Dreaming of a Grumpy Christmas

Richard Lautens, Staff Photographer

 

One of the great things about this job is the opportunity to get a jump on upcoming events.  Newspapers generally must work a day ahead of the news to be able to publish stories in a timely manner.  Sometimes it is a curse and sometimes it can work in your favour.

Particularly with having two children, I am a big fan of seasonal holidays.  We are always working on stories for a holiday that may yet be a month away.  Today I am working in the studio with kids and Christmas trees for an upcoming special section. 

The biggie of course was last Sunday’s Santa Claus parade.  To be surrounded by 500,000 people and at least 10 times that number of sequins can really get you in the Christmas spirit.

The best part of covering the parade was not having to sit on a curb for 4 hours before the event with children asking alternately for a bathroom and for Santa.  All those who did, generally don’t look very happy.  From a photography standpoint, pictures of cold, grumpy kids with reindeer antlers don’t really reflect the spirit of the season.

Fortunately, when the Big Man himself arrives, the expressions become magic.

Below are a series of photos taken before Santa arrived.  For a web gallery of happy Santa pix see http://www.thestar.com/fplarge/photo/726178.

 

 

 

In the spirit of the season, please consider donating to the Star Santa Fund at http://www.thestar.com/topic/SantaFund.  For a century, the Star has been giving Christmas packages to tens of thousands of kids each year.

Richard Lautens/Toronto Star