One night while the orchard around our house was still flooded (see Waterfront Property in the Desert?) the blues were so intense and the reflections so wonderful that I was determined to get some photos. This meant rolling out all the skills I had learned about (as opposed to skills that I have actually acquired) in my Digital Photography course and (gasp!) shooting manually, rather than with automatic settings.
However, night shooting takes a long exposure and no matter how hard you try to stay still--arms clamped to sides, feet planted widely, and breath held--a 10 second exposure is like infinity and is way too long to be perfectly motionless.
Nevertheless, I just had to try. The results? The blues are there, the reflections are there, and I even included a couple of passing cars on purpose (you can see the red streak from the taillights in the last two photos), but there is the inevitable shake and lack of pure focus that becomes quite clear when you click on the photos to view the slightly enlarged versions. 
However, should you be viewing the pictures from the back of a galloping horse you might not notice those imperfections, especially if you have left your glasses at home.
Wow, Clair, those are so cool. I love that I can actually picture you standing there taking the picture, because I've been there!
ReplyDeleteI think those are great. I am still a automatic gal when it comes to my camera that I got back in August.
ReplyDeleteI love learning from you ... both camera and life in general. I had no idea they flooded orchards.
You did a great job without the tripod. I bought one years ago but never use it.
ReplyDeleteGlad I checked back because you had been offline for awhile. I'm back in MN but am returning to Santa Fe in July to housesit for some friends.
Can't wait to return!!