Ward Family Annual Christmas Lego Build

As many of you know, going back a long time, we get a big Lego kit every year for our little family to assemble on or around Christmas day.  When Blair was a kid, they would stay assembled about one day (if that long) and then he’d take them apart to play with the Lego parts the rest of the year.  As he got into middle and high school, they stayed assembled.  Fast forward, he is now into his 30s and we’re still completing this annual family tradition.  So, you can probably imagine how many of these kits we have built sitting around the house.  We have our own mini-Lego museum in the house.

As a side note, during the early stages of COVID, I reassembled a Lego kit I got as a Christmas gift back in the late 1970s. 

As part of our family tradition, we take turns selecting which kit we get.  This was Blair’s turn, and he selected the Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon, which was the largest build we’ve ever completed.  Because it was so big, we actually started it around Halloween, did some more around Thanksgiving and Christmas weekends, and finished it up in early January.  We didn’t track it, but I’d guess it took over 30 hours…maybe longer. 

Every year, people ask me which kit we’re going to build?  Did we get it done?  How long did it take?  And the questions go on…. So, this year, we recorded the entire build via time lapse photography.  You can watch the entire build below.  Warning, it is a little over 13 minutes long….  But it gives you a look behind the scenes.  You’ll see we spend some time organizing the parts prior to building each step vs. dumping all the parts on the table.  Anyway, enjoy…..   

 Next year is MJ’s turn to select a kit…. Until then, have a great 2021!!

Peru Star Trails

This is my first ever attempt of photographing star trails.  As you probably know, I take hundreds (thousands, if I’m honest) photos on all our trips.  I don’t process them immediately after the trip.  I get bored of processing to many photos in a row from one spot.  So I jump around.  I’ll process 5 photos from NYC, then some from Florida, then some from Pittsburgh, etc…  You get the idea.  Anyway, that means sometimes is takes me a few years to process all the photos from a trip.  Why did I mention all that?

Well, back during our 2015 Peru trip, Michael and I went out one night to photograph the Milky Way.  The moon cycle and weather was perfect for star photography.  Plus that part of the world is great for Astrophotography.  I took a bunch of photos of the stars, Milky Way and the sky.  While I was there, I took a series of photos to create this star trail picture.  But the photos sat on my computer for almost 2 years before I processed them last night.  So my first attempt at star trails took 2 years to complete.   I hope you enjoy it. 

By the way, the structures in the foreground are ancient Incan building (thousands of years old). 

Have a great day. 

To view a larger version, click here:  https://500px.com/photo/199183387/star-trail-by-brook-ward?ctx_page=1&from=user&user_id=3695440

Milky Way From Peru

During our trip to Peru, I had a chance to take some photos of the night sky.  Luckily, the timing was right….meaning the moon cycle was perfect and it wasn’t cloudy.  On top of that, the Milky Way is about 70% bigger in the southern hemisphere….but don’t ask me why. 

This photo shows you about 30% of the Milky Way that was visible that night.  You could see the entire arch (like a full rainbow).  It was an amazing sight.   Sorry I couldn’t get the entire Milky Way in my shot.  It was just way to big.

By the way, the orange glow at the bottom is the city of Puno Peru in the distance, which created light pollution in my photo. 

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the photo above.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the photo above.

Milky Way

I’ve been talking about doing some star trails and Milky Way photos for a while.  Why I haven’t tried it before, I don’t know for sure.  I guess it’s just like other things people put off doing for no reason.  So last night, I just got the bug to go do it.  The moon was right, it was a clear sky, I wasn’t tired, and I tracked the Milky Way using Stellarium software.  Once I decided to go, I quickly threw my stuff in the truck and drove south looking for the darkest spot I could find.  Ideally, I should have used a light pollution map to find a spot that was perfect.  The problem is that “perfect location” really doesn’t exist on the east coast of the United States.  The best places are all out west.


Because of the hills and valleys around my area, I needed a spot on top of a tall hill or mountain.  So I found a cemetery on a hill about 15 miles south of my house.  Yes, I stood in a dark cemetery in the middle of the night photographing the stars.    


After getting back home, I spent some time researching how to process the images.  So the photo I’m sharing with you tonight is my first attempt at photographing the Milky Way.  I’ve got a lot to learn about this type of photography, but I don’t think it is terrible.  What do you think?

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the photo above.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, click the photo above.