It has been one of those years in which, if I didn't have any photographs,…

Photography at Night. Bottom of the Rio Grande Gorge. My Shot of the Day. June 29, 2012
It was boys night out at the edge of the Rio Grande, way down in the 700ft deep section of the gorge. A perfect time for photography at night.
We passed the afternoon fishing (catching nothing) and swimming to stay cool in the unprecedented heat. By dinner time though, the temperature was perfect, a breeze kept the bugs off and the two boys were running up and down the river’s edge discovering all sorts of treasures.
Truth be told, I haven’t played much with night photos but I thought I’d give it a try. The moon was up and at waxing gibbous, so I waited until about 10pm when it dropped down to the southwest and hovered over the rim of the canyon so I could get it in my shots.
My young amigo Ian, age 9, volunteered to head inside his tent with a flashlight and wave it around while I had the shutter open. He was the perfect assistant, moving it slowly and steadily over the walls of the tent while I took the shot.
Using a tripod (I had to be careful as the wind was whipping up the canyon at a stiff pace) and having the aperture full open, I held the shutter at 30 seconds while Ian painted the tent with light.
After the moon set to the southwest the Milky Way was bright and clear and shooting stars were all around. I tried for some star shots but….no good.
I’m not sure I have any night photography tips yet but I’m working up some experience. It is just plain fun to play around – and be out next to the river.
In the morning, we hunted dragonflies.
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