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

Golden Gate

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Another Instagram post... I'm really liking some of the filters offered in Instagram. This image was taken with an iPhone 3G on a trip to San Francisco. I took photos of the bridge  with my DSLR that day too, but I've always loved this camera image the best! 

Backyard Chicken

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Life has been a bit busy, but back to blogging! This is my first experiment with posting through Instagram. Photo of Penny the chicken taken in Chicago with an iPhone 3G. More fun Instagram posts to come.

Pawn Reflection

"Pawn Reflection" San Francisco 2010

This was taken on Mission Street in San Francisco. I love the character of the Mission District - it feels old and vintage - like you are walking the streets of a different era. I felt that this shot captured that feeling a bit and, at the same time, is a bit of a sign of the times. The storefront with its tiled shadowy entryway and the diagonal line created by the angle of the sidewalk make a nice backdrop to the woman gazing at pawned jewelry in the window. I really love the tone of the image as well. It feels like there is a longing there that also feels a little sad and a little lonely to me.

Chevy Cat

"Chevy Cat" Key West 2010

I'm taking a short break from San Francisco photos and sharing a shot that I took in Key West earlier last year. I spent my trip to the Keys visiting some very good friends and trying to capture the wildlife, nature, and flora that were particular to the Keys. I'll probably share some of those photos too in this bog, but this is one of the shots from the trip that I most liked and it had absolutely nothing to do with the Keys! You can see some of the more tropical leaves around the back edges of the photo, but in the end this was really just about a cat who happened to be perfectly perched on a classic Chevy. It was a simple shot in terms of composition - I just tried to square it up and take advantage of the natural symmetry. It was a bit more difficult in terms of lighting and white balance as the car had a few highly reflective spots and the trees in the back of the car gave quite a bit of shade. In the end it worked out and Chevy Cat is now immortalized!

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.

Mission Street Psychic

"Mission Street Psychic" San Francisco 2010

Another post and another photo from San Francisco; I had taken quite a few pictures during my trip there so the next several posts will probably feature photos from the city. I had spent a long morning in the Mission District of San Francisco taking pictures of the colorful murals, the sidewalk markets, and the churches when I came across this storefront psychic. I was setting up for the shot and noticed that the psychic (or someone who worked there) was sitting in the entry way. She saw me framing the shot and kept herself partly shaded by the building. I liked the mysteriousness of her just peaking out from the doorway and the harshness of the light combined with the strong geometrical elements of the gate, sign, and window. I wish I had a chance to talk to her and get some stories but this photo will have to serve as the story in itself...