Posts Tagged ‘retail’

Tysons Corner Center Plaza Dedication

Tysons, Virginia

If you have been following me on social media, you know that I have been posting a lot from the new Tysons Corner Center Plaza. Last week was the dedication and opening of the newly constructed outdoor space adjacent to the shopping mall. This will definitely be a central meeting place for shoppers, workers, and residents in the new Tysons Corner area. With all the future plans designed around the new Silver Line Metro line, the development has been in full swing for the last few years. This plaza dedication is an important milestone for those that have been involved. So much went into the planning, designing, and building of structures. Now they are rising to make a new northern Virginia skyline.

Tysons-Corner-Plaza-©TimeLine-Media
Tysons-Corner-Plaza-©TimeLine-Media

Dedication Ceremony

When standing in the plaza, there is a great sense of space above you. With three large buildings that will contain offices, apartments, and a hotel respectively, you are impressed by their scale! But with the large open plaza, it does not at all feel confining or restrictive. The outdoor light that comes through the mall concourse invites mall visitors to come outside. With lots of benches, grassy areas, and sitting walls, there is plenty of room to host a large number of people without feeling crowded. With the opening, the plaza was very full of kiosks, and people playing games. Even with the nice weather, there was still plenty of room.

Tysons-Corner-Plaza-©TimeLine-Media
Tysons-Corner-Plaza-©TimeLine-Media

The speakers at the dedication spoke about how they see this being the center of business and commerce. They will come here to make connections that will further shape the future of the area which has seen so much growth and development already. I am confident that from what I have seen so far, the planners have done their job right! It is easy to see how they continue to smartly engineer buildings and spaces that allow access and community gathering for a busy and growing community.

Tysons-Corner-Plaza-©TimeLine-Media
Tysons-Corner-Plaza-©TimeLine-Media

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Photograph Christmas Decorations – Bokeh Masters Kit

Christmas gift in front of tree - ©TimeLine Media

Tysons Corner Center

Every year, the Christmas decorations that pop up in the malls and office buildings in the area signal the holiday season. The strings of lights that wrap around the trees and line overhangs make for some pleasing light. They are usually a very warm yellow, and the many small points of light put together, make it a very soft light in photos. These are great for people photos, which is another reason everyone takes photos by the lit Christmas trees during this season.

Christmas Tree and Choir at Tysons Corner Center - ©TimeLine Media
Christmas Tree and Choir at Tysons Corner Center – ©TimeLine Media

The small points of light can also be used to make some unique photos while they are up. Bokeh a Japanese word that photographers use to describe the out-of-focus areas in the background of photos. Having the background completely blurred will help pop your subjects out of the frame. The amount of blur depends on how open an aperture you set on your lens. Additionally how far your subject is from the background affects the blur. If you have your subject a fair distance from the background, and you place your lens very close, you will have a nice out of focus background. If you have Christmas lights in that background, the shape of the lights will take on the shape of the aperture of your lens to make a nice shape with each bulb.

Christmas Tree Lights

Christmas gift in front of tree - ©TimeLine Media
Christmas gift in front of tree – ©TimeLine Media

An early Christmas gift from my in-laws was this Bokeh Masters Kit. The kit has hard plastic discs with shapes cut out in the middle of each. There is also another plastic mounting piece that you fit over the lens. When you fit this over your lens, then setup your subject as before, the pin point illumination from the Christmas lights takes on the shape of the disc.

Bokeh Masters Kit

Bokeh Masters Kit
Bokeh Masters Kit

This was the first setup I tried, and it works as advertised! Obviously, I tried the star disc for this image. The boxes were about 5 feet from the tree, and the lens was set to f/1.4.  There was a large amount of vignetting from the lens which was expected since the holder was covering a portion of the lens edges along with the disc itself. But you can clearly see the stars from each of the lights.

Christmas gift in front of tree - ©TimeLine Media
Christmas gift in front of tree – ©TimeLine Media

I will have to try this with other subjects and setups, but this was a good start! With all of your decorations up inside your house and outside in your neighborhoods, there are lots of opportunities to try this out. Thanks to our friends at Encore Ballroom Couture for the gift and still-life subject!

Christmas gift in front of tree - ©TimeLine Media
Christmas gift in front of tree – ©TimeLine Media

TimeLine Media www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

German Christmas Market Photography

Tysons Corner Center - German Christmas Market - photo ©TimeLine Media

Last weekend, the Tysons Corner Center opened a German Christmas Market. Their setup was right outside a section of their mall for the first in what they hope will be an annual event. This is an especially festive way to do some of your holiday shopping!

Tysons Corner Center - German Christmas Market -  photo ©TimeLine Media
Tysons Corner Center – German Christmas Market – photo ©TimeLine Media

At this time there was an opening ceremony attended by dignitaries including Congressman Gerry Connelly. Also attending were Chairman Sharon Bulova, and Karl Berger from the German Embassy. On this occasion they introduced the concept of the market. It is inspired by traditional markets in the City of Dresden, Germany.

Karl Bergner, Cory Scott, Chairman Bulova, Congressman Gerry Connelly, Tommy McFly at Opening Ceremonies - photo ©TimeLine Media
Karl Bergner, Cory Scott, Chairman Bulova, Congressman Gerry Connelly, Tommy McFly at Opening Ceremonies – photo ©TimeLine Media

The ceremonies also included traditional holiday music performed live by a brass quartet, and the Sangerbund Choir. The stage was beautifully set with enormous German nutcrackers on each side. Additionally other holiday decor adorned the set. Santa also made a quick appearance to officially open the market!

Sangerbund Choir performing Christmas music -  photo ©TimeLine Media
Sangerbund Choir performing Christmas music – photo ©TimeLine Media
Saxphonist performing Christmas music -  photo ©TimeLine Media
Saxphonist performing Christmas music – photo ©TimeLine Media

With that, the music continued, and the shoppers started to stroll through all of the booths. All weekend shoppers visited the vendors to eat German foods, and look at all that was on offer. There were candles, jewelry, handmade crafts, clothing, antique maps, and photography. Even the weather couldn’t keep the people away from open-air market. It was a nice addition to all the options inside the mall!

Tysons Corner Center - German Christmas Market -  photo ©TimeLine Media
Tysons Corner Center – German Christmas Market – photo ©TimeLine Media
Tysons Corner Center - German Christmas Market -  photo ©TimeLine Media
Tysons Corner Center – German Christmas Market – photo ©TimeLine Media

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

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