Moonrise at Sunset

Sometimes, the Moon is so good to me, and I'm not sure what I've done to deserve it! 

Having read that, you're smirking, I know. In fact, you're likely thinking, "Crazy Moon lady!"

But it's true.

I have considerably less time to run around with my Pentax nowadays, and much of what you see on this blog and my social networks was shot with a smartphone. Indeed, many wonderful things can be done with newer smartphones photographically, not to mention the fact that the limitations they provide may help in finding creative solutions.

Yet, when it comes to certain subjects, those limitations are just that. One of the most obvious ones is the Moon. Using a telephoto or at least a macro lens provides the necessary detail. Then there is the obvious number of other light-related functions: from shooting on bulb exposure at the darkest hour to playing around with the depth of field and the ISO. 

But, most important, the subject has to be there and look right, too. A little bit of science, a little bit of art.

That is what occurred tonight at sunset, when I happened to be outside and happened to have brought my camera with multiple lenses along. And that is why I thanked the Moon for being such an agreeable subject. Easier to work with than some humans, I tell you!

Finally, as is now customary, here is the looping six-second Vine of tonight's Moonrise.  Normally, I shoot these with a smartphone, as opposed to assembling them from photos (I'll do this, too!), hence the difference in appearance. Now, imagine me with multiple cameras, lenses, and tripods getting weird looks from the passers-by. 

"Crazy Moon lady!" - they thought, just like you.

Endless November Rain

If this month were to be described musically, it would be a mashup between Guns'n'Roses and X-Japan: Endless November Rain.

It is about relearning, once again, to discern the subtleties of the grayscale, where most of the time the world around fluctuates between 40% and 60% black. 

It is also about appreciating the remaining—and rapidly vanishing—bits and pieces of color that won't reappear until Nature wakes up again in the spring. 

It is the time when reflections are everywhere. 

In the puddles, extending the world into a hall of mirrors. 

And in your mind, grasping the meaning of the year gone by.

By now, some of that year is a fleeting memory, like those drying puddles beneath your feet covered with shed leaves.

Rain is Gone, but Clouds Swirl

Clouds swirl over the tree tops, and how different they do look in the span of 24 hours!

One timelapse depicts cotton-like clouds over hazy, near-colorless mountain peaks. Counterintuitively, it is as if these soggy trees are smoking.

The other shows clouds dissipate at sundown over the woods to reveal brilliant sunshine.

October Moons

The first crescent images are from the beginning of the month. I wanted to capture something that I'd call reversed scale: giant autumn leaves and a tiny Moon. 

This blurred photograph, thanks to a shallow depth of field, with a resultant sea of gold in subtly different shades, turned out to be a surprise favorite of mine, though likely too abstract for the viewer.

And this timelapse of last week's half-Moon with wispy clouds veiling over it is dreamy enough to compensate for the current rainy cloud cover and staying indoors.

Almost.

Last Days of Golden Autumn (Part II)

Remaining autumn leaves flutter in the wind against the backdrop of a late October sunset.:

a) as a mobile still;

b) and as a now customary looping timelapse:

The dreariest of months, November, is almost here.

The Moon Lay Hidden...

The Moon lay hidden beneath a cloud...until timelapse revealed it.

This is my very first experiment using a telephoto lens attached to a smartphone.  All things considered, I'm pretty impressed. These lenses are not a replacement for, say, photographing wildlife up close and personal, but they're certainly a great supplement. Perhaps, you could even get away with just bringing a set along for travel. Normally, I have at least one carry-on just for a camera and a few lenses. Can you imagine how much space you'd save?

More experiments to come, since timelapse photography is quite addicting. Now if only platforms like Vine and Instagram didn't reduce the quality of large areas of solid color so much.

Storm Has Come

...and gone!

Sometimes, the weather in the Rocky Mountains changes rapidly.

This is even more evident with the help of a timelapse video. Watch the light change:

Now that I finally have a different tripod for a smartphone—instead of using random objects creatively—my timelapse addiction just might get worse!