Miracle on 34th Street, Hampden, MDHere a black SUV sits on the street in Baltimore. The Hampden 34th Street is a block in the city where every home is lit up in Christmas lights. 2017 is the 71st year of this event!

One of my favorite composition techniques is to tell the story in a reflective surface.

Reflections give a distorted view of the scene often making me and the viewer look closer.

Here a black SUV reflected the lights from different angles and so the eye has a different perspective of the street depending on which surface you are viewing. From the back of the SUV you can tell both sides of this street is lined with light covered houses. From the side, you can see that they are row homes with porches. From the lights showing across the street you get that gentle bokeh casting of being just out of focus.

Centered to the back side window, a lit Nativity scene with a star. 

This is "The Miracle on 34th Street" Hampden, MD, which is a Baltimore location. 2017 marks the 71st year of this event. An entire block of city townhomes that sparkle in lights from head to toe. They light up around the 30th of November and run through the 30th of December every night. The street remains open to car traffic which allows you to drive through the block. Parking is premium around the neighborhood and sidewalks are bursting to the seams. There are no outside vendors.

Of my favorites is a home that features the mustaches man from Natty Boh, a local beer, and the girl from the Utz potato chips. Other highlights include a hub cap tree, a big lit up red crab and a tree decorated in angels made from recycled Natty Boh beer cans.