September Moon, September Storm

Distant Lightning and Full Moon [Canon 5D]
Rockport, Maine -- September 26, 2007
(click in the image for a larger version)

Here's another shot of the incredible view from my friend Amy's house in Rockport, Maine. This was taken about an hour and a half after the photo from yesterdays post. This is a 69-second exposure  and the long exposure time really shows the cloud motion very well. The aperture was f/16, which is significant for this shot because the use of a small aperture created the "starburst" effect on the full moon.

I chose the small aperture for two reasons; One was to get that starburst effect on the moon, and the other was to force the use of a long shutter speed. By this time it was much darker than it was earlier in the evening, the storm clouds were rolling in.  I wanted the long exposure time to lighten up the areas of the sky that were still clear, and also to allow for more time to catch the elusive bolts of lightning in the distant storm. Most of the processing was done in Lightroom with some additional dodging, burning and contrast control applied in Photoshop.

Book News: I received my author copy of The Creative Digital Darkroom today and it looks wonderful! After all the work that goes into a book project like this, it's so satisfying to finally hold it in your hands. The fact that my copy has arrived means that online orders should start shipping and it should be appearing on bookstore shelves very soon.

*Upcoming Workshops *

My next workshop will be a 5-day class called, coincidentally, The Creative Digital Darkroom, March 17 -€“ 21 at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre in sunny south Florida. Based on the new book, this hands-on class is focused on exploring essential creative digital darkroom techniques for photographers. Short photo field sessions will also be featured on some days to practice critical exposure skills with digital SLR cameras. Click the course title above to learn more or to register for this class.