The ‘rays’ are actually all parallel- that they look like they radiate out from a central point is an optical illusion.

Details:

• Nikon D200 dSLR
• AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED Lens
• 34mm (51mm equivalent)
• ISO 100
• f/8
• 1/250 exposure

Details:

• Nikon D200 dSLR
• AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED Lens
• 48mm (64mm equivalent)
• ISO 100
• f/7.1
• 1/200 exposure

Photos taken September 10, 2011 in Phoenix, AZ. 5:16 PM.

Enjoy!

Dan, aka @PHXPhoto

Am I the only one?  Well, if there are any sightings of Voltron, Optimus Prime, or VF-1 Valkyries around Phoenix in the next couple of days, I’ll know I was right!

Taken September 9, 2011, looking Southwest over South Mountain Park, Phoenix, AZ. 10:30 PM.

Details:

• Nikon D200 dSLR
• AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED Lens
• 18mm (27mm equivalent)
• ISO 100
• f/3.5
• 10-second exposure

Enjoy!

Dan, aka @PHXPhoto

Quite a few cells rolled into Phoenix last night from the Southwest, and the lightning was hit or miss.  There were periods where it was relatively quiet, then there were short bursts of lots of activity.  The photo below shows cloud-to-cloud lightning propagating across the sky.

(*since my family and friends read this, I have to add the disclaimer that I wasn’t really in danger- the lightning was actually quite far away)

Taken September 9, 2011, looking Southwest over South Mountain Park, Phoenix, AZ. 10:28 PM.

Details:

• Nikon D200 dSLR
• AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED Lens
• 18mm (27mm equivalent)
• ISO 100
• f/3.5
• 10-second exposure

Enjoy!

Dan, aka @PHXPhoto

As most locals know, during the monsoon season, Phoenix is prone to dust storms, also known as haboobs.  Weather officials say haboobs only happen in Arizona, the Sahara desert and parts of the Middle East because of dry conditions and large amounts of sand.

Yesterday (August 18, 2011), Phoenix experienced the 4th largest haboob on record.  Once the storm passed, there was still a lot of dust in the air, which led to a fantastic sunset.

This photo was taken August 18, 2011 at 7:20 pm off of Pima Canyon Road in the South Mountain Park preserve- the largest municipal park in the country, according to the Trust for Public Land.

Taken August 17, 2011, South Mountain Park, Phoenix, AZ.  7:23 PM (about 11 minutes after sunset).

Details:

Nikon D200 dSLR

AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED Lens

12mm (18mm equivalent)

ISO 100

5 exposures (bracketed) blended into one HDR photo: f/4, shutter 1/20; f/4, shutter 1/40; f/4, shutter 1/10; f/4, shutter 1/5; and f/4.5, shutter: 1/80;

HDR generated using Photomatix, Tone Compressed (using default settings). Adjustments include the Color Temperature being dropped to bring out the blues, as well as the Color Saturation being increased to bring out the reds and increase the overall contrast.

Enjoy!

Dan, aka @PHXPhoto

…it’s actually the sun, taken during this evening’s Haboob.

-Dan, aka @PHXPhoto

Taken August 17, 2011, South Mountain Park, Phoenix, AZ.  7:23 PM (about 11 minutes after sunset).

Elevation: Approximately 1,600 Feet (450 feet above the City of Phoenix).

Details:

Nikon D200 dSLR

AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 12-24mm f/4G IF-ED Lens

12mm (18mm equivalent)

ISO 100

3-shot HDR-

f/4, shutter 1/40; f/4.5, shutter: 1/80; and f/5, shutter: 1/100 (bracketed)

HDR generated using Photomatix, Tone Compressed (using default settings). Color Temperature dropped to bring out the blue, Color Saturation increased to bring out the reds and increase the overall contrast.

Enjoy!

Dan, aka @PHXPhoto

A nice cloud-to-cloud capture.  Looking south, not really any rain to speak of, however.

Details:

• Nikon D200 dSLR
• AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 Lens
• 18mm (27mm equivalent)
• ISO 100
• f/3.5
• 10-second exposure 

Dan, aka @PHXPhoto

By now, you’ve probably heard about Saturday’s ‘Supermoon’.  The moon was at ‘Perigee’ (the closest point to the Earth in its elliptical orbit); at 221,567 miles, it was also closer than it’s been in 19 years.

The moon’s average distance from Earth is 238,857 miles, so it was 17,290 miles closer to the Earth than average. Consequently, the full moon appeared about 14 percent larger than a ‘normal’ full moon.

If you missed it, you’ll have another chance in November 2016. If you miss that one, though, the next one won’t be until January 2036; after that, you’ll be waiting until December 2052.

Photo above taken with a Nikon D200 and an AF-Zoom Nikkor f/4-5.6D ED lens.  HDR composite using Photomatix to merge 5 photos into one.  Shutter speeds: 1/100, 1/80, 1/60, 1/50, and 1/40. Aperture for all photos: f11.  Source photos taken March 19, 2011 at 7:57 p.m. local Arizona time.

Supermoon over Phoenix March 19, 2011

Did you take any photos tonight?  Please share them below.

-Dan, a.k.a. PHX Photo

By now, you may have heard about the ‘Super Moon‘; if you haven’t, this Saturday, March 19, 2011, the moon will not only be at ‘Perigee’ (the closest point to the Earth in its elliptical orbit); at 221,567 miles, it will be closer than it’s been in 19 years.

The moon’s average distance from Earth is 238,857 miles, so Saturday it will be 17,290 miles closer to the Earth than average. Consequently, the full moon will appear about 14 percent larger than a ‘normal’ full moon.

If you miss it this time around, you’ll have another chance in November 2016. If you miss that one, though, the next one won’t be until January 2036; after that, you’ll be waiting until December 2052.

The forecast for Saturday is perfect for viewing the full moon, and the moonrise should occur around 7:02 p.m. local time.

I’ll be outside with my camera Saturday. How about you?

If you take any photos, please share them below.

-Dan, a.k.a. PHX Photo