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There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors here in Orchard Park and they are right at our finger tips. Up on the hill south of the village the Chestnut Ridge Park is the big one. East of the village Birdsong Park is another wonderful place to escape the civilization. But even right in the village Yates Park is beautiful in all seasons.
Winter at Green LakeYates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Winter at Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
It's 2 miles on foot for me to get to the park and we have integrated Yates Park into our walks for a while. Sometimes, it serves as the turnaround point and we circle around before heading back. Other times, we pass by and then complete the circle on the return leg of our walks. That all depends on how much time we have on our hands to keep on walking.
Green Lake GazeboYates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Green Lake Gazebo, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
Other times, Green Lake and Yates Park become my destination, especially when I plan on enjoying its beauty with a camera in my hand. I can easily spend an hour or more having fun here and that does not work too well with a non-photographer buddy tagging along. For these occasions I prefer to come alone. I don't feel bad slowing anyone else down and they're not driven crazy by my slow pace forward. But really, what does forward really mean in this case? Is it the progress in a certain direction? Is it the number of steps taken? Is it the number of frames captured? Or is it simply time spent enjoying the location? I bet that if you've ever accompanied a crazy photographer like me you get the idea.
Warm Water at Green LakeYates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Warm Water at Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
This post is based on photos from a single outing to Yates Park on a beautiful sunny winter's day. Sunny weather is quite rare here in Orchard Park, NY (and Buffalo or the whole Western New York in general) and when it happens it's great to take advantage of it. The timing was on my side and I was able to take an hour around noon to walk around, observe, enjoy, and find scenes to capture.
Green Lake South ShoreYates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Green Lake South Shore, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
I put on high winter boots to be able to walk through the almost knee deep snow, drove to the park, and started my mission to find 36 perfect photos for a whole roll of black and white film. Specifically, I wanted to use one of two of my expired rolls of Ilford PanF Plus 50 film. While I had used the film before and liked the results I somehow did not reach for the rolls in several years. I prefer 400 speed film as it gives me more options for handholding even with an orange or red filter attached to the lens, effectively bringing my EV to 100.
Green Lake Bench is OccupiedYates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Green Lake Bench is Occupied, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
I knew Ilford PanF has one specific quirk. While it is perfectly fine being a few years expired it suffers from amnesia. It is strongly recommended that it be developed promptly after exposing it, otherwise the captured moments fade almost like human memories. That's a paradox, isn't it? Photography is often said to preserve fleeting moments for eternity. With Ilford PanF it better be developed soon or that eternity becomes fairly short. I can't attest to this personally as I don't create long backlogs of film to be developed and I was not going to test it on this occasion. Thus, the goal was to finish the whole rolll so that I could develop it without worrying about the images disappearing like the moments in time.
Wide View of Green LakeYates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Wide View of Green Lake, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
There were no tracks anywhere. While that is usually the case it still always surprises me. Such a wonderful area, so many sights to be had, yet, no one came to enjoy them? That's ok, I didn't mind and I came prepared with my boots. I circled around carefully to be able to frame some of my photographs with only that pristine undisturbed snow, while later including my own tracks in the photographs for different looks. I really liked this approach as it gives the photographs a different mood.
Green Lake Gazebo with a HatYates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Green Lake Gazebo with a Hat, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
Overall, I photograph a lot more on the north side of Green Lake. This time, I switched the pace a bit, took a few initial pictures heading towards the bridge, crossed over, and focused on the south shore first. I repeated some of my past compositions there too but also found some new ones. And the generous amount of snow provided for new opportunities. Once satisfied and soundly into the second half of the roll I crossed back to the north shore and finished the roll there.
Green Lake in WhiteYates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Green Lake in White, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
I had my 24mm lens mounted on the camera and focused on wide landscape photos. To darken the sky a bit I had orange filter attached. I really like that approach all year round but especially. in winter it nicely separates the white snow covered ground from the sky. Otherwise it might all get just too white, too blank. Since Ilford PanF is an ISO 50 speed film and the orange filter cuts further 2 stops of light I was at 1/60 second and f/8. I did not meter a single photo on the whole roll and went with this Sunny 16 based calculation the whole time. Id served me well in the past and yet again this day.
Green Lake Winter Theme, A StumpYates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Green Lake Winter Theme, A Stump, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
Another successful approach might be using an incident meter as opposed to reflective, which may be rather challenging with all of that snow around. I find that going with incident readings works very well with negative films that have a pretty good leeway towards overexposure. However, since this was a nice bright sunny day and midday too, the light was constant and there really was no reason to meter for each photo. Thus the good old Sunny 16. I did the simple math once at the beginning, set my manual exposure on the dials and not worried about it. That freed me to focus on composition instead of fiddling with the technology.
Green Lake Winter Theme, Buried StumpYates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Green Lake Winter Theme, Buried Stump, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
As you can see I finished the outing with some close ups of the winter scenes. With the 24mm lens that meant getting really, really close. And every time I thought I was close enough I had to crawl closer. I was down on my knees glad I came prepared for it in ski pants. A longer lens might have saved me the crawling in the snow but getting closer comes with a different perspective and I enjoyed it. Nothing wrong being a kid again and playing in snow, right?
Green Lake Winter Theme, Snow Capped StumpYates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Green Lake Winter Theme, Snow Capped Stump, Yates Park, Orchard Park, NY
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Ilford PanF Plus 50 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
So that is it, a roll of 37 exposures full of new memories, camera packed in the bag, and I am heading home with the plan of developing and scanning the roll soon to prevent the PanF amnesia. And of course, I hope to take some of these to the darkroom and preserving them on paper rather than in bits on my hard drive and the World Wide Web.
Nikon FE, Ilford PanF Plus 50
How do you preserve your photos for "eternity"? What is your goal with your photographs? Do you care what happens with the pictures once you're not around? Should they outlast us by at least a few years? A generation? Or two maybe? I am afraid not.
Thank you very much for stopping by and spending a few minutes with my photography. If you have something to say about any of it, please, drop me a note via the guestbook functionality, I would love to read what others think. I know blogs are a mostly one-way monologue but the guestbook does allow for a two-way interaction, even if underutilized.
Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy
Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Buffalo Cityscapes and Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! For more travel photography, my Travel Photography gallery offers an interesting mix of places all around. And for more black and white photography hop over to the World without Color photo collection.
Hay Bales in SnowWinter on Film
Beautiful Barn in WinterWinter on Film
Winter On Draudt RoadWinter on Film
Spooky Winter WetlandsWinter on Film
Through the Winter LandscapeWinter on Film
This winter had a very hesitant arrival and mirrored the last few years. Some heavy snowfall in December followed by a warm up and a complete snowmelt down to grass. And repeat. January is trying to repair winter's reputation, temperatures have remained low, snow has arrived, and stuck around. While driving can be treacherous the landscape looks beautiful and even the urban scene looks clean and pretty. It's helping that it's so cold that salt does not work, and apparently municipalities are low on salt. So none of the dirty mush on the roads. Even those look pretty. And after all, driving on the plowed and packed snow might actually be safer than a few inches of slush.
Lamp in SnowWinter in Western New York
Lamp in Snow, Winter in Western New York, Orchard Park, New York
Put on some warm clothes and head out to enjoy the beautiful winter wonderland we now have. Who knows what the weather brings next.
Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you! (#etbtsy)
Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Buffalo Cityscapes and Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! For more travel photography, my Travel Photography gallery offers an interesting mix of places all around.
Winter Rainbow at Niagara FallsWinter
Color of WoodWinter
Frozen & Wind-Swept by CargillWinter
Sunny but not WarmWinter
The Earth is RoundWinter
To my mom.
I am still not 100% sure how to feel about this cyanotype printing session. Sometimes, I know it was a bust. Other times, I get excited about the results, and printing more of them for toning and other experiments. This one landed somewhere in between. I was not disappointed but I also did not have the high of success. It was another printing session where I experimented with both the cyanotype negative tone curve as well as the paper. So much for working one variable at a time.
All of these prints are special as I was able to visit the locations with my mom. Longer distances and difficult terrain are no longer her forte but she wanted to join me for these trips and pushed through to victory. So while you don't see her in these prints I do. She's there!
Between Gates, PernštejnCyanotype
Between Gates, Pernštejn Castle, Czech Republic, An Original Hand-Made 5" x 7" Smooth Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Smooth Strathmore 140lbs Watercolor Paper
As a result, you see 4 different papers featured in today's post from the smoothest UCreate 90lbs paper to the roughest Shizen Design 140lbs. In general, I am still a huge fan of the Shizen Design paper, its very rough texture, and somewhat unpredictable results. That paper also requires a bit more contrast in the negative as it's the overall form that is important, not the details. The details just get lost. Not all subjects land themselves well to that lo-fi solution. I am slowly learning which paper to start with and based on the look how to adjust.
The first two prints are from the wonderful Pernštejn Castle located in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands of the Czech Republic. You have seen the castle on this blog before and I am sure you will see it again. Both of these are on a heavier weight Strathmore paper that is not as smooth as the basic UCreate paper but its texture is very subtle.
The view below is one of the most obvious and overused cliches at this location but I can never resist anyway. I always try to find something new but also repeat my previous favorites. After all, no two days are the same, the weather, the light, the seasons, the camera, the film. There are just so many variables that it would be rather difficult to leave with an identical photo as before. The small courtyard just past the gate gives the Pernštejn castle a wonderful fairy-tale setting. And the bridge connecting the castle to the tower in the distance is a signature feature of the castle. After re-tuning my negative contrast I was quite pleased with how the cobblestone in the shadows of the gate came through.
Through the Inner Gate, PernštejnCyanotype
Through the Inner Gate, Pernštejn Castle , Czech Republic, An Original Hand-Made 5" x 7" Smooth Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Smooth Strathmore 140lbs Watercolor Paper
From the Pernštejn Castle we are moving to Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic. Our first stop was Petrov, the short local name for the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. As we circled around it and were about the pass through the stone gate I noticed the view up to the right over the wonderful street lamp and its shadow. And I am quite happy with how it came through on the softer textured watercolor paper.
Petrov Cathedral Architecture, Czech Republic, An Original Hand-Made 5" x 7" Textured Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Textured Meeden 140lbs Watercolor Paper
I attempted the same print on the rough lo-fi Shizen Design watercolor paper but as you can see, it did not suit this scene so well. I feel that too much of the detail disappeared and the above version is the stronger one.
Petrov ArchitectureRough Cyanotype
Petrov Cathedral Architecture, Czech Republic, An Original Hand-Made 5" x 7" Rough Textured Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Rough Textured Shizen Design 140lbs Watercolor Paper
Our next stop was by the city hall where I climbed the tower for a bird's eye view of the city below and the Špilberk Castle in the distance (top left). For this print, I felt I wanted as much of a photo-like print as possible. I wanted a close match to what a darkroom print would look like just in blue and without the darkness. Therefore, I reached for the paper that preserves the most detail, the smooth UCreate 90lbs watercolor paper. And with the new lower contrast curve for my negative I was able to get very close. Well at least in my head I did. Since I have not made this as a darkroom print yet I can't really tell. I can imagine it though. Maybe still a bit light in the highlights but overall a good range of tones.
Brno City Hall Tower ViewCyanotype
Brno City Hall Tower View, Czech Republic, An Original Hand-Made 4" x 6" Smooth Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Smooth UCreate 90lbs Watercolor Paper
The final print below is from the same 4" x 6" negative but on 5" x 7" textured Meeden watercolor paper. That paper usually loses some detail and darkens the scene a notch. That was why I chose it to see what would happen with the highlights. And it did not disappoint. The "framed" look on the larger paper also adds another variation that I usually do not go for but wanted to try it again.
Brno City Hall Tower ViewCyanotype Variation
Brno City Hall Tower View Variation, Czech Republic, An Original Hand-Made 5" x 7" Textured Cyanotype
Chemically Printed on a Hand-Coated Textured Meeden 140lbs Watercolor Paper
Thanks for joining me for another adventure with cyanotypes. This was the 18th "episode" and since I am behind on posting, I can already share with you that I have enough material for several more. If only there were more hours in each day. Photographic printing is so much fun!
Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy
Previous posts in the Cyanotypes series: 1. First Cyanotype - 2. More Cyanotypes - 3. Highlands Cyanotypes - 4. How do Cyanotypes Happen? - 5. Cyanotypes V: Tweaking the Curve - 6. Cyanotypes VI: Toning - 7. Cyanotypes VII: More Toning - 8. Cyanotypes VIII: Toning Different Papers - 9. Cyanotypes IX: Horní Rozsíčky - 10. Cyanotypes X: From Black and White or Color - 11. Cyanotypes XI: Moravian Countryside - 12. Cyanotypes XII: Prague Castle - 13. Cyanotypes XIII: American History - 14. Cyanotypes XIV: Gulf Shores, Alabama - 15. Cyanotypes XV: Different Take on Travel Photography - 16. Cyanotypes XVI: Nostalgic Pernštejn - 16. Cyanotypes XVII: Rajhrad Monastery Variations - 17. Cyanotypes XVII: Rajhrad Monastery Variations - 18. Cyanotypes XVIII: Pernštejn, Brno
If you like cyanotypes, you can explore the Cyanotypes Photo Gallery dedicated to my growing collection of them. Would you like to browse through traditional darkroom wet prints? Visit my Darkroom Photo Gallery and enjoy!
Helfštýn Castle Tower and WallsCyanotype
Karlštejn Castle Tower and WallsCyanotype
Pernštejn CastleCyanotype
Nikon FE
Never say never, however, I am pretty sure this will be my final post for 2024. This year, I shared more photographs with you in longer posts but had fewer total posts. December extended that streak as this is shaping up to be the only post of the month. The annual total stands at 29, just over 2 posts a month. A few productive months came to the rescue.
In another reflection, I started this blog in 2012. A dozen years later here we are closing 2024. How long do blogs last on average? Should one stop and move on to other things? When? I personally enjoy working on this blog more than any social media out there. I believe the most people see my photography right here on this blog. But there is no interaction. But is there really much interaction on social media? I stopped posting to Instagram a while back, I still have but stopped updating my Facebook photo page, I continue posting to my personal Facebook, and I am freshly trying Bluesky Social. I would not be surprised if I gave up most of those in 2025. With Facebook, the last thing keeping me there are there groups. Then again, is the extremely limited interaction really worth feeding the beat? What do you think? What's a good approach to all of this with one's photography? Does it have to be seen? Does anyone care?
I also tried participating in several photo swap groups that would mail physical prints once a month but those ended up being problematic too. Not everyone was ready to uphold their side of the bargain. The last one I am in is a postcard exchange. It's simple and cheap enough to keep it going. Yes, for being worldwide, its monthly participation has been at 20 - 30 people. Unfortunately, the platform it's run on does not allow for easy link sharing to try to advertise it more.
Inside Fort MississaugaNiagara-on-the-Lake
Inside Fort Mississauga, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Fomapan 400 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
Let's try to get back to the topic on hand. The last time I was in Niagara-on-the-Lake was in the fall of 2019 for another photo walk. Wow, five years have gone by like crazy. And guess what? True to my photo backlog, the photographs from that photo walk are still awaiting posting. Same as last time, I had two cameras with me. One loaded with color film and the one relevant for today's post, a Nikon FE, loaded with black and white Fomapan 400. While I was mostly using the FE2 in 2024 I swapped them back to make sure the original FE gets some exercise. It holds its nostalgic value for being the camera that restarted me on film back in 2015.
Locked Gate in Fort MississaugaNiagara-on-the-Lake
Locked Gate in Fort Mississauga, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Fomapan 400 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
I only got through 21 frames on this visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake and the roll had to wait for the next opportunity, which became the November TFS photo walk. And there was a surprise element to the roll after the fact too. I did not know about that when I captured these photos but I later decided to deviate from my usual D-23 developer and run the roll through the Rollei Supergrain developer. The slight catch with that was that I got used to exposing Fomapan 400 at 200 for my D-23 development and even then I get moderately dense lower contrast negatives. When I pulled the roll out of the development tank I was a bit afraid I took things too far but scanning proved quite flexible again. However, I will say that thinner lower contrast negatives work better for me for scanning. For darkroom, what I got out of Rollei Supergrain should work very well but I can't confirm that until I try.
Above Fort MississaugaNiagara-on-the-Lake
Above Fort Mississauga, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Fomapan 400 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
We started at Fort Mississauga, which I had not visited before. A single building remains surrounded by earthworks walls. I am glad we stopped by this time, it inspired a few photographs. The fort is at the mouth of the Niagara River into Lake Ontario, another wonderful sight on its own. And in the distance across the river is Forth Niagara.
End of the Niagara RiverNiagara-on-the-Lake
End of the Niagara River, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Fomapan 400 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
From the end of the river we walked south, up the river, towards the sun. We did not have a specific path planned, just the loose southbound direction to make it over to the next checkpoint at Fort George. We followed the river, went through a park, by a cemetery, and back to the riverside passing some wonderful houses along the way. Some reminded me of days gone by, some seemed like really cozy locations at incredible spots.
Old House, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Fomapan 400 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
Look at this riverside house below. Not sure how large or small it is inside but it's definitely at a great location. Wouldn't it make for wonderful photographic expeditions at sunrise, sunset, or really anytime?
Riverside HouseNiagara-on-the-Lake
Riverside House, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Fomapan 400 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
Finally away from the river it was towards Fort George. The Harbor House Hotel proved to be irresistibly eye-catching. I already have some cyanotypes in the works and hope to take this frame to the darkroom too.
The Harbor House HotelNiagara-on-the-Lake
The Harbor House Hotel, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Fomapan 400 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
Even the visitor center at Fort George provided fertile ground for capturing a few scenes.
Fort George Visitor CenterNiagara-on-the-Lake
Fort George Visitor Center, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Fomapan 400 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
The wood grain pattern on the fence posts was what prompted me to take the below photo. The whole fence here was painted with it as if nature's graffiti.
Fort George Fence PatternNiagara-on-the-Lake
Fort George Fence Pattern, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Fomapan 400 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
This was the turning point of our walk but before turning around and heading back we circled the whole fort. It was a wonderful day so why not add some more steps to keep the health app happy? The fence, the earthworks, peeks inside, and even vegetation kept the shutter clicking.
Old Gate & Vine, Fort GeorgeNiagara-on-the-Lake
Old Gate & Vine, Fort George, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Fomapan 400 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
I was really happy to find the above gate at the very back of Fort George. The wood and the ironwork kept it looking vintage, unlike some other gates, and the vine beautifully added to its charm. Again, I hope to run this photograph through traditional darkroom, a cyanotype process, and maybe I will even feel creative enough to try my hand in with printing, which I have not done in all too long.
Buttler's Barracks, Fort GeorgeNiagara-on-the-Lake
Buttler's Barracks, Fort George, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
Photographed with a 35mm Nikon FE Camera on Fomapan 400 Black & White Negative Film, Developed in Rollei Supergrain
On the way back, we cut through some open fields and ended up at Buttler's Barracks, learning about another piece of history there. From the barracks, it was back to town for lunch, and then the not so distance car ride back home.
Thank you very much for stopping by and spending a few minutes with my photography.
Enjoy The Beauty That Surrounds You! #etbtsy
Do you enjoy reading my photography blog? Would you like to see more photographs from Buffalo and Western New York? Visit my Buffalo Cityscapes and Buffalo & Western New York Landscapes and enjoy! For more travel photography, my Travel Photography gallery offers an interesting mix of places all around. And for more black and white photography hop over to the World without Color photo collection.
Street Flower Market, TorontoToronto, Canada
Gardiner MuseumToronto
Ontario Legislative LibraryToronto
Duke of Kent PubMidtown Toronto
Subway Tracks & TrainMidtown Toronto
It has not been all that long and I am back with another moon blog post. The previous one, on September 19, was about the partial lunar eclipse we had here in Orchard Park, New York (Litany of moon titles, including an eclipse). While an eclipse is a very special event, whether solar or lunar, the full moon is not lit all that well for a portrait photo. The full frontal light just flattens everything out into a shadowless 2D object. So right then and there I decided I had to follow up when the moon was side lit to capture its surface with a hint of 3D features.
Waxing Gibbous Moon, 59%October 11, 2024
Waxing Gibbous Moon, 59%, October 11, 2024
The above moon photo definitely proves the point and the craters come more alive than in the lunar eclipse post. However, I thought that a lot of the wonderful craters at the top and bottom were still hiding in the shadow and another day or two would further enhance the view.
Waxing Gibbous Moon, 70%October 12, 2024
Waxing Gibbous Moon, 70%, October 12, 2024
And that extra day worked like magic. It's rather impressive how much things change in only 24 hours. The moon illumination went from 59% to 70%, lit up additional craters, and made for a better photo. I also continued to improve my technique and ended up with an even sharper photo. The biggest difference on top of all of the steps I shared last time? Shutter speed. It turns out that at a 560mm of magnification, the moon moves through the frame rather quickly. And thus, 1/60 sec does not really freeze the motion sufficiently. What a difference 1 stop can make at 1/125 sec! Yep, that's the secret of the second photo here today.
Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you! (#etbtsy)