Christmasville in Rock Hill, SC

​      One of the events I look forward to each year in Rock Hill is the downtown area being transformed into a winter wonderland, despite the lack of snow. Being originally from Syracuse, NY (usually wins the prize for snowiest city in the nation) I'm much happier with the fake snow they provide at this event....I don't have to shovel it! The amount of time and coordination for an event like Christmasville must take hundreds of elves along with the magical leadership of Mrs. Claus and Santa. There are a TON of activities going on all weekend long from Thursday-Sunday. This includes cookie decorating workshops (I'll have to try this next year as I ALWAYS burn my cookies), Tea time with Mrs. Claus, the Children's Museum Celebration, a Fezziwig Ball, Horse Drawn Carriage Rides, Santa's Toy Workshop, Train Rides, Trolley Tours, Pony Rides, Window Exhibit contests, a ton of street entertainers, book stories with The Grinch, and so much more. If you want to know more so you can plan your trip here for the 2018 year take a look at www.christmasvillerockhill.com for a list of the events.
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    Both my 3 year old son and 5 year old daughter had an AMAZING time at Christmasville. I brought my Nikon D5500 and iphone 8 with me to capture each moment as we enjoyed our little town turning into the North Pole. You can see our adventures in the images above. If you aren't sure you should attend this next year, just go and you won't be disappointed. You do not need to spend any money as the event is FREE, but there are fees to ride the carnival rides and ice skating rink. There is a huge tent you can walk though to buy local products as gifts and Amelie's Cafe was open for the most mouth watering eclairs! There are also a lot of food tents if you come very hungry. I actually wish I got more pictures, but there is so much going on that it's really hard to capture it all!

Photography Tip: Use an aperture of 2.8f or less when you want bokeh (blurred background) in a portrait. Most of the street characters I took pictures of as I strode through main street had bokeh because of the aperture I was using. If you want an image of the street and more of your image in focus you should choose a higher aperture.  Remember when you are at an event with your family to not only take pictures, but also enjoy the experience. If you aren't getting the images you visualize don't get frustrated. Every time you press the shutter you are learning more about how your camera works. If you are using your camera in auto then you are not taking control of you camera. If you want more control and less frustration, take my Introductory Photography Class that I offer. Click here for more info.
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