Meaghan decided to hop in the car with me to go chase a sunset and capture some of the fall colors that are extremely vibrant this year. It was fun to have her (and the kids) seeing exactly what I do when I go sunset chasing. A sporadic left and right turn led us to a gravel road out in the middle of nowhere. I was desperate trying to find a shot unti lthe sun started slipping down past the horizon. So I got out and was disappointed to capture many shots including this image below.
Weak sauce.
As the sun mocked me for my procrastination and lack of planning, it dropped below the horizon, and i turned towards the car walking across the road in disgust. I then looked back behind me to discover this (below.) The moon will save me!
Whoa...cool (harvest) moon! I later found out it was the harvest moon. I had to get a better shot than this, so off we went moonrise chasing! Finally we found a spot where I could capture the ambient light still shining on the fall colors and the moon at the same time! So, I must admit that I pretty much never use a tripod. Yes, guilty as charged. This will probably change because I've been burned a few times in the past. Moon shots are nearly impossible without a tripod, but I spotted a fence post that could do the trick! YES, it IS a trick!
So now i'm living through the viewfinder as I get lost in the picture I'm trying to capture.
I was pleased with this result.
I'm shooting away one picture after another when I hear a noise behind me. Well lookee there, yet another picture opportunity behind me. Mr. Ed looked pretty friendly, so it was time to change the scene once again.
Ugh...of course this had to happen now. The light was incredibly low. The camera had to choose whether to have appropriate light for my friend Mr. Ed or the sky.
This moment would pass quickly, so I stood there thinking about how to get the best photo. We stared at each other. Meaghan was entertained and took this picture of us.
I knew an HDR shot would be key, but questioned whether it would be possible. Not only would I have a moving subject, but it would be hand-held as well...a treacherous road for a successful HDR shot.
But something happened. It was meant to be. I tweaked my settings and Mr. Ed just stood there..frozen. He read my mind. He didn't move an inch, allowing me to get the three exposures I wanted. Better yet, his head stood perfectly in front of where the sun had been just minutes ago to create a perfect back ambient glow. For some odd reason, I have several photos of horses, but by a mile, this is my absolute favorite (below.)
The background was a little plain, so I got creative.
