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View 173: Moon Done Right

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Scott Thomas Photography

Last month I showed you how I tracked and photographed the Super Moon. I was not very happy with the attempt. One of the reasons why I wanted to take the Night Photography eClass. This week’s assignment was to photograph the Moon as it rose the night before the full moon. The weather which caused havoc all across the United States last weekend put those plans on hold. Using what I learned, I did take this photo last Friday night of the gibbous moon which was around 90% Full.

The Waxing Gibbous Moon. Nikon D700/80-400VR, 1/125s, f/11, ISO 200, EV +0.3, 400mm focal length, tripod.

This time I used the Nikon D700 digital SLR camera coupled with the Nikon 80-400mm VR Zoom lens to photograph the moon. Though I lost 200mm in reach not using a cropped camera, the resolving power of the larger 12MP sensor in the D700 made up for it. The fact that I was not guessing at the exposure this time helped the most.

This photo is much better and shows the moon’s surface features as it floated above me. I hope to get the moon rise or set later this year.

Posted in Weekly View | Tagged 80-400mm, astronomy, baldwinsville, gibbous, moon, new york, nikon D700, satellite, tripod, vr, waxing | 25 Comments

Blue Hour Facts

Posted on April 15, 2011 by Scott Thomas Photography

Here are some facts about this Blue Hour phenomenon:

It is not an hour long but more like 15 to 25 minutes.
Happens twice a day. Once before sunrise and after sunset.
Best seen 90 degrees from the Sun’s location.
Occurs no matter the weather.

The last one is something I had to prove to myself. The night after I read that it was cloudy. I grabbed my camera and tripod and headed out to a nearby pond. There, as I listened to the Spring peepers, ducks and geese who live there, I started taking photos every few minutes. For the first few photos, I got the dirty gray sky I could see. The later it got the more I wondered if the blue would come. Forty-seven minutes after sunset, I took this photo clearly showing what I had read was true. Clouds, fog, rain or snow does not stop Blue Hour.

Cloudy Blue Hour over a pond. Nikon D700/28-300VR, 30s, f/8, ISO 500, EV 0, 28mm focal length, tripod.

Because of the trees, I was not shooting at a 90 degree angle from the Sun’s location which you can see on the far right side of the frame. This photo does show you the blue graduation from the Sun in the west torwards the east.

To learn more about Blue Hour and Night Photogrpahy, see Kent Weakley’s Night Photography eClass. It was a a blast to do! Sign up today!!

Posted in Nature, Photography | Tagged 28-300mm, baldwinsville, blue hour, clouds, dusk, new york, nikon D700, pond, religion, silhouette, sunset, trees, tripod, vr, water | 24 Comments

Blue at Walt Disney World

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Scott Thomas Photography

Temple of Heaven after sunset in the China pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase, Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida.

Temple of Heaven, originally uploaded by Scott Thomas Photography.

Before I learned how to predict when the Blue Hour would happen. I would capture it by accident. When I set up for a classic night photo of the scaled version of the Temple of Heaven in the China pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase at Walt Disney World, I had no idea I would see a deep blue sky. To me, the sky looked black. Imagine my very pleasant surprise when I reviewed the image on my camera’s LCD screen of the result.

I used a tripod to secure the camera with the Nikon 18-200VR lens for 8 seconds at f/8, ISO 200, EV +0.3 and used the widest zoom of 18mm.

Posted in Travel | Tagged blue hour, china, epcot, florida, long exposure, night photography, Photography, temple of heaven, tripod, walt disney world, world showcase | 14 Comments

Art Deco at Its Finest

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Scott Thomas Photography

Syracuse, New York, boasts one of the best examples of the popular architecture design of the 1920’s and 30’s called Art Deco in the world. The building is registered by the U.S. National Register of Historic Places as the Niagara Hudson Building. To the locals, it is known as the Ni-Mo building and was the home to the largest electric company at the time the building was built back in 1932 called the Niagara Mohawk Power Utility Company. If you are thinking the Niagara part refers to the Niagara Falls, you are correct. I paid Ni-Mo for my home’s power consumption for years until National Grid took them over a few years back.

The Niagara Mohawk building in Syracuse, New York with its color lighting display. Nikon D700/28-300VR, 5s, f/22, ISO 200, EV 0, 38mm focal length, tripod.

At night the building is illuminated with powerful and colorful flood lighting. The colors change throughout the year to coincide with seasons, holidays and special events. These colors are enhanced by the exterior of the building which is made up of stainless steel, aluminum, and black glass.

Looking up the front of the Niagara Mohawk building in Syracuse, New York. Nikon D700/28-300VR, 25s, f/22, ISO 200, EV 0, 28mm focal length, tripod.

At the base of the tower is a 28-foot statue of a male figure with outstretched arms from which rays of light emanate called the Spirit of Light. An appropriate nod to the Age of Electricity and a time we owe all of today’s simple luxuries like indoor lighting, electric appliances and digital gadgets.

The Spirit of LIght statue looks out from the base of the Niagara Mohawk building's tower. Nikon D700/28-300VR, 30s, f/22, ISO 200, EV 0, 190mm focal length, tripod.

The colors you see here are what I saw and due to the types of lighting on the building, street lights and nearby buildings. People who live here know the Ni-Mo building looks a lot different in daylight. Something I need to show you in the future.

Posted in Travel | Tagged 28-300mm, aluminum, art deco, building, colors, company, energy, glass, historic, hudson, lighting, long exposure, new york, niagara mohawk, night photography, nikon D700, power, stainless, statue, steel, syracuse, tripod, utility, vr | 22 Comments

View 172: Blue in Syracuse

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Scott Thomas Photography

The first subject of the night photography eclass I am taking was on capturing the “blue hour”. The course gave detailed instructions on how to accomplish this and I found the old Syracuse Savings Bank building on Clinton Square to be an ideal subject.

Syracuse Savings Bank building on Clinton Square in Syracuse, New York taken during the Blue Hour. Nikon D700/28-300VR, 15s, f/22, ISO 200, EV 0, 28mm focal length, tripod, shutter release.

The Blue Hour never lasts an hour. Think of it as Nature’s Happy Hour. It comes and goes based on many factors but always occurs AFTER sunset.

The Soldiers and Sailors' Monument in Clinton Square, Syracuse, New York. Nikon D700/28-300VR, 6s, f/22, ISO 200, EV 0, 28mm focal length, tripod, shutter release.

Next time you are out photographing a sunset, do not leave after the Sun goes below the horizon. No matter the weather, the time of blue comes and it is a magical time to do photography.