Morro Bay Christmas Boat Parade

Festooned with holiday lights and decorations, the boats traveled the harbor with choirs and horns. Many people, and one curious seal, viewed the spectacle with enthusiasm. For photographs of light and color, this was the place to be that night.

I was in full dunderhead mode and forgot my tripod, so I used the motor drive for most images in hopes that one of several exposures would be stable and sharp. The approach worked, with the additional benefit of allowing me to move freely and compose quickly without the encumbrance of the tripod. The long exposure was made with the camera stabilized on a pylon.