A Good Friday illumination, though not an epiphany,  from an unexpected source. A subdivision being so close to where I was staying, it was a simple matter to put on gumboots and shoulder tripod for the short walk to the hilltop, where a house was under construction.  As building sites are prone to pilfering I didn’t want my intentions mis-interpreted, so when vehicle headlights suddenly appeared in my frame I did not know what I was in for. However I was set up on the less public side, and whatever the purpose of the lingering  lights and long-running engine, my presence was apparently undetected.

I wear a warm, high-vis vest (thanks Narumon) on all my evening outings, for safety’s sake. Generally I avoid using flash in residential areas (discretion vs valour) and have rarely been challenged by suspicious onlookers.  On moonlit excursions I mostly stick to public spaces or to holiday places on farms; looking back on work from the last few years,  I see my trespassing has been confined to college farms, new subdivisions and golf courses.

Diagonals and limited focus are not common elements in my compositions, and I would have liked a more distinctive shape for the tree, but serendipity should not be denied – namely the headlit timbers – and I am obviously susceptible to a good, unclouded mountain. Mt Taranaki is an immediate anchor for any former resident returning to the region.

30 secs at f5.6. Nikon 85mm; ISO 500

 

 

Posted by Barney Brewster

Tags: composition, focus, long exposure, moonlight, mountain, New Plymouth, Nikon D700, safety, serendipity, street lighting;, Taranaki, telephoto

Categories: Night photography