Observing Mars in the Moonlight (Jan 4, 2023)
A selfie of me observing Mars, the bright reddish star at top, from home on January 4, 2023, with Mars then still bright a month after opposition. The waxing gibbous Moon is the bright object at left. The Pleiades are above Mars; the Hyades and Aldebaran are below Mars. Orion and Sirius are rising in the background below. The telescope is the Starfield Optics Gear115 on the Astro-Physics Mach1 mount. This could be useful for illustrating an article on cold weather observing! Though it was a pleasant -5° C this night and no wind. This is a focus blend of two exposures, one focused on me, and one on the sky, both 4 seconds at f/4 with the TTArtisan 21mm lens on the Canon R5 at ISO 1600.
Sunbeams over the Athabasca River
Shafts of sunlight (technically called crepuscular rays) captured on a partly cloudy day over the peaks of the Continental Divide and the glacier-fed Athabasca River. This was from the Goats and Glaciers Viewpoint on the Icefields Parkway in Jasper National Park on a mid-October day. This is a single hand-held exposure with the RF15-35mm lens at 28mm on the Canon R5. Enhancements added with Radiant Photo, Luminar Neo and ON1 Effects.
A colourful sunrise scene on August 12, 2022, taken from home on the Alberta prairie taken just as the Sun came up. This might be an image useful for sky replacement or a background image. This is a single exposure with the Canon R5 and RF24-105mm lens at 24mm.
A colourful sunrise scene on August 12, 2022, taken from home on the Alberta prairie taken just as the Sun came up. This might be an image useful for sky replacement or a background image. This is a single exposure with the Canon R5 and RF24-105mm lens at 85mm.
Prairie Summer Sunrise Clouds v2
A colourful sunrise scene on August 12, 2022, taken from home on the Alberta prairie just before the Sun actually came up. This might be an image useful for sky replacement or a background image. This is a single exposure with the Canon R5 and RF24-105mm lens at 56mm.
Prairie Summer Sunrise Clouds v1
A colourful sunrise scene on August 12, 2022, taken from home on the Alberta prairie just before the Sun actually came up. This might be an image useful for sky replacement or a background image. This is a single exposure with the Canon R5 and RF24-105mm lens at 24mm.
The Smoky Summer Full Moon of July 2021
The Full Moon of July 23, 2021, amid obscuring smoke from forest fires in B.C. Taken from home in a blend of 3 exposures: long for the ground, moderate for the sky and short for the Moon's disk itself. All with the 24-105mm RF lens on the Canon R6.
Smoky Sunrise over Canola Field
The Sun rising in forest fire smoke over a canola field, from home in southern Alberta. A single shot with the Canon R6 and 24-105mm lens.
Smoky Sunset over Canola Field
The Sun setting in forest fire smoke over a canola field, from home in southern Alberta. A single shot with the Canon R6 and 24-105mm lens.
Noctilucent Clouds Above Thunderstorm (June 14, 2021)
A display of noctilucent clouds in the solstice twilight along the northern horizon and above a distant retreating thunderstorm lit from within by lightning bolts. This was June 14, 2021 from southern Alberta. The stars of Perseus are at upper left. This is with the 85mm Samyang AF lens on the Canon R6 camera.
Thunderstorm and Stars (Sept 1, 2019)
A thunderstorm over the Brooks area shot from home on Sept. 1, 2019. A single 20-second exposure with the 50mm Sigma lens at f/2.2 and Canon 6D MkII at ISO 800.
Darkening Sky at Cape Otway Lighthouse
Rain clouds off shore and a stormy sky at Cape Otway Lighthouse, on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia. This is a single exposure with the 14mm lens with a B&W filter applied in modest measure to the sky and ground to mute the colours. A mild Orton effect layer added to soften the details for a dreamy look. The Lighthouse is also illuminated by a spotlight.
Mammatiform downdraft clouds on a retreating thunderstorm cloud with a rainbow lit by the low setting Sun, August 14, 2016 from home. This is a 4-panel panorama assembled in Adobe Camera Raw, with the Nikon D750 and 20mm Sigma lens.
A cloudscape in the early evening sky with sunbeams shining through holes in the clouds to produce converging beams of light – an interesting study in light and shadow. One frame from a 1500 frame time-lapse of the cloud motion and attempt to catch a lightning bolt. With the Nikon D750 and 20mm Sigma lens.
An approaching storm front as a thunderstorm cell moves in bringing rain, starting to spot the lens at right! Taken from home -and of home - in Alberta, July 3, 2016 just before sunset. This is an 8-section panorama, stitched with Adobe Camera Raw, with the 20mm Sigma lens and Nikon D750.
A thunderstorm retreating southeast across the Alberta prairie on July 2, 2016, at sunset under the ideal lighting conditions. The storm shows some mammatiform cloud structures on the underside from downdrafts in the storm. This is part of a 650-frame time-lapse sequence, with the 16-35mm lens and Canon 6D.
A thunderstorm retreating southeast across the Alberta prairie on July 2, 2016, at sunset under the ideal lighting conditions. The storm shows some mammatiform cloud structures on the underside from downdrafts in the storm. This is part of a 650-frame time-lapse sequence, with the 16-35mm lens and Canon 6D.
A thunderstorm retreating southeast across the Alberta prairie on July 2, 2016, at sunset under the ideal lighting conditions. The storm shows some mammatiform cloud structures on the underside from downdrafts in the storm. This is part of a 650-frame time-lapse sequence, with the 16-35mm lens and Canon 6D.
Mammatiform Clouds at Sunset (v2)
Cloud formations called mammatiform clouds caused by downdrafts in a thunderstorm being lit by the setting Sun making the protruding clouds all the more obvious. Captured in grab shots from home with a handheld camera quickly taking several segments for a panorama. Stitched with Adobe Camera Raw. This set was taken a couple of minutes later after v1, when the intensity of the sunlight was diminishing but the colours were still fine and rather pastel.
Mammatiform Clouds at Sunset (v1)
Cloud formations called mammatiform clouds caused by downdrafts in a thunderstorm being lit by the setting Sun making the protruding clouds all the more obvious. Captured in grab shots from home with a handheld camera quickly taking several segments for a panorama. Stitched with Adobe Camera Raw.
A double rainbow in the afternoon sky, shot with a fish-eye lens to be suitable for projection in tilt-dome planetariums. Shot from home in Alberta, summer 2015.
A wicker looking storm front moving in quickly over the Crawling Lake Reservoir in southern Alberta. I had just a few minutes to get set up for this after shooting the gathering of the Moon, Venus and Jupiter in the evening twilight from a nearby spot. Then clouds soon covered the planets. By the time I got back to the car to change lenses the storm front was almost on top of me. I grabbed segments for this panorama using a 24mm lens and Canon 6D. While the outflow winds really picked up, the storm didn’t amount to much and cleared off shortly after as it moved to the east from the northwest.
Daytime Crepuscular Rays #3 (July 24, 2013)
Crepuscular rays beaming through clouds down to a canola field, July 24, 2013. Metered exposure with the Canon 5D MkII and 24mm lens.
Daytime Crepuscular Rays #2 (July 24, 2013)
Crepuscular rays beaming through clouds down to a canola field, July 24, 2013. Metered exposure with the Canon 5D MkII and 24mm lens.