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This was indeed a lucky shot, in that I had just pulled into a campsite in Monument Valley National Monument campground when I noticed the moon on the rise. I happened to have my camera by my side, and we happened to be at “the” perfect spot for this composition. I was thrilled and excited! In order to get this shot however, I had to jump into action! The moon was rising quickly and what little light there was, was disappearing fast! Working without a tripod, I used the door of the RV to support my camera for the slow shutter speed I had to use (.1sec), and it worked! This photo was taken at dusk and the red monument mountains were only slightly lit, the color was hard to see. Thankfully though, my slow shutter speed was slow enough to absorb what little color remained. On this day, I was extremely glad that my camera was by my side!
Our mornings at the Art Expo (in Scottsdale, Arizona), often start with a bike ride through the desert; it’s such an awesome and privileged way to start a winter day. The sandy trail is narrow, undulating and curves around a myriad of saguaro trees and desert plants; it's an entertainingly delightful ride! While cycling, I’ve noticed many great compositions, and have pledged to return with my camera, but only when the lighting was right. On this particular day, as the sun rose and the blue sky was awakening, the dark grey clouds were highlighted in yellow, the contrast was striking. I remembered a grouping of chollas that were not far from our RV so I gathered up my camera gear and hightailed it to that very spot; my timing was perfect!
In the pursuit of excellence, I view all my photos with a great deal of criticism; questioning what I could have done to improve it. With that in mind, I was really happy with this photo because I didn’t see too many things that I feel, I should have done differently. That said, I also didn’t have to edit it in any unusual way; although it was a raw photo, so some post editing had to be done. Granted, the weather and lighting was on my side so the colors were naturally spectacular! It was a rainy day in Scottsdale, when at days end the clouds parted and the sun started to shine. The rain cleared the air and washed the desert dust from the foliage and towering saguaros. This, I knew, was an opportunity I couldn’t miss! I quickly grabbed my camera and tripod and headed out into the desert. I hurried because (based on my experience), I knew I’d have only 10 minutes to shoot and get the shot I wanted; before the sun set and before the foreground and saguaro trees where in the shade. Fortunately, I quickly chanced upon this trio of saguaro trees, nicely lined up with the stormy clouds in the distance. I set up my camera and waited (and hoped) for the sun to peak from between the clouds that were low on the horizon. My patience and perseverance paid off; for all of 1 minute the sun cast its warm light on the desert floor. “Yeah, I got it!”, I shouted out loud (I was SO thrilled)! I had ventured into the desert to get this shot many times before however the sunset fizzled each time, but this time it was positively spectacular! For this shot, my 24-240 mm lens was set to 62mm. My ASA was set to 50, my shutter speed was ¼ (I used my tripod), with a F-stop of 16. This technique was critical in capturing this photo, because: *50 ASA (or ISO) results in less grain than say, 400 ASA *Using a slower shutter speed absorbs more color (and light). *The higher F-stop the greater the depth of field (more in focus)
