06/01/2026
Childhood Magic
This week’s Beauty of Stockton image captures the carousel at Pixie Woods, which has brought joy to hundreds of thousands of children over the decades. Its beautifully crafted, hand-painted horses date back to the 1920s, and the carousel became a treasured part of the park shortly after Pixie Woods opened on July 23, 1954.
With summer arriving and the park preparing to celebrate its 72nd season, Kevin wanted to capture not only the beauty of the carousel itself, but also the sense of wonder it creates for the children who ride it. To achieve that feeling, he used a photographic technique called panning—often seen in sports photography—to convey motion within a still image. The swirling colors, streaks of light, and a child’s joyful smile combine to capture the magic, excitement, and timeless fantasy that make the carousel such a cherished part of the Pixie Woods experience.
