Pssst! Over here!

Yesterday I am cruising around AOL and see this tease? It says in essence, "hey, if you want a good look at the moon? Tonight is the closest it'll be to Earth in all of 2009. And the best time to see it, if you have a clear sky to the east, is at sunset."


Whoa, I can tell from the waning light in the kitchen, sunset is nearly upon us. I grab my camera, switch lenses in mid-air, grab Peggy, race to the car, break speed laws getting to an open area with a house that will show comparative size.


I jump from the car and race to the middle of a small park where I can see the huge moon, draped by clouds, just over the eaves of a house. It looks perfect in the frame. I'm getting ready to set the shot...and.....?



I FORGOT MY TRIPOD. (Not the first time I've done that.)


You really need a tripod to "shoot the moon," literally.


"Peggy will you help me out here?"


Well Peggy's shoulder had to do and here's that moon.
























It's not going to win any awards.


There is more than one lesson here. A piece of carefully crafted advice I hand to broadcast journalism students is "THE REAL NEWS IS ALWAYS A BLOCK AWAY."


Overtime I've come up with some pretty good examples to illustrate the concept. But saying it in class and seeing it happen again and again are two different bananas.


So as I'm desperately trying to steady my hand and Peggy's shoulder in air I'd estimate is warmed to 25 degrees Fahrenheit? Peggy says to me?


You might want to look over my other shoulder.....back this way!






















And so I did!








It has been brought to my attention this picture has been doctored by my association with Photo Shop. Before you organize impeachment proceedings, let me openly and humbly admit my grievous but unintentional error.

I did in fact tinker with the pure representation of this sunset. I did in fact upload these deceptive pixels.

However, lest you should judge my integrity in representing the nature of things, please allow me to now reveal the true source of the vision. I vow the representation below was taken with automatic exposure and focus settings. AND, it has been left unadulterated following its transference to this venue.

















AND I think I like this one better.