'Tis the Season to be Jolly !

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Soriano family. The hustle and bustle of gift giving and re-gifting comes to an abrupt end but this season's chaos truly wanes on New Year's day.



The spirit of Christmas is in every LEGO brick of this 6 ton LEGO Christmas tree at LEGOLAND Florida. Half a million LEGO bricks later and 30 feet into the sky, adults and kids were bright eyed and bushy tailed to this magnificent spectacle. My kids spent 30 seconds at the LEGO Christmas tree and 2 hours at the LEGO store drooling at the goodies. So much for Christmas spirit...



One more week to return unwanted Christmas sweaters, redeem gift cards for that "real" present and horde once again for the after-Christmas shopping events until the adults get back to work and the kids return to school.



My children celebrate the trifecta of Christmas Day. Opening gifts at my mother's house, opening gifts again at my in-law's house and finally opening gifts in the Soriano household. Call it the triple threat of ear to ear smiles and wallet shrinking.



Cousin chaos returns. My favorite niece and nephew came for a visit for exactly 2 hours and 45 minutes. I savored every minute and second of this rare opportunity.



Gifts come in many forms but this gift is special. Wrapped in a diaper and this year's latest baby fashion, my soon to be 10 month old daughter is truly the best present under the tree.



Christmas is all about the kids. Adults have 364 other days to celebrate. Okay, maybe 363 days including birthdays.



The towering skyline of downtown of my family holiday photo does not compare to the unseasonably high temperatures this Christmas Day in Tampa, Florida. No snowstorms and winter gridlock but just mid 80 degree temperatures for my kids to enjoy. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!



You can view more pictures shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D in my Christmas 2011 Gallery.

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A Christmas Concert

'Tis the season for holiday school events filled with itchy Christmas sweaters and uncomfortable patent leather shoes. December brings winter break for my grade school kids but not without a glorious Christmas concert before the New Year.



Sing the classics en masse. A serenade of "Silent Night", "Feliz Navidad" and "Jingle Bells" blasted through the church with a welcoming and cringing audio feedback. Nothing says Merry Christmas like a deafening tone.



Crimson blossoms emerge from the angelic light yielding overwhelming power over their parents. Flashes pop and camcorders roll during these precious captured moments.



My 9 month old daughter mimics the Christmas melodies with her high pitched squeals of delight. She will soon join her "Hark the Herald Siblings Sing".



Organized chaos. This is what Christmas looks like on the outside. Look deep into the bewildered eyes of onlooking parents in the audience and you will discover the true meaning of Christmas. (Hint: It is not Apple devices or Canon gear.)



You can view the HTML 5 version of the above video in my Christmas Concert 2011 Gallery if your mobile device cannot play flash video. There are pictures as well shot with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II and EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lenses.



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A Pirate Christmas

The month of December brings cold weather, Christmas joy and pirates. Pirates, Santa and his elves to be exact. My daughter's Drama Club at her school performed their musical rendition of "A Pirate Christmas" to kick off the holiday season.



My daughter loves Christmas. The decorations, the carols and mostly receiving wrapped gifts are only on her short list. Costumed in her custom elf outfit designed by my crafty wife, my daughter personified the Christmas season in a 36 minute performance.



Santa and his elves encounter a bastion of greedy pirates who lost the spirit of Christmas, the spirit of giving rather than receiving. With several song and dance routines later, the pirates learn the true meaning of Christmas with the help from Santa and his elves. Sounds like a Hallmark made for T.V. moment.



Watch out Selena Gomez! My daughter may hit the big screen soon but of course the movie requires a serious Christmas holiday plot.



You can view more in my A Pirate Christmas Gallery shot with the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV paired with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II and EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lenses.



Stay updated with the latest HD DSLR gear by Becoming a Fan on my Facebook Fan Page and following me on Twitter!