Photo of a tree decked out in Christmas lights at the Winter Lights display at Seneca Creek State Park in Gaithersburg, MD

Behind the Photography Scenes:
Upon entering the park, I got out of the car and headed across the street with my tripod. Five seconds later, I was back in the car with a stern warning from the park police not to stop or get out of the car. So I had to resort to other measures. As my husband drove, I stood in the back seat sticking my head out of the moonroof, snapping pictures as we drove along.

Wondering how I got the shiny "x" effect on all of the glittering lights? I attached a crosshatch filter to the front of my camera lens before taking the picture.

Keywords:
crosshatch filter, festival of lights, winter lights, christmas lights, holiday lights, holidays, christmas tree, christmas trees, maryland tourism, tourists, tourist, winter, family fun, children's activities, night photography, photographing lights, state parks, seneca creek state park, city of gaithersburg

Ref: 2007_6974 Winter Photos

Location: Seneca Creek State Park, Gaithersburg, MD

Photographer: Irene Abdou