Thursday, March 3, 2011

SkyWatch: Desert Light


I've been struggling to clear out from last weekend's huge snow storm all week, so today I felt like a little break from the winter stuff....
This one goes back to January and is the result of one of those "holy crap!" moments when some magic light just happens and the whole situation changes instantly.  After working all afternoon on a rather cloudy and overcast day, I made the mistake of packing up my gear for the ride home and was actually heading out of the park (yes, this is Joshua Tree N.P.), when the sun broke through a small crack in the clouds just at the horizon, casting a spell over the whole area. I could tell it was only going to last a matter of minutes, if that, and I wasn't really in an ideal spot subject-wise, but I decided that something was better than nothing so I pulled over, set up as fast as I could and managed to frame a few quick shots before it went dull for good. If I had a digital camera on the seat beside me as I might normally, it would have been easy.. but as I was shooting film, I had to unpack, set up the tripod, compose something, spot meter the scene and shoot, all in probably less than 2 minutes... pretty happy that I got something decent out of that situation:) It was definitely my pleasant surprise of the day.
Check out the SkyWatch homepage every weekend for more great sky images from all around the world.

15 comments:

forgetmenot said...

Beautiful photo--great sky,big beautiful cactus, nice background. When aren't your pictures "perfect"!!! Mickie

Irene said...

Amazing shot! Love the composition and the colors! Well done!

Linnea said...

It certainly is a terrific shot! The desert is really a wonderful place to shoot especially when the lighting is just right, like in your pic...enjoy the day.

Oakland Daily Photo said...

You might have been in a hurry, but you definitely got the shot.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful shot,nice scenery.

NatureFootstep said...

glad the sun stayed long enough. Things like that can make you really stressed.
I love that shot. :)

The Retired One said...

Well worth your effort,it is a marvelous shot.

Unknown said...

This one is not only better than nothing Mark.
This light and place look really amazing to me.
Sometimes i regret to have never climbed in JT. Perharphs will i go there one day for photography ...

Once more, it looks like we have some similar ideas :)

clairz said...

Lucky for us that you are apparently experienced in setting up in a hurry. Lovely shot.

Mary Howell Cromer said...

One of those special moments captured for always...for in a blink of an eye in the other direction, all would have been missed~

Terry Banderas said...

Love this photo.

PhotoDiction said...

Another beautiful photo - love the ground cover in this one!

PhotoDiction

Joyful said...

It's beautiful and you were so fortunate to be able to capture it. Your heading is out of this world. Did you photograph that also?

Mandy said...

This is a stunning shot and it must have been a moment of pure serendipity.

beybi^kwik said...

another beautiful shot , looking onward to your other pictures . like this one :)) , By the way, check this one Bidbass - Penny Auction.