Moab Night Photography

Tonight was our critique for the Night Photography Class I took. There were some amazing photos. It was really neat to see the different perspectives from everyone we were camping with. We were all taking pictures of the same thing from the same place, but they were all different. There were similar landscapes in the photos, but a different view. I had a great time with everyone and hope to do it again.
The purpose of this class was to learn how to take photographs at night with long exposures. All of the photos below were taken after it got dark with the moon lighting the landscape brining out details in the landscape.
Enjoy!!


30 seconds exposure at 9:40 pm after the full moon came up, facing west 4/18/08
This was one of my first photos. I got what Chris the instructor calls "happy feet" after I saw how it turned out. I only took 15 photographs that first night there. Shocking, I know!


6 minute exposure at 9:50 pm 4/18/08


8 minute exposure at 10:04 pm facing the north star 4/18/08


17 minute exposure at 10:47 pm facing west 4/18/08


30 second exposure of Fisher Towers as moon rises facing east at 9:11 pm 4/19/08


22 minute exposure facing southwest at 9:24 pm 4/19/08
I got Venus, the bright streak lower left, and the constellation Orion just to the right of Venus. To explain this photo to you; it is pitch dark in the valley, but as the moon rises it starts to light up the valley below us. When a camera stays open for so long, it is taking on the light that the moon is shining on the valley below and can make this photograph look like it was taken in the middle of the day. Two things give it away that it is a night shot, the star trails as the earth rotates, and the streaks of light coming from head lights of cars driving down the road in the far distance on the right of the photo.

Here are some photos I took during the day. Moab is a special place for Joe and I , that is why we jumped at the chance to go. We camped in an area of Moab we hadn't been before and loved the new experience. Fisher Towers is near and dear to us and we were so excited to learn that one of the "lessons" would be there.

from our camp


Self portrait with my honey at the base of Fisher Towers


View of valley before sunset