Supermoon... plan B

So.. I was one of many folks who went out yesterday night to try to catch a glimpse and a photo of "supermoon." I checked the moonrise time and with excitement headed out to the Chicago lakefront with my camera and tripod. Unfortunately, what was a clear day turned into a cloudy night with the moon just a diffuse glow behind thick clouds. I waited for a while, decaf latte in hand, but it was cold and there was no sign of the cloud cover clearing. Disappointment set in.

But there can always be a plan B if you have the right equipment on hand. I've wanted to work on some nighttime landscape photography for a while, but am usually more of an early bird. Since I was already  out in the cold with a tripod and my camera in the dark though, I decided to take a few shots. I was especially pleased with this one, "Night Tree" - I love the contrast and felt like it was sufficiently moody and eerie. I'm glad I didn't freeze by the lakeshore for nothing!

"Night Tree" Chicago 2011

Washington Square

"Washington Square" San Francisco 2010

This shot of the church and park in Washington Square was taken with a pretty wide angle. I was aware of the distortion it would create, but I wanted to get the peaks of the church as well as the park and some framing greenery. I like the subtle gradation of the sky and in a large size print you can see some of the folks hanging out in the park. It was unseasonably warm in San Francisco the day of this shot - about 80 degrees and sunny in mid-November. People were taking advantage of the park and the warm weather all day.