Rise of The Blue Moon Blue Moon is term for the second full moon in any given month. The phrase ‘once in a blue moon’ is supposed to indicate a rare event – thought the blue moon sighting is actually once or more in around 3 years. And no - the blue moon is no where near blue. Actually it was having a more warm yellowish glow as it was rising behind the Mt Hood. This shot was from Jonsrud view point at Sandy, Oregon during the blue moon of Aug 31,2012. Photographing the moon at times can be quiet intimidating. U might be tempted to treat it as night photography. the moon being a source of light can appear just as a white blob if not exposed properly. If you are planning to shoot just the moon, then a long zoom and couple of tips could get your started. Shooting it along with the landscape required a bit of planning. The moon slated to rise just 30 mins prior sunset, created a very conducive and magical light. The beautiful colors were just as such and created by the alpine glow of the setting sun on the opposite side. This shot required some pre work ; being at the right place and at the right time made all the difference. The Photographer's Ephemeris (TPE) available for both desktop (requires Adobe AIR) and mobile greatly helped in finalizing the shooting spot and the location / time of the moon rise across the horizon. Enjoy the blue moon as it rises :) P.S: This was taken from the same spot from where this sunrise was shot, wow how much of a difference light can make !
Twilight Colors of Sunset It was one of the strongest & vivid sunset that I witnessed recently. Twilight - the time of day between light and darkness, whether that’s just after sunset, or just before sunrise – is one of the best times to enjoy natures splashing of colors. The light from the sky appears diffused and often pinkish. The sun’s rays from below the horizon are scattered by atmosphere and clouds to create the colors of twilight. Of course the location and the season also plays intricately into the effect. I am loving these Oregon summer sunsets, just after the afternoon thunderstorms – the ones that are so rare, the ones that have the potential to burst into a million shades or just blend out flat into the horizon.
Myrtle Falls adorning the Majestic Mt Rainier One weekend - 2.5 days, 500 miles of drive, 5 miles of hiking, one national park, camping in the woods, sleeping under the stars, one broken car charger, one dead mobile by end of 1st day, one dead camera by 2nd - a memorable visit to Mt. Rainier National Park. As I’m going thru and processing the images, wanted to share a happy summer shot from the trip. This week is a classical view of Mt Rainier along with Myrtle falls, from the heart of paradise area. My initial plans was to reach the spot for sunrise which did not work out. Actually it was so overcast and misty that the visibility was literally less than 2 feet during the early morning. By the time I reached the trail head it was around noon and the sun had decided to smile. I was glad to have hiked up to this sweet spot. The scattered clouds helped diffuse the light well enough to capture the moment – with the silky flow and even a small rainbow. The processing on this RAW shot was minimal (Lightroom) - decreased a bit of exposure, increased clarity and added a little vignette to focus on the falls. Feel free to share with the links below if u like the shot :) Incase you are interested with the details (not sure how many would be!) Camera : Canon 7D Lens : Tamron 18-270mm Filter : Circular Polarizer + 3 stop Neutral Density Filter ISO 100 : 18 mm : f22 : 0.3 sec
