Full Moon, Burlingame, CA

Ok, so this isn't a shot from this morning. My schedule is a little jumbled with travel this week - and yesterday was not a smooth travel day, leaving me completely knackered, so I slept in. However, I did grab a hasty shot of last night's full moon just as the sun began to set.

I would have liked a different composition, something where the moon was more the subject and not the backdrop. But I was scrambling just to get some shot of the moon before it rose too high and lost its amber glow. But I consider myself lucky to have walked away with something.

Full Moon Rising, Burlingame, CA

Processing notes: 9 exposures, EV-4 to EV+4, tone mapped in Photomatix. Final color and contrast adjustments in Apple Aperture.

Julian

Yup...this isn't quite a Sunday morning shot, but Sunday nonetheless. Couldn't find the muse to get up this morning for a photo, no doubt in part to a sheer lack of planning this week. However, a half-day trip out to Julian for some apple picking provided ample photographic opportunities. The Jonagold apples are delicious!

Barn, Apple Star Orchard, Julian, CA

Processing notes: I bracketed the photos, but ended up using the EV-1 exposure. Light treatment in Aperture to sharpen the barn and remove a couple of distractions (mainly signage).

Motion & Stars

Let's be frank - the photos this week are basically junk. There's nothing compelling about them - to the point that I almost didn't bother with a blog post this week. However, I do like the idea that I've kept my promise to myself and made the effort to create a photograph each Sunday. Also, these particular photos are experiments for me - it could be interesting to look back on these in a few months or years and see how I've progressed (hopefully forward progression :).

So that explains why I am posting them. How did I end up with these pictures today? The plan was for sunrise shots of a stone dam. However, when I reached the site, the trail head leading to the dam is chained over - the dam is undergoing a restoration and reconstruction. And although I did venture in a short ways, it was quickly clear that I wasn't going to have a serene scene of a dam and its reflective quarry. And, unfortunately for me, construction equipment doesn't hold my interest.

As I walked back toward my car, I noticed this swooping curve in the road. I figured I may as well practice capturing light trails - something I've done little of. Of course, at 6:00am there's little traffic to be had. Ironic - I found myself wishing for traffic.

I patiently waited as the occasional car passed by and took several exposures trying to time the shot to put the light trails on different segments of the road. I would blend the shots together later in post. And that's just what I did. The end result:

Light trails, several photos blended in Perfect Layers

My first time capture of stars, big deal (for me :)

And a parting shot - actually he first one I took this morning - literally on my front step. Why am I excited about this? When I stepped out of the house, the sky was exceptionally clear. Even with the few street lights in my neighborhood, I could clearly see the stars.

This is the first time I've captured stars in camera. I only took a single shot, about a 75sec exposure at ISO 1000. Certainly more experimenting is in order. Zooming in, I can see movement in the stars.

So I'm excited. I love seeing star trails from other photographers. And now, even in my "urban" setting, I can practice this on my own. And an excuse to fiddle with the interval shooting settings on my D7000.

Blue Sky Reserve

Owl perched in Blue Sky Reserve, Poway, California

The Blue Sky Reserve in San Diego County is several hundred acres abutting Mount Woodson. There's a nice hiking trail through the valley, with forks to Lake Poway, Ramona, and the mountain itself. Although this morning, I barely went farther than the trail head.

The sun was on the rise, some of the oranges finding their way around a low hanging wall of clouds blocking the sun's direct rays. I found a gnarled tree and started setting up for the shot. It will make for a nice silhouette against the colors of the morning sky.

Suddenly, an owl swooped in and perched on the upper branches of the tree. I was no more than 10 feet from the tree, and didn't want to scare the owl away. But desperately wanted it in the frame. I frantically, yet quietly, finished setting up the camera and tripod and started taking exposures.  Thankfully, Mr. Owl didn't seem to mind me at all. The clicking of my shutter and his symphony of hoots interweaved in an otherwise silent landscape.

Mere moments after the photo above, the hoots of a second owl joined our orchestra. In a flash, another owl flew in toward the tree - Mrs. Owl, I presume. Mr. Owl launched from his perch, the pair circled each other once, then flew off toward the rising sun. I was so captivated, I didn't capture it with the camera. But when I look at this picture, I still see the two owls heading off toward the orange glow of sunrise.

Star Of India

The tall ships are in San Diego harbor this Labor Day weekend. Being at the harbor before 6am has it's advantages - ample parking, no crowds - and this morning a fantastic sky. A great expanse of clouds, with a perfect blend of moonlight and pre-sunrise glow.

I walked up and down the harbor front several times, checking out the various ships. The visitors are nice, but the Star Of India continues to impress.

Star Of India, San Diego Harbor

Processing notes: 2 manual exposures lightly blended in Perfect Layers. Stylization in Perfect Effects (color boost and tonal contrast), with finishing touches in Apple Aperture (definition and a little dodging).