Autumn Leaves 2 – The Japanese Maple

Marty CohenAutumn, Carmel Valley, Trees4 Comments

Autumn Leaves 2

This Japanese Maple tree glows, illuminated from above by a bright sky.

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A month ago I was in my office at home working on some other images and I looked out my window and saw our Japanese Maple tree appearing as if it was on fire. The sun and sky were very bright above it and this bright light was shining down lighting up the reddish and yellow leaves.

I grabbed my camera, went outside, got under the tree, looked up and shot this and some other images. The tree was so bright and so alive I was in awe of how nature works this magical beauty. Autumn in Carmel Valley is filled with these colors.

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The photo was taken with a Canon EOS 40D, EF17-40mm f/4L lens, 1/60 sec at f/9.5, ISO 400 on SanDisk Extreme IV Digital Film.

Lunar Eclipse 2011 – The Sequence

Marty CohenCarmel Valley, Lunar Eclipse17 Comments

Lunar Eclipse 2011 10 minutes before 100%

A sequence of images taken over 1 hour and 41 minutes.

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This is a series of photos from early Saturday morning during the full lunar eclipse taken in Carmel Valley, California. The first image was taken at 4:39 am PST and the last one at 6:20 am PST (ten minutes before the eclipse was 100%).

Why does the moon sometimes appear red during the full eclipse? During a lunar eclipse, the Earth casts its shadow on the face of the moon. That dark grey shadow moves along the face as if a bite had been taken out of the moon. But, at the full eclipse, the moon can appear red, orange or brown. This is because, during the eclipse, sunlight can filter through the Earth’s atmosphere onto the shadow it has left on the moon. The color can vary depending on the composition of dust or other particles in the Earth’s atmosphere. (reference earthsky.org)

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The photo was taken with a Canon EOS 40D, Sigma APO 150-500mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Lens at 500mm on SanDisk Extreme IV Digital Film.

Eclipse of the Moon 2011

Marty CohenCarmel Valley, Lunar Eclipse12 Comments

Here is my shot of this morning’s full lunar eclipse. Unfortunately, the sky was not clear in Carmel Valley and there was a light haze of clouds partially obscuring the moon. But you can still get a feel for the color change about 10 minutes before the eclipse was 100%.

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The photo was taken with a Canon EOS 40D, Sigma APO 150-500mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Lens at Focal Length 500mm, 6 seconds at f/8, ISO 1250 on SanDisk Extreme IV Digital Film.

Stairs at the Getty Center

Marty CohenB+W, Getty Center, Los Angeles6 Comments

Getty Stairs

Stairs at the Getty Center in Los Angeles

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I found the different curves interesting as I looked up at these stairs and windows at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. If you have an interest in photographing architecture, this building provides lots of wonderful opportunities for that. I look forward to my next visit there.

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The photo was taken with a Canon EOS 40D, EF17-40mm f/4L lens, Hand Held at 1/25 sec at f/16, ISO 200 on SanDisk Extreme IV Digital Film. Black and white post-processing done with Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.

Snowy Winter at Dry Creek

Marty CohenArizona, B+W, Sedona9 Comments

Snowy Winter at Dry Creek

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When snow falls in Sedona, Arizona, it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Living there for five years was a gift, and, when it snowed, I was out there with my camera. This photograph was taken in 2003 at the bridge that crosses Dry Creek at Dry Creek Road. It had snowed the night before and, this day, the sun came out and lit the tree branches covered with snow. It seemed to lend itself to being processed in black and white so that the subtle shades of grey would blend with the stark white of the snow and the black in the shadows cast by the trees.

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The photo was taken with a Canon EOS D60, EF17-40mm f/4L lens, 1/250 sec at f/9.5, ISO 200 on Lexar Digital Film and post-processed in Photoshop with the help of Nik Silver Efex Pro 2.