Margaret and Mike de Salaberry once again brought Mrs. Claus and Santa Claus to life in the Osoyoos Christmas Lite-Up parade. (Richard McGuire Photo)
Osoyoos Christmas Lite-Up marks the start of the Christmas season in Osoyoos, even though some stores elsewhere put up lights and play Christmas music as soon as Halloween is over.
This year’s event, including the parade down Main Street, was held on November 29, a little earlier than some years.
Photographing this event is always a challenge because it’s dark out and fingers get frozen easily in the cold. Over the years that I photographed this event for the Osoyoos Times, I developed a technique that combines low-light, high-ISO photography with a bounced flash.
This year the photography was especially challenging because the event was barely a week after I had cataract surgery and I was shooting with my operated eye for the first time — and it’s not my normal photography eye.
It’s now been more than a year since I left the Osoyoos Times in November 2018 and have, in part, been supporting myself with my photography. Thank you to the many people, both in Osoyoos and elsewhere, who have helped me move forward with this dream.
Richard McGuire
Click on thumbnails to view as gallery with larger images:
The Okanagan International Chorus conducted by Lloyd Fairweather sang Christmas carols in front of Osoyoos Home Hardware before the Christmas Lite-Up parade. (Richard McGuire Photo)
The Okanagan International Chorus conducted by Lloyd Fairweather sang Christmas carols in front of Osoyoos Home Hardware before the Christmas Lite-Up parade. (Richard McGuire Photo)
The Lowther Electric float in the Christmas Lite-Up parade featured colourful costumes and a lit-up tree. (Richard McGuire Photo)
The Osoyoos Festival Society float carried Santa and Mrs. Claus, Osoyoos Ambassadors and a few reindeer. (Richard McGuire Photo)
The Osoyoos Festival Society float carried Santa and Mrs. Claus, Osoyoos Ambassadors and a few reindeer. (Richard McGuire Photo)
Children waved from a fire truck at the end of the Osoyoos Lite-Up parade. (Richard McGuire Photo)
People watch the Christmas Lite-Up Parade from in front of Osoyoos Home Hardware. That tree with lit up branches was a new feature this year. (Richard McGuire Photo)
