For the past several years I've had the privilege of working on the Public Affairs Committees for the Mesa Easter Pageant and the Mesa Temple Christmas Lights. It's very humbling to serve with some incredibly creative and dedicated people. One of the perks of the "job" is being able to get behind the scenes and photograph in some unique situations.
     During the hot Arizona summers I start looking forward to some cool, or cold, weather. Photographing the Temple Christmas lights presents some unique challenges. Not only am I dealing with the usual aspects of large format photography, I'm doing it in the dark and sometimes in challenging weather. I can't say that the cold here is that much of a challenge or I'll be laughed at by people from non-desert climates.
     The Temple Christmas lights attract tens of thousands of people and getting nice images in a crowd is nearly impossible. I'm fortunate to be able to go before sunrise and turn on the lights and shoot, usually by myself. I've taken a few family members and friends along and it's a special experience to be at the Temple, nearly alone, to feel the Spirit and enjoy the lights and Temple in peace.
     Shooting before sunrise means I've got to compose the image, set the camera and lens, and meter the scene, all in the dark with the aid of a small headlamp.  Exposure times with the large format camera are sometimes long, but in pre-dawn light they end up being about one minute in length. There is a short time where the light on the Temple and the light in the sky create a nice balance. That window of opportunity can be as short as 10 minutes, and I shoot the entire time. Only after the film is developed do I find out which image is best.
     Two of these images won't be able to be recreated. The small animals aren't used any more and the reflection pool has been resurfaced, creating a different look.