Lunar Corona, HDR Variations

A Lunar corona is seen when the clouds are thin enough that each single corona light ray reaching the eye (or camera) is scattered or diffracted by only one droplet or ice crystal.  When I composed the moon off center, the corona vanished.  This first variation was processed in Nik HDR Efex for tone contour mapping, Photoshop for levels adjustment, Nik Color Efex Pro to create a Fresson print and finally Nik Dfine to reduce noise.

I wanted to see how well the image would hold up as a monochrome, so this is the result of processing in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 with a strong blue filter and Cyanotype toner.

I'm really on the fence with regard to purchasing OnOne PhotoFrame.  I love a number of the effects, but do I really need this one?  It is kind of creepy, so maybe I do...

Finally, a acid wash variation from OneOne PhotoFrame Free.  Nice grunge feel, I think.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF NIKKOR 180mm f/2.8D IF-ED "Leni Lens"
Exposure:	ISO 400, 5x brackets around f/2.8 @ 1s, Daylight WB, RAW
Lighting:	Moonlight
Support:	Gitzo Basalt Tripod, Acratech GP-2, RRS L-Bracket
Location:	Ballwin, MO
Dates:	Capture - April 17, 2011, Processed May 16, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, OnOne PhotoFrame Free

Blue Moon, HDR Test

This picture is the result of five brackets stacked in Nik HDR Efex using the "Foggy Night" preset as the starting point.  The long exposures smeared the trees and clouds somewhat.  I'll be working on it further, but thought I'd share this first test.

Technical
Camera:	Nikon D700
Lens:	AF NIKKOR 180mm f/2.8D IF-ED "Leni Lens"
Exposure:	ISO 400, 5x brackets around f/2.8 @ 1s, Daylight WB, RAW
Lighting:	Moonlight
Support:	Gitzo Basalt Tripod, Acratech GP-2, RRS L-Bracket
Location:	Ballwin, MO
Dates:	Capture - April 17, 2011, Processed April 17, 2011
Processing:	Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik HDR Efex, Nik Silver Efex Pro 2

Lafayette Part Entrance #6

One of my favorite spots, mostly because it is across the street from the Chocolate Bar. If you see a night shot here, I probably just had a Bailey's Brownie, which is the case here. Nikon D700, ISO 3200, 50mm f1.8, f/2.8 @ 1/4s handheld, auto wb. RAW file processed in Lightroom 2 to crop, adjust wb, add yellow split tone and pull back highlights in curves. There is no visible noise in the shadows.

Moonrise, June 6, 2009

The full moon breaking above the tree line in my back yard at about 9:30 PM this evening.  I grabbed the camera because the clouds looked downright surreal.  Nikon D700, ISO 200, Nikon 180mm f2.8 ("Leni lens"), manual exposure f/4.0 @ 1/8s.  RAW file processed in Lightroom 2.0, cropped and applied Nikon Landscape profile.  The camera's auto color balance captured my perception very well. 

Moon Obscured by Clouds and Dust

The full moon was very low in the sky, just after dark, peeking through clouds and dust on the horizon.  I had to hand-hold the shot from the car, so I pumped up the ISO and guessed the exposure.  The result is pretty accurate to to what I saw in the viewfinder.

Capture: Nikon D700, ISO 1600, Celestron 1,000mm telescope, f/11 @ 1/1500s.

Processing: Lightroom 2, ACR 4.6 profile, cropped 1:1, landscape sharpening preset.  

Moon: December 7, 2008

View of the moon from my deck using my new Nikon D700.  The "lens" is an old, inexpensive, Celestron telescope that is the quivalent of 1000mm @ f/11.  Starting with the "sunny 16" rule, I figured that the moon needs about +1 stop, so for ISO 400 I used 1/400s.  This shot is hand held, so in spite of the lens, it could be sharper.  

Helicopter Over Flood - Valley Park

Guest contribution by Chris Guiney March 20, 2008 at 8:25 PM of a helicopter over the flood in Valley Park, MO. Canon PowerShot, 26mm, f/4.0, 1.0 sec, hand held.

Train going by

I stood on the bridge overlooking the Kirkwood Train Station and took this picture - a train just happened to go by at that time. Canon Digital Rebel, ISO 100, Tamron 28-75 mm lens at 75 mm, f/3.5, 1.3 sec.

SIU-E Windmill

The windmill at SIU-E. Nikon D100, ISO 200, 85mm, f/4.0, 5 sec., handheld.