These images of the moon, hidden by clouds and reflected in Stoney Bayou 1, were taken during the “Blue Hour” just after the sun sets. Coincidentally, these particular images were taken on the eve of a Blue Moon.
The colors change very quickly during the Blue Hour and you have to be ready to take a photo quickly because some of the colors may last less than a minute.
This first image shows the deep blue sky and the moon very early in the process.
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Only four minutes later the clouds take on a pink tint.
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In another 7 minutes much of the blue has gone from the sky and crepuscular moonbeams shoot through the clouds.
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Taking photographs after sunset can be very rewarding and very challenging.
At a certain point the autofocus and autoexposure on your camera stop working and you have to know how to how to take pictures manually (in the dark).
You need to know where the infinity setting is on your lens so you can turn your focus ring to the correct spot. On my camera it is not all the way to the end of the focus range but a few degrees back.
The backlit LCD on the camera back can be blinding to look at unless you turn the brightness way down. The more buttons and dials your camera has, the better, since it reduces your dependence on the menu and the LCD display.
So the next time you get your beautiful sunset photo consider staying a few extra minutes. You never know what beauty you might see.
Jim