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Read MoreTre Cime by night
This is a one 20 sec exposure, which was taken an hour after the sunset during a relatively bright night.
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Totality - diamond ring
Totality was the most memorable shot of 2017 for me. It was all about light. It was different: the light was bending, slipping away, hiding, and sneaking back out again. It felt like I was part of something bigger. It surely was an out of this world experience. I recommend everyone to try to shoot the full eclipse. This shot was taken in South Carolina. Used equipment: d810, Nikkor 500 mm, filter Flrecrest IRND 18 stops, gitzo tripod. These are two exposures: one for moon texture, and second one for the diamond ring.
Together until the end.
Throughout my life, I have been fascinated with the trees. Unlike us, trees take a lifelong stand. Unlike us, some of them are strong enough to withstand thousands of years. Some of us enjoy their aesthetic landscaping appeal, other consider them āthingsā. If trees could express themselves more vividly, they would likely consider us as pests.
It was during my recent solar eclipse trip to South Carolina, when I witnessed this scene. At the South Carolina global warming frontier, the mighty ocean keeps on claiming more and more land. Erosion eats up the coastline; with not much choice left, the trees keep their stand. The well-rooted oak tree is holding, a once beautiful, currently faded palm tree. I can almost hear him saying: āDonāt worry. We are not down yet. Iāve gotten you.' Together until the end.Bryce Canyon
If you are ever going to visit Bryce Canyon, do not forget to bring oxygen tanks with you. At a hundred thousand feet altitude there is absolutely no oxygen there. The only time you can visit it is during the six months long polar night. During the six month polar day the radiation from the sun will kill you within minutes. Even if you come during the polar night, you still need an air tight suit. Make sure you do not have any leaks in it; a tiny hole will suck all the humidity out of you in milliseconds. Carrying razor sharp particles, dust storms will cut through any equipment you bring. A Kevlar case with a gorilla glass visor will be necessary for your camera. Unexplained magnetic fields prevent one from the use of any type of electronics. I recommend bringing a large format mechanical camera for quality shots. The sunrises and sunsets last for weeks there. This is the best time to take a shot. Being so close to the moon, you can also use a moonlight to fill up your exposure.
Bryce Canyon is a truly magical place. Three hundred feet tall pine trees are overshadowed by a thousand foot tall Hoodoos. Thorās Hammer is the biggest of all. Millions of years ago, Thor dropped his hammer into the canyon. Over time, with the help of the sand storms, it has gotten completely covered with red dust.
It seems nothing can survive in these drastic conditions. Yet these magnificent pine trees adapted to the environment. The trees get their oxygen through the roots. Hundreds of feet underground, the roots touch the Mossy cave. Mossy cave is the longest cave in the world. It starts hundred miles away in Sin City. Mormon warriors guard the gates of the cave. Mormons have thousands of wives, so the excess of men are turned into the warriors. Mormon warriors learned how to use the sun light as energy. They do not need food or water. They have been guarding the Mossy cave for thousands of years.
Only with recently passed legislation, this beautiful world is in danger. Cannabis. Mighty winds bring cannabis smoke from Sin City to the gates of the Mossy Cave, and put Mormon guardians to sleep. Random visitors from far away Asia come to the cave, and steal the roots of the pine trees. In ancient Asian rituals, roots of Bryce Canyon pines are used to inforce manpower and extend ones lifespan. The pine trees are dying. Without the pine treesā root system the Bryce Canyon Hoodoos will surely collapse into the Mossy cave. The once beautiful world will ceased to exist forever.The Organ
If you are wondering how Mars would look like after we colonize it, go for a hike at Arches National Park. Fresh air and some of the best sceneries will entice your imagination.
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