DAY 54

NATURE & LANDSCAPES

Low-Light Photograph

BRILLIANT COMPENSATION

This scene inflamed my imagination, but was there enough light to record the image? The sun is rising behind the swing, but it isn’t above the horizon yet. The moon is setting over the lake in front of it but too low in the sky to provide any significant light. The result of the sun coming up and the moon going down, along with the 10 below zero temperature and no wind have combined to create a scene that will be tough to duplicate. It will also be tough to photograph.

The full moon is lined up perfectly in the distance, and sunrise colors shimmer off the ice. With the camera on a tripod, a meter reading is taken off the swing itself, exposure is locked in, and the self-timer activated. The shutter button is pressed, and a few seconds later, success: a properly exposed low-light photograph. —WTD