March 2011 – Denise Bush's Photo Blog

Where Were You Last Night?

Did you see the moonrise last night? It appeared 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than usual. Called the ‘supermoon’, it occurs when a full moon is at its ‘perigee’ … slightly closer than usual to Earth. Relatively rare, supermoons happen only every 18 years or so. The last time was March 1993, and the next will be 2029. I headed down to LBI early in order to scout a location that would include the Barnegat Lighthouse. I found a spot on a public bay beach behind the light facing east. I soon found out that I wasn’t the only one with the idea when two other photographers came along and just like me, had Canon 100-400mm lenses mounted and ready. I was glad for the company as we were there a bit early anticipating the event. The moon appeared largest when it first came up and decreased to a more normal looking size as it rose higher. It was quite windy and even though my camera was mounted on a sturdy tripod there was some shake that caused blur in some of the shots. I was using an ISO of 400, so next time, in 2029 I think I’ll try 800! Where were you?

'Moonrise at Barnegat Light' © Denise Bush

D Bush_Barnegat Moonrise — 'Barnegat Moonrise' © Denise Bush

Springtime in Paris (Philadelphia)

Last Friday I had the pleasure of visiting the Philadelphia Flower Show with some of my camera club friends. This years theme was ‘Springtime in Paris’ and the Convention Center was transformed into a stunning Parisian display. I thought the exhibitors did an excellent job interpreting the subject with a variety of creative ideas, from the Eiffel Tower to painter’s studios to street scenes. There was an abundance of tulips and other springtime flowers in addition to every other flower imaginable filling the center with eye-popping color. Everyone’s eye took them to a different location and I lost my friends as soon as we set foot in the exhibit. That was OK as I wandered the streets of Paris with my camera. I had fun shooting the different subject matter and ready-made still life displays presented. It was good practice shooting, handheld with my Canon speedlight. I kept my ISO rather high (between 400 and 800) to deal with the low light and keep the flash less harsh. I used a small bounce diffuser and dialed the flash compensation on the minus side. Here are just a few of many images from my trip to Paris!

Goodbye to Winter!

For me, Winter seemed especially tough this year probably due to my working from home again and not getting out as much. At times I felt like I was hibernating! I was glad that I got down to the beach after the most recent storm as I had never seen snow on the beach before. I didn’t come away with any ‘WOWs’ but like the curves and sky in the one posted below. With Spring just 15 days away and counting I am so looking forward to the warmer weather and getting out with my camera more often. So with this post I officially say farewell to snow scenes and Winter … until next year of course!