Pic of the Month: December ‘11

by | Jan 1, 2012 | Pic of the Month | 5 comments

Home in the Hills

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Happy New Year!

I took this picture a few days ago, knowing that I’d have to take down the Christmas lights soon. No snow came like I was hoping for, but I think pulling away from the house and up the hill a ways helped hide distractions that snow would normally have covered. It wasn’t pitch black yet, so the sky came out very nice and saturated, and I really like the moving clouds made to look the way they do with the multi-second exposure. The tree limbs were accidental, actually, though I think they add a lot. Considering all the above, plus the fact that the camera was balanced on the top of an 8 foot ladder, I would say the picture is nothing short of a marvel!

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5 Comments

  1. Benjamin Cahill

    Very nice!

    I hadn’t thought of smoothing out clouds, I’ll have to try it sometime. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Elizabeth Lindsay

    I have to agree with you, James…that picture is pretty!

    Reply
  3. James Staddon

    Just use a long exposure of 15sec or more. Only possible in low light conditions or if you have a powerful ND filter.

    Reply
  4. Craig

    Actually I think the tree limbs add a lot… gives the shot balance, and the feeling of being surrounded/cacooned by the forest to the viewer.

    Reply
    • James Staddon

      Agreed! And I still can’t get over that incredible slot of time when the sky can be picked up as royal blue. It appears black with our eye, but it’s a different story with the camera . . . does anyone know the exact amount of time it lasts and how it relates to the time of sunset?

      Reply

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