| - Photos/Video - |
| -2009-2008 Display Photos- Our 2008 Hi-Resolution full display photo 2006-2007 Photo Archives 1998-2005 Photo Archives |
| Click image for hi-res photo |
| Our Display is so wide that we cannot get a straight-on photo in just one frame. We take multiple frames and then use software to stitch them together to make the full photo. Usually we use the "panorama" method where the camera stays in one spot and we rotate the camera on the tripod to get the multiple shots. This year (2008) we also tried a "parallel" photo, where the camera is moved down the line of the display and always points straight at the display and doesn't rotate. This is difficult to do with anything that has depth, because objects move relative to each other due to parallax errors. In the two photos above, you can see the parallel version above the panorama version. (Hi-res versions: parallel panorama). Note that in the parallel version the American flag and the star over the Severns home are visible, where they are not visible in the panorama photo. But... if you look at the hi-res version of the parallel photo, you will see that our houses are really messed up. Andy has two front doors and my house has two dining room windows. There are multiple things that have to be done to get this photo. 1) Write a LOR sequence that turns on the proper lights at the proper intensity. Some things we don't want turned on for the photo, such as the layered colors on the bushes and tree trunks , the snow machine, Rudolf's spotlights, etc. Some items need to be toned down. The arches are set to 40% and they are still very bright. The American flag was set to 50% and it probably should have been set at 30% 2) Find a time of day where traffic won't be a problem. Evenings are out. I took these photos at 6:00 am. Just me and the Pease's cat, Raja. 3) Get a good camera. I used a Canon Digital Rebel SLR. Manual mode: ISO 200 f5.6 shutter 0.6 sec, seven second timer on a tripod. |
| 12-20-08 Look what Santa brought! Unfortunately, Santa only brought it for a visit and he took it away after about an hour.... "Santa" was actually a Tesla Engineer who brought the car over late Saturday night for photos and test drives. Thanks Bill! This car is Tesla Roadster VP-13 (VP = Validation Prototype). VP-13 is the same car that I test drove last summer, but it has since been retrofitted with the new production power train (1.5) and it is now insanely quick off the line (0-60 < 4 sec). Bill put it through it's paces with me in the passenger seat. A few cloverleafs and some freeway on-ramps had me wearing the "Tesla Grin". I gotta get me one of these! Oh wait.... I am getting one of these! But let me be clear. I will not be getting an orange one. I call it the "Trix Tesla" (Rasberry Red, Lemon Yellow and Orange Orange). Note: The Tesla Roadster is ALL-ELECTRIC with a 244 mile range. It is powered by 6,831 Li-Ion AA laptop batteries. Our last year's electrical surplus would drive this car for 11,000 miles FOR FREE. Delivery expected in late June 2009. |
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| Michael Duarte - 12-10-09 |
| Michael Duarte - 12-10-09 |
Tesla Night 2009 - Photo by DG
Tesla Night 2009 - Photo by Jim Howard
| 2009 - Snow machine and snow coin slot |
| 2009 - Ginger Bread Man from Shrek (Gingy) & view of Mega Tree out of the Severns Living Room window. |
| -2010 Display Photos- |
| Our New pure-white icicles at 20% power. |
| Icicles at full power. Note the difference between the reindeer and the icicles. The reindeer are white incandescents. |
| Santa in our upstairs window. He waves, eats cookies, checks his list, and hauls presents around. |
| Tesla Night 2010 Including matching funds, we raised over $2,500 that night for the food bank giving rides with 6 Tesla Roadsters. More pictures here (All Tesla photos by Mark Kendall) |