sunset – Page 2 – Karen Greaves Photography & Fibre Art

Sunset Country Sky Calendar

Published on May 30, 2014 by greavesadmin1 Comment

The area in which I live has been designated by our provincial tourism body as “Sunset Country”. We regularly get spectacular vistas throughout the year. Of course, those over the water are most beautiful because of the duplication created in the reflection. Part of my daily routine includes checking the west sky for colour as the sun dips below the horizon. Last June we were treated to one of the most colourful skies I have seen. The processors in my camera had difficulty dealing with the vibrant hues.

So, here is a desktop calendar for you to download and enjoy. For different screen resolutions, drop down the Free Calendar menu for June 2014.

March Moon

Published on March 17, 2014 by greavesadmin2 Comments

The moon reached fullness March 16th. In anticipation, I kept an eye on the eastern sky the day before, though I wasn’t very diligent (a casual glance out my front door). Then all of a sudden there it was! Although my camera was accessible, I couldn’t locate my tripod so snapped a quick hand held shot. Not bad.

Lesson learned; sort of. I had 25 hours to gather my gear in preparation for the rise the next evening. According to my favourite photography app The Photographer’s Ephemeris, the moon was scheduled to rise an hour later which would make the sky and surroundings darker than the night before. The forecast was for cloud cover by sunset as another snow storm was moving in from the west. An hour before the scheduled moon rise, I headed out to locate a suitable angle for a shot assuming the gap between cloud and horizon would be sufficient. I had all but given up when I noticed a hint of colour.

Although I had located and packed my tripod, I didn’t bring my remote shutter which would have given clearer shots.

Photo Tip: When you don’t have a remote shutter, use your camera’s delay shutter option. My camera has a 10 second and 1 second option. I prefer the latter in this type of shot. Your camera should be on a tripod but can be propped up on something. Mittens or a jacket work well to create soft, flexible platform. The brief discomfort in the elements might be worth the shot captured.

I will have to remember that next time.

radiant sunset

Published on September 9, 2013 by greavesadmin1 Comment

The other evening, the air was crisp and clear, the sky clear blue and the water calm. The lake called me out from the shore. I’m glad I answered the call.

To get the star light glow of the setting sun, I set the f-stop as deep (or wide – I never am sure of the technical description) as I dared (f29) and shot when the sun was brightest poking through the pine bows. I was driving the motor boat alone as I shot so I cruised as low as possible past this point of land several times to capture the sun before it disappeared over the horizon.

night light

Published on June 28, 2013 by greavesadmin4 Comments

There are so many beautiful sights in nature during our summer months. It’s difficult to pick favourites but reflections of the moonlight in a lake surface is definitely one of my top ten. Whether glass calm water mirrors the light or a light chop causes the light to dance, it provokes wonder in me.

In my constant hunt for an exceptional moon rise shot and with my trusty The Photographer’s Ephemeris application (which I discussed in this post), I headed out to Raleigh Lake just west of Ignace to scout a location in advance of the May full moon. I was delighted to find a little island between shorelines. The moon was scheduled to rise 40 minutes before sunset so I knew the moon wouldn’t be very bright in the still lit sky. Sure enough, it rose where I expected and was quite faint. I was still pleased with the angle and foreground/water. Here’s a resulting shot.

Do you see the moon? Here’s a closer look.

The schedule for the following day, Friday, May 25 was full moon at 23:24; moonrise at 20:35; sunset at 20:55. The conditions would be better for a brighter moon on the horizon. I brought along a friend and a couple of flashlights so we could help each other find our way back in the pending darkness. Thankfully, the sky was clear (again), the bugs tolerable and the water calm. It was worth the wait!
Here it comes!

What a night! Could it get better? In a way it did. Take a close look at the moon reflection in the image I selected and brightened for my July desktop calendar.

The ripples were a result of a fish surfacing for a snack.

For specific screen resolutions of the calendar, drop down the Free Calendar tab at the top of the page or click here.

PS It was only a few days ago that an observant follower of my blog discovered that I had 31 days on my June desktop calendar! Oops. Sorry about that.

passing storm

Published on June 17, 2013June 16, 2013 by greavesadmin4 Comments

The rumble of thunder at dusk drew me away from Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals. I grabbed my camera and tripod and set up with a finger on the shutter button to try to catch a lightning strike before the pending rain.

Got it!

The mosquitos were abundant and hungry in the calm air. Thankfully, I was reasonably well covered and held out for a few more shots before the wind and rain. Here are two more:

Oh, and the game went into overtime! Bonus.

Sunset Country

Published on June 5, 2013June 4, 2013 by greavesadmin4 Comments

Spring brings a spectrum of colour as flowers burst with life.

The skies around here display a spectrum as well. If you didn’t see my video on Ignace Outposts’ YouTube channel, FaceBook or on The Weather Network (they insert a commercial, sorry)…

just soak in the snapshot below (straight out of the camera).

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