Holy lights are closer to God?

The big story in town right now is the fact that the holiday lights that are around the Howard County Courthouse, which is in downtown Kokomo, are of a decidedly non-religious nature. Someone with the county made the decision that the lights on the lawn of the courthouse would not reflect Christian religion. (Separation of Church and State, it's only the first amendment) Apparently this decision and its ramifications have now gone national, particularly on cable tv. I wouldn't now, I don't have cable (maybe its for reasons like this).

I shot this Saturday night, but it's identical to the shot I did on Friday night.
I like it because I imagine the dinosaur is trying to eat all the lights.
And failing miserably.
Image copyright Erik Markov 2009

I really couldn't care one way or another what lights they put up, and most of this controversy sounds as tho it's being stirred up by people out of town. Someone in town (no one knows who supposedly) contacted Liberty Counsel, a "public interest" law firm affiliated with Liberty University of Jerry Falwell fame. Editors wanted a photo of the holiday lights, so Friday night after I shot my basketball game I stopped by the courthouse square to grab a picture.

Some creative zooming. Looking at this image makes me think
the dinosaur should be called Waldo because if you didn't know
what you were looking for, it could be tough to find the dinosaur.

Image copyright Erik Markov 2009

A few years ago, I had shot holiday lights for a lifestyle page a couple years in a row. It was fun to play around with something creative like that, but I didn't do it last year or this year because I had kind of exhausted all the nice images in the area.

I'm not sure why, but something about O.O.F.
Christmas lights is just pleasing to look at.
Image copyright Erik Markov 2009

After shooting that image at the courthouse, I was feeling creative so after my basketball game Saturday night, I went back over to the courthouse and played around a bit.

More zooming. Lights strung from the top of the
of the flag pole to form a tree and the courthouse
behind which has lights around the windows.
Image copyright Erik Markov 2009

Something I haven't really talked about before is the fact that I am a camera system bastard. Yes, it's true, I admit it. I've used Nikon gear for 20 years and for the past eight years I've shot Canon gear for the Tribune. Not something I dwell on, or really think about much. Just the way it is. Not relevant to this post, but my portrait lighting gear is Nikon-based, around SB-28 strobes. What I'm saying is, my photography equipment life is pretty convoluted.

Looking at the courthouse from an alley.
Image copyright Erik Markov 2009

It doesn't bother me much, I feel like I can get nice images which ever system I am using. But, I do feel like I am a bit more creative with my Nikon gear. Don't know why that is, maybe it's just because I've used it longer. Some of it may be that I specifically chose my Nikon gear knowing what I like to shoot, where as my Canon gear was given to me and chosen by someone else.

Point is, when I went over to the courthouse Saturday night, I shot the images with my Nikon gear since I was shooting it for myself. Anyway, it was nice to be creative for myself, knowing no one would complain I "zoomed" an image.

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