I got up in the middle of the cold frigid night last night, so I thought it was worth a mid-week post. The occasion - the lunar eclipse. A total lunar eclipse occurred last night, the first of four in the next two years, and since the skies were clear, I didn't want to miss it. It was a beautiful, but cold night, and the view was spectacular. I hope the skies are clear for the next three, because I will definitely be there to witness, and photograph, the eclipse again.

Photo Details:
Camera: Canon T2i
Lens: Canon EF70-200mm f/4L at 200mm
Aperture: f/4.5
Shutter Speed: 0.8 sec
ISO 1600

I took this week off from the photo challenge and haven't had the chance to get the camera out much. Instead of new photos this week, I am posting a photo from my Vegas trip that hasn't made it up yet, plus the one to the right from the strip. 




The photo below is actually one of my favorite photos from the trip, so I'm not sure why I didn't post it sooner. It was taken at the Valley of Fire State Park. I love the winding ribbon of black asphalt with the contrasting red rock. 

In other news, one of my photos has made it onto the Transport Canada Flickr page. I submitted a photo for the Photo Contest in honor of National Aviation Day. You can check out the photo at the link above, though it is a familiar photo on my website, and browse all the photos celebrating National Aviation Day.

Photo Details:
Camera: Canon T2i
Lens: Canon 18-55mm f/3.5 at 42mm
Aperture: f/11
Shutter Speed: 1/60
ISO 100

The challenge this week was entitled "Of the Earth", and my inspiration came from my 2-year old son. He was out playing in the sandbox with his digger, a perfect opportunity to capture a few photos for the challenge.




When the sandbox became boring, he ventured to the mud and puddles nearby. Before he knew it, the sticky mud had stole one of his boots. I'm glad I was able to capture this moment. (Don't worry, my wife was quick to the rescue)

Photo Details:
Camera: Canon T2i
Lens: Canon EF70-200mm f/4L at 104mm
Aperture: f/8
Shutter Speed: 1/250
ISO 100

The theme for this week's photo is Black & White. I don't shoot many black & white photos, so this was a good challenge to explore something new. I took a bunch of photos of things around the house, experimenting with the absence of color. 

Of the photos I took, the photo below was my favorite and I think black & white really works well with this photo. Having spent a week looking at things in monochrome, I can see how it can add a dramatic effect to photos. I will certainly consider black & white photography in the future.

Photo Details:
Camera: Canon T2i
Lens: Canon 50mm
Aperture: f/1.8
Shutter Speed: 1/125
ISO 100

The theme for this week's photo challenge was "Intelligent Design". This theme directed my thoughts towards creation and the universe.  Thoughts of the intricate design of a snowflake, like the one in the photo to the left that I shot with my iPhone, and thoughts of the stars and the universe. 




I chose to explore the celestial theme further for my photo this week.  I have always wanted to try long exposure photos with star trails, so I took this opportunity to try it out. The photo below is actually numerous photos stacked to show the star trails. My only regret with this photo was not capturing longer star trails.

Photo Details:
Camera: Canon T2i
Lens: Canon 18-55mm at 18mm
Aperture: f/3.5
Shutter Speed: 30 sec 
ISO 200
Multiple exposures stacked to create star trails