Nice work. I don't wish to cause trouble, but my understanding is that "the shadow" occurs twice a year, for several days each occurrence. I took a similar photo in Sept. 2013. I consider it special, and you should, too.
Stan Parker says: [Nice work. I don't wish to cause trouble, but my understanding is that "the shadow" occurs twice a year, for several days each occurrence. I took a similar photo in Sept. 2013. I consider it special, and you should, too.]
No trouble at all, Stan. September, 2013 was a great year for the shadow, with beautiful clouds. BUT, once-in-decade refers to the twice annual shadow (Sept/March) coinciding with a perfectly placed full moon!! It might even be less common than that if the other conditions (clear western sky, relatively clear eastern sky) don't happen as well.
And actually, for those interested, the most perfect positioning of the 'shadow' occurs for the last 90 seconds or so of two days in Sept and two in March, with the absolute most perfect positioning coming only on one day of each two day window. confusing enough??!!
D. von Briesen wrote:
Stan Parker says: [Nice work. I don't wish to cause trouble, but my understanding is that "the shadow" occurs twice a year, for several days each occurrence. I took a similar photo in Sept. 2013. I consider it special, and you should, too.]
No trouble at all, Stan. September, 2013 was a great year for the shadow, with beautiful clouds. BUT, once-in-decade refers to the twice annual shadow (Sept/March) coinciding with a perfectly placed full moon!! It might even be less common than that if the other conditions (clear western sky, relatively clear eastern sky) don't happen as well.
And actually, for those interested, the most perfect positioning of the 'shadow' occurs for the last 90 seconds or so of two days in Sept and two in March, with the absolute most perfect positioning coming only on one day of each two day window. confusing enough??!!
Lucky, we both were!!!!!!!!!
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Sorry, Derek. I missed the point about the full moon.
The new-gen photographers could learn from this. Pasted in lightning, moons, heavy handed photoshop. and then denial when caught.
Doing it right, gives huge satisfaction, probably more than the images alone, which is the culmination of all the work.....
Great work and planning. Beautiful images!
There's old-school satisfaction in achieving an image like this.
ckcarr wrote:
Doing it right, gives huge satisfaction, probably more than the images alone, which is the culmination of all the work.....
Thanks, Craig. Yes, indeed. The satisfaction of a plan going according to plan is quite something.
But the serendipity factor that plays in all photography, being so random
& capricious, especially with the full moon, combined with all the hard work & planning, is what makes the ultimate result so thrilling!!
On the Mitten Shadow, I literally drove eight hours round trip, with clouds overhead
the entire way, intermittent cell reception, talking to my friend and Navajo guide par
excellence Ray Begay, who was telling me there were essentially no windows in the western sky for the sun to create a shadow.
The entire drive I was in serious doubt, and upon arrival, indeed there was nothing
but flat light. Where I set up, there was no view to the west, so it was literally blind faith and hope.
And then, 90 seconds of soft light, enough for the shadow. Still maybe three minutes
from absolute optimum, but by that point the sun and shadow had disappeared!!
Eight hours, 450 miles, 90 seconds!! Yet again, the Goddess of Serendipity turns and shyly walks away, whispering, as she often does, "the harder you work, the luckier you get. Never . . . . . . . forget."
