Chandelier (needs to be dusted)

Chandelier (needs to be dusted)
Originally uploaded by oliverleveritt

This was an experiment in inclusion & exclusion. I wanted to include the details of the chandelier, but I wanted to exclude the background. I wanted to include the detail of the bulbs, but exclude the overpowering glow of the light. So here, suspended in black space, is my dusty chandelier, and its pristine white light. Should I simply clean it, or buy another one to photograph??

Mercury & the Moon

Mercury & the Moon
Originally uploaded by oliverleveritt

I was out shooting photos at night -- again. I set up my tripod to take a photo of the moon. There were lots of fast-moving clouds, but I figured they would be invisible across the moon itself during a long exposure. I took this shot and almost discarded it until I looked more closely.

There was something else in the photo. After adjusting brightness and contrast, I saw another planet. A quick Google check led me to info indicating that I had just captured Mercury.

This kind of thing becomes addicting. Now I want to do research to find out when I can possibly get photos of other planets. The problem is that even if I had known that Mercury was lurking up there within range of my camera, I might not have been able to find it. I only captured it through long exposure and light adjustment -- a fortuitous accident of sorts.