Tag: moon

IMAGES OF SMALL THINGS FROM THE BIGGEST COUNTY IN TEXAS #735 – MISSED THE “BLOOD MOON”, BUT THE MOON RISE WAS NICE!

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Yesterday morning I was filled with the good intension of producing some great image of the blood moon eclipse. As the day went on, I had settled into the compromise of just getting up to see it. After seeing this lovely orb coming up while sitting in my Lazy Boy, I decided to just go make a photos of this big gorgeous moon and be done with it.

Having listened to the talking heads on every new’s show talking about it, my interest wained. Then seeing the winners from the New York Times of the Pulitzer prizes for photography, I was be-littled by their accomplishments and the air was totally out of my ballon. Seeing the truly great work with real blood from staff photographer Tyler Hicks, the 2014 Pulitzer Prize in breaking news photography for his coverage of a terrorist attack at an upscale mall in Nairobi, Kenya, that left more than 60 people dead. And then Josh Haner was awarded the Pulitzer in feature photography for his images of the slow and painful recovery process for a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Any image I would make of a lunar eclipse, well suffice it to say it had been eclipsed by some  great image makers of truly remarkable circumstances and events. The blood red moon had totally faded pale.

“Photography is a small voice, at best, but sometimes one photograph, or a group of them, can lure our sense of  awareness!” W Eugene Smith 1918-1978

Some voices are much, much smaller than others! en theos monos ††† jim

IMAGES OF SMALL THINGS FROM THE BIGGEST COUNTY IN TEXAS #710 – SOMETIMES THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOUR EYES DON’T SEE!

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As I photographer, I have most often looked forward to making images during that “golden hour”. That thirty minutes before and after sunrise & sunset. Recently I have been introduced to “light painting”, which pretty much means bringing my camera out after dark and using flashlights and such to light things that are otherwise unseen.  Last night I was outside looking at the almost full moon and just for the heck of it brought my camera out, cranked up the ISO to 1600 and set about to just see what was out there that my eyes did not see.

Both of these images are not manipulated in photoshop other than some exposure adjustments and running them through some noise reduction software. I was amazed at what there is unseen out there.

It reminded me of laying on my back at night in the back yard as a youngster and staring in wonder at the depth of the West Texas sky. I always wondered where does it all end. Some sixty years later, I still ponder that question, but the answer comes that it never ends,

Enjoy life, see what you never stop to see! en theos ††† jim

IMAGES OF SMALL – THINGS FROM THE BIGGEST COUNTY IN TEXAS #656 – Cholla at dusk with moon on the rise

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Cholla are native to northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States.

Cholla are known for their barbed spines that tenaciously attach to skin, fur, and clothing.

Stands of cholla are called ‘chollas gardens’ or ‘cholla forests’. Individuals within these colonies often exhibit the same DNA as they were formerly tubercles of an original plant.

Don’t confuse Cholla with Chola….but either one will stick ya! ††† en theos ††† jim

IMAGES OF SMALL – THINGS FROM THE BIGGEST COUNTY IN TEXAS #651 – SOME DAYS, YOU JUST HAVE TO HOWL!

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Can’t even wait for a full moon. Just feel like howlin’!

“There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.”
George Carlin

either way, howl if you feel the need & I do!    en theos ††† j

IMAGES OF SMALL THINGS FROM THE BIGGEST COUNTY IN TEXAS #599 – Looking for direction while waiting on the moon

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You know you have some patience problems when you feel the moon is late coming up. I knew by Thursday night’s moon, that Friday’s moonrise would be just perfect. So I scouted around looking for a locale for the perfect moonrise position. Failing finding the desired “Moonrise over Hernandez” locale, I settle for a weather vane in my backyard.

I have this program on my ipad that is supposed to show me exactly where and when the moon will cometh. Problem is, I have yet to comprehend the mysteries of Stonehenge or the coordination of the pyramids and the whole solar-lunar cycle, much less a computer app. I am little more than “one small step for man” behind prehistoric man. I read the program, study it, look at it and set up my camera accordingly for the absolute right local and time.  Only thing is, the program doesn’t take into the account of a large hill, almost a mountain that sits between me and the proposed moonrise.

So, I wait, watching, checking the program, all the while declaring “it’s late”. Pacing, silently cursing and totally bewildered why this program didn’t bother to inform me of the heavy cloud bank that sits another thousand feet above the mountain.

None the less, I have camera set on tripod knowing exactly where, if not when the moon will make it’s appearance. Finally, an hour late and many degrees to the north of my plan she gives me a peek through the clouds. A frantic few seconds of repositioning tripod, reframing the shot while tripping over 2 dogs and 3 cats who wonder what the heck I am doing out in their territory at this time of night.

Does NASA have these problems?

enjoy the view! ††† en theos ††† jimwork

Untitled-1John 10:10

Photos on the journey #452

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Things are not always as they appear. This is an image taken at night with a full moon veiled by a thin layer of high clouds. Another one of those times that things do not evolve as you planned.

Life flows that way. I never planned to have so many days of  “melancholy”  (the Freudian polite word for depression) at this station of my life. Yet the clouds continue to form and obscure.

Holding tight and fast to Toby Mac’s promising words:

“So, baby, hold on Just another day or two I can see the clouds are moving faster now And the sun is breaking through
If you can hold on To the one that’s holding you There is nothing that can stop this crazy Love from breaking through.”

Seems like I have been holding on to different songs lyrics for most of my life. I keep repeating them, trying hard to turn them into reality.
Peace out ††† en theos ††† jlawrence

Photo of Da Day @ Da Pine #369

On Wednesday of this week, we had just finished photographing our local high school cross country team. We battled cancellation because of the threat of rain and distant lighting, but persevered. As I turned to start loading up the gear I was meet with this awesome West Tex thunderhead topped off with the Waxing gibbous moon rising above the storm. This was followed with two days of rainfall, a needed respite to the dry high desert. Hoping for the sun to reappear today.

I am always trying to bring things that are far away closer, make small things bigger. This seemed to put me in my proper place. Be happy with the perspective of the view right from where you are on your journey…………..nada te turbe………jim

Photo of Da day @ Da Pine #293

Photo of Da day @ Da Pine #293.

Ah, a marvelous night for a moon dance.

I got up early this morning with the moon heavy in the west, and just felt the urge to go make an image. Drove out a little north (11miles) of Da Pine and found a nice dirt road to follow until I could have Mitre Peak as a setting. It was a little plain and boring, so I found a little live oak to frame through. It was very quiet and cool, a nice combination to see what the Maker will bring with the new day.

For any of you photographers a reading; I found this great app called “The Photographer’s Ephemeris” that is such a fantastic (and free) tool. It will give you an actual map overlay of anyplace in the world and let you see where both the sun & moon will rise & set along with the exact time it will happen. Really helps take the guess work out of where you need to be.

Use any tool that will help put you where you need to be on your journey††††††nada te turbe†††jim

Photo of Da day @ Da Pine #293

Ah, a marvelous night for a moon dance.

I got up early this morning with the moon heavy in the west, and just felt the urge to go make an image. Drove out a little north (11miles) of Da Pine and found a nice dirt road to follow until I could have Mitre Peak as a setting. It was a little plain and boring, so I found a little live oak to frame through. It was very quiet and cool, a nice combination to see what the Maker will bring with the new day.

For any of you photographers a reading; I found this great app called “The Photographer’s Ephemeris” that is such a fantastic (and free) tool. It will give you an actual map overlay of anyplace in the world and let you see where both the sun & moon will rise & set along with the exact time it will happen. Really helps take the guess work out of where you need to be.

Use any tool that will help put you where you need to be on your journey††††††nada te turbe†††jim

Photo of Da day @ Da Pine #88

The moon rose as the windmill squeaked it’s revolutions  in cadence with the wind. How it all travels in circles. The objects we see and marvel at that really do little do but reflect the light. I ponder for a moment that it is no wonder I feel that I travel in mostly circles. Most everything does. The great mystery is to discover how to shine and not merely reflect…….nada te turbe….jim.