colors of multiple tree species at one time. Majority of the trees in the Midwest turned brown fairly quickly while some of the soft maples turned a wonderful yellow. Most of the oak trees still have leaves, not sure if they are waiting for the first significant snow fall or not. This month we are going to avoid the normal snow and bald eagle or ice hockey image, so let me know if you like this months selections.

Last month I mentioned about spending a little time on the Blue Ridge Parkway, this was my first visit to the Parkway and while I was hoping for great fall colors I learned I was a few weeks early. As usual, my ideas of time were way off base for a location I had not visited previously and a trip I expected to take two days for the 469 miles was nearly three days and I have not driven over 165 miles yet. Along the way I was able to meet some wonderful people and was shocked on my last day to meet another photographer at sunrise who actually lives less than 50 miles from me, what a small world we live in! A full-blown visit to the park would take a week or longer with a camera in hand making stops at most overlooks. Looking forward to the time when we can make that trip reality.

Our first image is from the Blue Ridge Parkway, my first sunrise which I almost left before it began. Not knowing the area well, I decided to be at an overlook about two hours before sunrise. I was greeted with heavy clouds and while numerous people arrived and left based on conditions; for some reason I decided to hold out before looking for additional photo locations. Luck was on my side when I met a fellow photographer who was from South Carolina. He mentioned that weather conditions in the area change fairly quickly and we might be able to see the sun and he was going to hang out and wait. Luck was on our side and the wind picked up and cleared the thick clouds and left us with light clouds moving in and out of the area very quickly. This was witnessed for most of the morning; something I have not experienced previously, so it was a great time. Hopefully you enjoy a black and white version from the morning. The mobile image this month is also from this image. Camera Data: 14mm 1/160 sec F5.6 ISO6400 If you want to learn more about the park, visit https://www.nps.gov/blri/index.htm

Decided for the second image to give you some Christmas spirit from the East Peoria Festival of Lights parade and jolly Santa Claus. The East Peoria Festival of Lights was the 2020 CHAMPION of the Heavyweights Division of ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight and they are hoping for large crowds this year to enjoy the Winter Wonderland drive-through display. This year marks the 37th year of the annual festival, if you plan on visiting make sure you plan on spending considerable time in line on the weekends. Camera Data: 70mm 1/160 sec F8 ISO50 Here's a link to help with your planning: https://www.cityofeastpeoria.com/149/Festival-of-Lights

Here's a link to download the appropriate version of this month's image for your desktop, one for standard screens and one for wide-screens along with a Mobile Phone Image. For desktop computers or tablets, Right click on the text for the format you need and select Save As, save to a location on your device and change the background as needed for your OS.

For Mobile devices, most mobile phones are straight forward to download images but Apple users might need a few tips.
Apple iOS Downloads - click the Mobile Phone link to open the image:
Without 3D Touch enabled - tap and hold on the image, select Save Image
With 3D Touch enabled - tap and hold but with no pressure on the screen, select Save Image

If anyone has problems or questions with their mobile device, let me know and I will try to assist.

http://www.timlesterimages.com/calendar/december.html

Enjoy the images this month and let me know if you have any questions and comments!

Tim Lester

TIM LESTER IMAGES
Email: tim@PROTECTED
Website: www.timlesterimages.com
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